[{"content":"\nHow are you feeling these days? Are you hopeful about the future? In a world filled with wars and rumors of wars, where the news often feels weighty and uncertain, it’s easy to believe that hope is just a naive dream. You are not alone if you feel this way. I’ve had to cut back on watching the news daily. The truth is, many of us are experiencing a profound weariness, feeling that the very notion of ‘hope’ is a luxury we can no longer afford.\nBut what if we’ve misunderstood what hope truly is? What if, instead of a passive wish or a fragile fantasy, hope is a warrior — a quiet, fierce strength that rises within us when our hands are too tired to fight. It whispers courage when despair tries to shout us down, lighting a persistent candle in the deepest darkness.\nThis view of hope — as a fierce, active strength rather than a passive wish — is championed by people who have witnessed the world’s greatest challenges, like the renowned ethologist Jane Goodall. In her book, The Book of Hope, she emphasizes that true hope is the “opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement.” She reminds us that the warrior within is not enough; it must lead to doing.\nThis idea aligns beautifully with a poem by Tahlia Hunter, who wrote, “Hope visited me and it reminded me that better times lay ahead.” This is the very essence of the warrior within us: a constant companion that reassures, guides, and uplifts us.\nThe poem also shares other key insights that fuel this inner warrior. It reminds us that:\nPatience is essential because “good things take time to come to fruition.” Hope requires us to believe in a positive future, even if it’s a slow, steady journey.\nPeace allows us to “remain calm through the storms of life,” so we can face chaos without being consumed by it.\nConfidence is part of hope, too. The poem encourages us to “embrace what makes me me,” recognizing the strength that lies in our unique gifts and talents.\nHope isn’t about ignoring difficulties; it’s about actively protecting this inner warrior. It’s about cherishing the small moments — the warmth of the sun, a loved one’s smile — that fuel its light. These aren’t insignificant; they are the vital sparks that keep our hope alive, reminding us that beauty and goodness still exist, even when the bigger picture seems bleak.\nThe Four Pillars of Active Hope\nSo, as we navigate the intricate tapestry of our lives — a tapestry woven with threads of joy and sorrow, triumph and tribulation — let us discard the notion that hope is a fragile illusion. Instead, let us embrace it as the indomitable warrior within, always ready to stand guard over our spirits. This commitment echoes the powerful philosophy of Jane Goodall, who built her entire message of survival on four core reasons for hope:\nThe Amazing Human Intellect: It is the recognition that the clever brain power which created many of the world’s problems — from environmental destruction to sophisticated weaponry — is the very same power capable of inventing solutions, whether through new technologies or simpler, wiser choices.\nThe Resilience of Nature: This offers the certainty that nature, when given time and help, has an astonishing capacity to heal and return. Even the most ravaged landscapes can bloom again, proving that our actions to help, however small, are never in vain.\nThe Power of Young People: This is the boundless energy and commitment found in the rising generation — those who, when informed and empowered, are refusing to accept the status quo. Their action and engagement worldwide are already changing the world, and they fuel our belief in a better tomorrow.\nThe Indomitable Human Spirit: This is the warrior that rises in all of us — the universal wellspring of courage, compassion, and the unwavering will to survive and overcome. It is the proof that even in adversity, life holds profound meaning and possibility.\nA Revolutionary Act of Defiance\nThe call to action is not to chase grand, unattainable dreams, but to actively cultivate and fiercely protect the subtle sparks of hope within ourselves and our communities. By taking conscious, courageous, and ongoing action, we embody the hope we wish to see in the world.\nGoodall, who dedicated her life to collecting and sharing ‘stories of hope’ across the globe, reminds us of this profound truth:\n“There is still so much in the world worth fighting for. So much that is beautiful, so many wonderful people working to reverse the harm, to help alleviate the suffering. And so many young people dedicated to making this a better world. All conspiring to inspire us and to give us hope that it is not too late to turn things around, if we all do our part.”\nYour hope is not a luxury; it is a necessity, a revolutionary act of defiance against despair, and the enduring promise that no matter how deep the night, the dawn will always return.\nI’m sharing here the poem by Australian writer, Tahlia Hunter, which was the inspiration for me to write this post on Hope.\nPatience visited me And it reminded me That good things take time to come to fruition And grow slowly with stability Peace visited me And it reminded me That I may remain calm through the storms of life Regardless of the chaos surrounding me\nHope visited me And it reminded me That better times lay ahead And it would always be there to guide and uplift me Humility visited me And it reminded me That I may achieve it\nNot by trying to shrink myself and make myself less But by focusing on serving the world and uplifting those around me Kindness visited me And it reminded me To be more gentle, forgiving and compassionate toward myself And those surrounding me\n","permalink":"/posts/protecting-the-warrior-within-jane-goodalls-pillars-of-active-h-o-p-e/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1svX-1x2YXGyaw7d5zEjA8A.webp\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1svX-1x2YXGyaw7d5zEjA8A-1024x747.webp\" title=\"1*svX-1x2YXGyaw7d5zEjA8A\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow are you feeling these days? Are you hopeful about the future? In a world filled with wars and rumors of wars, where the news often feels weighty and uncertain, it’s easy to believe that hope is just a naive dream. You are not alone if you feel this way. I’ve had to cut back on watching the news daily. The truth is, many of us are experiencing a profound weariness, feeling that the very notion of ‘hope’ is a luxury we can no longer afford.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Protecting the Warrior Within: Jane Goodall’s Pillars of Active H.O.P.E."},{"content":"This post was published in the GGCN Magazine ~ January/2026. GGCN stands for Global Grandmothers Council Network. My gratitude to Kalina Bains, Grand Editor, for her editorial skill in putting together such a fine magazine, and especially making \u0026ldquo;What I\u0026rsquo;ve Learned About the Soul at 76\u0026rdquo; look so good. She\u0026rsquo;s also the Founder and Creative Director of Kalina Digital Median ~ \u0026ldquo;Digital Magic for Women Rebuilding their Lives.\u0026rdquo; (mailto:hello@kalinamedia.ca)\nJean Janki SamarooDownload\n","permalink":"/posts/the-secret/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis post was published in the GGCN Magazine ~ January/2026. GGCN stands for Global Grandmothers Council Network. My gratitude to Kalina Bains, Grand Editor, for her editorial skill in putting together such a fine magazine, and especially making \u0026ldquo;What I\u0026rsquo;ve Learned About the Soul at 76\u0026rdquo; look so good. She\u0026rsquo;s also the Founder and Creative Director of Kalina Digital Median ~ \u0026ldquo;Digital Magic for Women Rebuilding their Lives.\u0026rdquo; (mailto:hello@kalinamedia.ca)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jean-Janki-Samaroo.pdf\"\u003eJean Janki Samaroo\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jean-Janki-Samaroo.pdf\"\u003eDownload\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What I've Learned About the Soul at 76"},{"content":"StrongWomenMakeHistory-1Download\n","permalink":"/posts/5312/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/StrongWomenMakeHistory-1.pdf\"\u003eStrongWomenMakeHistory-1\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/StrongWomenMakeHistory-1.pdf\"\u003eDownload\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"STRONG WOMEN MAKE HISTORY"},{"content":"\nAre you ready for Christmas and the New Year? As Christmas day approaches on December 25th, we all seem to get more and more anxious about all the preparations. I’d say this is truer for the ladies I know than for the men. I know that I often get into a frenzy when there are just a few days left before Christmas! We ladies worry about the decorations, the food, the gifts, the parties, the clothes we’re going to wear, and more. There are the school concerts, the pageant at the church, the cookie exchange at work and the package to be mailed to overseas relatives. The Andy Williams song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Christmas is a wonderful time for sure. It’s the biggest birthday party in the world! For Christians, it’s the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. For everyone else who gets in on the celebration, it’s time for fun – food, music, parties, presents, decorations, Santa, and best of all sharing time with family and friends. Looking back at the idyllic manger scene we see on Christmas cards at the first Christmas paints a very different picture to the way we celebrate Christmas today. There’s Mary, an unwed mother, who’s given birth to a baby boy. Joseph, the father of the child is there. Their abode for the night is a very humble stable with only the animals around. There were no doctors, nurses, mothers, fathers, doulas, or medical equipment in case of an emergency. I would say they were pretty much all alone. Things change and our own Christmas celebrations have changed drastically. We have all the glitz and glitter of affluence all around us here in Toronto. As the Christmas songs says, City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style. In the air there\u0026#39;s a feeling of Christmas Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile. And on every street corner you hear Silver bells, silver bells It\u0026#39;s Christmas time in the city. Ring a ling, hear them ring. Soon it\u0026#39;ll be Christmas day. In my mind though, all the excitement, glitz, and glitter is because the Christmas season is all about love. It’s a time when people show their love and appreciation for each other and oftentimes even those they don’t know. That’s the magic of Christmas and the spirit! Because Christmas is about love, even people who are of no religious persuasion do everything for Christmas just as if they were celebrating a big Birthday party. They get caught up in the excitement of the season and want to Bring back that lovin\u0026#39; feelin\u0026#39; Whoa, that lovin\u0026#39; feelin\u0026#39; You probably remember the well-known Dr. Seuss story of someone who tried to steal Christmas. I fondly remember reading “How the Grinch stole Christmas!” to my own son a long time ago. Although the Grinch stole all the presents, decorations, and food from the town, he couldn’t really steal Christmas. He realized that Christmas didn’t come from a store when he heard the beautiful singing voices of the children and the community of Whoville. How about in our own time? Can Christmas be stolen from children and whole countries in other ways? Many children live in countries that are at war this Christmas. For many children in the Ukraine and Russia, there will be no Christmas in the usual way. It’s 666 days now since that war started. The best Christmas present for them would be to have peace. No matter how loudly they sing, war will not cease. What of the children and families in Palestine/Israel? Since October 7th, 2023, armed conflict began between Israel and Hamas-led factions in the Gaza area. This is a very complex situation that I must admit is very hard to understand and goes back a long time in history. It’s not hard to guess what the best Christmas present for everyone there might be. If we could wave a magic wand and wars would cease, it would be the most wonderful thing in the world right now. However, since we don’t have a magic wand, there’s not a whole lot that any of us can do to make war cease in any part of the world right now. That’s not being complacent or uncaring. It’s the reality. Is there something we might be able to do for the future that could change the way we live now? Yes, and I would like to offer six suggestions for how each one of us might make it possible for wars to cease in the future. 1.\tWe can start by examining our own inner landscape, our consciousness – how are we thinking about others? Do we see other children, adults, countries, people with other religious persuasions, skin colour, language differences, accents, as worthy of respect and love? 2.\tThere’s a saying that “charity begins at home.” Before we go trying to put somebody else’s house in order, it’s a good idea to take care of those closest to us first. That includes caring for ourselves too. Self-care is the best care. You will have more to give when your own energy is high and your own needs have been taken care of. 3.\tOn a more practical level, if you are out today and see someone around you who’s lonely, hungry, needs help carrying a heavy package or groceries, or in any other situation where you could offer a helping hand, that’s your opportunity to shine. Even a smile could be helpful today to someone who is lonely. Put yourself in the shoe of the other. 4.\tOn a more international level, we need to rally for our leaders to go to war before they send the youth in our countries to fight. If the President/Prime Minister, and the Administration had to go to war, there would be no war. Oftentimes, young men and women who are conscripted don’t really understand what they’re getting into. Demand that there is explanation and transparency. Do you know any teenagers/youth who have the cognitive know-how or experience of life to understand war? War is not the answer when we want a peaceful world. 5.\tWe need diplomacy and compassion in our relationships at both the individual, national, and international level. It has been said that peace is not just the absence of war. Our consciousness must change at the individual level before we can begin to make this world a peaceful one. I challenge myself and you to listen carefully to what the other person is saying to us starting today. Ask yourself the reason why they’re saying this and try to understand where they’re coming from. Try to communicate with kindness and be cooperative and understanding instead of being arrogant and rude. Deep down inside, we all want the same good things for ourselves as for others. 6.\tLast, but not least, is gratitude and generosity. They go hand in hand. It’s a grateful heart that wants to give and share out of love. Here in Canada, we have so much of everything. If you’re one of the fortunate ones who has more than you need, maybe you can find it in your heart and consciousness to start looking out for others you might share your blessings with. It could be right at home or even in another country – maybe even a country at war. Christmas is about sharing love through giving to others, even those we don’t know. According to Buddhist monk, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (1931-2022) “Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be achieved unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called \u0026#39;peacekeeping forces\u0026#39; into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be opposed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.” Let’s get actively involved in raising our consciousness this Christmas and all the way into the New Year! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whatever you say in your own language. Happy New Year! ","permalink":"/posts/what-is-christmas-all-about-holiday-reflections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2023/What-is-christmas-all-about-holiday-reflections/i-wTqkvZs/0/MrgtfvwHzQ372DXnhHJHPjQ8k9pBg9FbmTmFHHfwr/D/Recently-Updated47-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2023/What-is-christmas-all-about-holiday-reflections/i-wTqkvZs/0/MrgtfvwHzQ372DXnhHJHPjQ8k9pBg9FbmTmFHHfwr/D/Recently-Updated47-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\u003ccode\u003eAre you ready for Christmas and the New Year?  As Christmas day approaches on December 25th, we all seem to get more and more anxious about all the preparations.  I’d say this is truer for the ladies I know than for the men. I know that I often get into a frenzy when there are just a few days left before Christmas!  We ladies worry about the decorations, the food, the gifts, the parties, the clothes we’re going to wear, and more.  There are the school concerts, the pageant at the church, the cookie exchange at work and the package to be mailed to overseas relatives.  \n\nThe Andy Williams song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”  Christmas is a wonderful time for sure.  It’s the biggest birthday party in the world!  For Christians, it’s the celebration of the birthday of Jesus.  For everyone else who gets in on the celebration, it’s time for fun – food, music, parties, presents, decorations, Santa, and best of all sharing time with family and friends.  \n\nLooking back at the idyllic manger scene we see on Christmas cards at the first Christmas paints a very different picture to the way we celebrate Christmas today.  There’s Mary, an unwed mother, who’s given birth to a baby boy.   Joseph, the father of the child is there.  Their abode for the night is a very humble stable with only the animals around.  There were no doctors, nurses, mothers, fathers, doulas, or medical equipment in case of an emergency.  I would say they were pretty much all alone.\n  \nThings change and our own Christmas celebrations have changed drastically.  We have all the glitz and glitter of affluence all around us here in Toronto.   As the Christmas songs says, \n\nCity sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style.\nIn the air there\u0026#39;s a feeling of Christmas\nChildren laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile.\nAnd on every street corner you hear\nSilver bells, silver bells\nIt\u0026#39;s Christmas time in the city.\nRing a ling, hear them ring.\nSoon it\u0026#39;ll be Christmas day.\n\nIn my mind though, all the excitement, glitz, and glitter is because the Christmas season is all about love.  It’s a time when people show their love and appreciation for each other and oftentimes even those they don’t know.   That’s the magic of Christmas and the spirit!  Because Christmas is about love, even people who are of no religious persuasion do everything for Christmas just as if they were celebrating a big Birthday party.  They get caught up in the excitement of the season and want to \nBring back that lovin\u0026#39; feelin\u0026#39;\nWhoa, that lovin\u0026#39; feelin\u0026#39;\n\nYou probably remember the well-known Dr. Seuss story of someone who tried to steal Christmas.  I fondly remember reading “How the Grinch stole Christmas!” to my own son a long time ago.  Although the Grinch stole all the presents, decorations, and food from the town, he couldn’t really steal Christmas.  He realized that Christmas didn’t come from a store when he heard the beautiful singing voices of the children and the community of Whoville. \n \nHow about in our own time?  Can Christmas be stolen from children and whole countries in other ways?  Many children live in countries that are at war this Christmas.  For many children in the Ukraine and Russia, there will be no Christmas in the usual way.  It’s 666 days now since that war started.  The best Christmas present for them would be to have peace. No matter how loudly they sing, war will not cease.  \n\nWhat of the children and families in Palestine/Israel?  Since October 7th, 2023, armed conflict began between Israel and Hamas-led factions in the Gaza area.  This is a very complex situation that I must admit is very hard to understand and goes back a long time in history.  It’s not hard to guess what the best Christmas present for everyone there might be. \n\nIf we could wave a magic wand and wars would cease, it would be the most wonderful thing in the world right now.  However, since we don’t have a magic wand, there’s not a whole lot that any of us can do to make war cease in any part of the world right now.  That’s not being complacent or uncaring.  It’s the reality.  Is there something we might be able to do for the future that could change the way we live now?  Yes, and  I would like to offer six suggestions for how each one of us might make it possible for wars to cease in the future.  \n\n1.\tWe can start by examining our own inner landscape, our consciousness – how are we thinking about others?  Do we see other children, adults, countries, people with other religious persuasions, skin colour, language differences, accents, as worthy of respect and love?  \n\n2.\t There’s a saying that “charity begins at home.”  Before we go trying to put somebody else’s house in order, it’s a good idea to take care of those closest to us first.  That includes caring for ourselves too.  Self-care is the best care.  You will have more to give when your own energy is high and your own needs have been taken care of. \n\n3.\tOn a more practical level, if you are out today and see someone around you who’s lonely, hungry, needs help carrying a heavy package or groceries, or in any other situation where you could offer a helping hand, that’s your opportunity to shine.  Even a smile could be helpful today to someone who is lonely.  Put yourself in the shoe of the other.\n\n4.\tOn a more international level, we need to rally for our leaders to go to war before they send the youth in our countries to fight. If the President/Prime Minister, and the Administration had to go to war, there would be no war. Oftentimes, young men and women who are conscripted don’t really understand what they’re getting into. Demand that there is explanation and transparency.  Do you know any teenagers/youth who have the cognitive know-how or experience of life to understand war?  War is not the answer when we want a peaceful world.\n\n5.\tWe need diplomacy and compassion in our relationships at both the individual, national, and international level.  It has been said that peace is not just the absence of war.  Our consciousness must change at the individual level before we can begin to make this world a peaceful one.  I challenge myself and you to listen carefully to what the other person is saying to us starting today.  Ask yourself the reason why they’re saying this and try to understand where they’re coming from.  Try to communicate with kindness and be cooperative and understanding instead of being arrogant and rude.  Deep down inside, we all want the same good things for ourselves as for others.  \n\n6.\tLast, but not least, is gratitude and generosity.  They go hand in hand.  It’s a grateful heart that wants to give and share out of love.  Here in Canada, we have so much of everything.  If you’re one of the fortunate ones who has more than you need, maybe you can find it in your heart and consciousness to start looking out for others you might share your blessings with.  It could be right at home or even in another country – maybe even a country at war.  Christmas is about sharing love through giving to others, even those we don’t know.\n\nAccording to Buddhist monk, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (1931-2022)\n\n“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be achieved unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called \u0026#39;peacekeeping forces\u0026#39; into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be opposed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.”\n\nLet’s get actively involved in raising our consciousness this Christmas and all the way into the New Year!  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whatever you say in your own language.  Happy New Year!\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2023/What-is-christmas-all-about-holiday-reflections/i-zfvNJng/0/LPRqh5sm78wMprXGnZLdBbs3J5NrLPDHfsXwtpCg2/D/Manger-Scene-peach-background-with-hand-holding-angel-scaled-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Manger-Scene-peach-background-with-hand-holding-angel-1024x587.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"WHAT IS CHRISTMAS ALL ABOUT?  HOLIDAY REFLECTIONS"},{"content":"\n\u0026ldquo;Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering \u0026lsquo;it will be happier\u0026rsquo; ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson\nA happier life for me started on January 2nd, 2023. A change of country, scenery, and environment brought with it new vistas and opportunities. It was something that I had dreamt and hoped to do for many years – wintering in a beautiful, warm place. I had always dreamed of living by the sea and hearing the waves lapping the shore day and night. While I was dreaming, I thought that if there were also mountains, that would be a bonus. Since I saw the Sound of Music and Heidi when I was a little girl, mountains have always beckoned to me. My new locale has the sea, boats, and the Sierra Madre Mountains. Talk about luck!\nNo snow, ice, freezing rain and freezing cold temperatures for me – for a while anyways! Sundresses and sandals are my usual garb these days. It’s a delight to pick bougainvilleas and ixoras out in the garden along with some tropical greenery. The greatest joy for me is arranging them. Beautiful flowers delight my soul and make me feel happy. Years ago, a happier life for me was tied to jumping into the sea and having fun swimming in the water. As an older person now, just looking at the sea and the mountains makes my heart sing. It’s a quiet, meditative time that brings me “a happier life.” During this peaceful, quiet time I’m having here, I’ve begun to think about the pursuit of happiness. Happiness has even been written about in the American Constitution. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” ~ Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776.\nThe Constitution gives permission to pursue happiness. I suppose that’s enough reason to pursue it. After all, it seems to be innate for us humans to want to be happy. Yet, just as I was writing this today, a notification came from Shambala Publications about a new book called, “Happiness is Overrated.” Is happiness overrated? There are many pursuits that people engage in that bring happiness but is this happiness satisfying or long-lasting. Have you every known anyone who was happy all the time, never had any setback along life’s way and just lived in a peaceful, blissful state? I haven’t lived that kind of life and nobody I know or have ever met seems to have had it all together or have had that kind of life. There are people like the Dalai Lama who’ve spent years in meditation that may be the closest to being this way. Despite all his setbacks along the way, he laughs all the time.\nI seem to recall that years ago there was a book called “Laughter is the best medicine.” A good laugh really does wonders for body, mind, soul, and spirit. It’s a nice feeling to be able to spontaneously laugh by oneself or with others – at a funny joke, movie, or just while having a great time. A happier life will certainly result. I had the opportunity to laugh at and with myself spontaneously a week ago. It did me the world of good. The place where I’m staying in Mexico is next to the Marina. The building is in a beautiful setting and hosts fine events like weddings every weekend. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the guests arriving followed by the wedding party, seeing the decorations and beautiful lighting, fresh flowers arriving for the occasion, listening to the music, seeing the fireworks display and all the other aspects of a fine Mexican wedding. This was all from a distance sitting in my condo.\nThis time I decided to go over and take a closer look at the events and take a few pictures. There was a young, pretty girl, in a flowing pink dress with a flare, surrounded by many people. Others were hovering around on the deck where the ceremony usually takes place. I assumed that she was the bride and was captivated by the splendor of the occasion and the décor. I thought to myself that maybe in Mexico brides sometimes wear pink. I kind of wondered where the bridegroom was as I didn’t notice any male figure in a tuxedo or anything like that. I didn’t dwell on that for too long as I wanted to check out the area around the pool where I had seen tables set up for dinner in previous weeks. I hurried up the flight of stairs to get there.\nIt was magical up there. The tables were all beautifully prepared with mostly pink flowers, pink napkins, fine Chinaware, and cutlery. Some gentlemen were hurriedly putting the finishing touches on the area in preparation for the wedding party and guests who would be coming up. There were trees with lights all around and it was a fairyland in my eyes. The workers did not as much as glance at me as they were so busy with their work. I took my photos very quickly and left – happy and satisfied to have had this close-up view of things. I would enjoy the rest of the celebration from my own home as I had done in past weeks.\nOn Sunday morning, I posted some of the photos I had taken on Facebook saying that the event was next door, the bride wore pink, and the table décor was all pink, and so forth – seems like pink was the bride’s favourite color. After lunch, I was on the computer and checked Facebook. Many people liked the photos and there was a comment from a niece in Florida. She said that what was taking place was called a “quinceanera” - a coming-of-age party for a young girl. It was like the Sweet Sixteen that is sometimes held for girls in other countries. It was a Latin custom, she noted.\nWell, I laughed heartily at my faux pas, mistake, lack of cultural awareness, ignorance, or anything else you might care to call it. I laughed inside of myself every time I remembered and laughed loudly throughout the afternoon as well. I thought to myself that it was no wonder that I didn’t see a bridegroom. I laughed again. I also hoped that people who had read my Facebook post would see what my niece had told me and know that I had been completely mistaken. This wasn’t a wedding at all!\nI concluded that it wasn’t just the external factors like warmth and sunshine and a meditative time that brought me reason to be happier. It’s all that I’m doing and learning while I’m here as well. A happier life can come in the most unexpected places while we are doing the most unexpected things. A happier life can come with a good belly-laugh at oneself! Expect the unexpected. “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” ~ Denis Waitley\n","permalink":"/posts/a-happier-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2023/A-happier-life/i-57b83j2/0/KsKNP3FCF8htSLdkCPQcLTd8XMqJdq4HJB8rWBRxC/D/Acapulco-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2023/A-happier-life/i-57b83j2/0/KsKNP3FCF8htSLdkCPQcLTd8XMqJdq4HJB8rWBRxC/D/Acapulco-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering \u0026lsquo;it will be happier\u0026rsquo; ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA happier life for me started on January 2nd, 2023.  A change of country, scenery, and environment brought with it new vistas and opportunities.  It was something that I had dreamt and hoped to do for many years – wintering in a beautiful, warm place.  \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had always dreamed of living by the sea and hearing the waves lapping the shore day and night.  While I was dreaming, I thought that if there were also mountains, that would be a bonus.  Since I saw the Sound of Music and Heidi when I was a little girl, mountains have always beckoned to me.  My new locale has the sea, boats, and the Sierra Madre Mountains.  Talk about luck!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Happier Life"},{"content":" by Leung Kit\nIt\u0026rsquo;s Lunar New Year time again. Tomorrow, January 22nd/2023 marks the beginning of this year\u0026rsquo;s Chinese New Year celebrations. If you want to use the proper greetings with your Chinese friends here is what you need to say: \u0026ldquo;Gong hei fat choy\u0026rdquo; (恭喜发财) (Cantonese) Gong xi fài (Mandarin). This 15 day long celebration will end on February 5th with the Lantern Festival.\nMy friend and Book Designer, Kit Leung, made the above poster with these cute rabbits for his wife\u0026rsquo;s studio in China for Lunar New Year. I had been thinking of him and decided to send Lunar New Year greetings a few days ago. He responded almost immediately with greetings and the above image. It was when I saw this beautiful image he created that I decided to do a post to mark the Year of the Rabbit.\nSince I was a small child, I\u0026rsquo;ve loved and been drawn to rabbits and even envisioned myself having one as a pet someday. According to the internet, this is what the \u0026ldquo;Year of the Rabbit means. \u0026ldquo;The rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac. In the Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty. People who are born in the year of the rabbit are calm and peaceful.\u0026rdquo;\nAlthough I\u0026rsquo;m not born in the Year of the Rabbit, I aspire to be like people born in this year - calm and peaceful. I daresay that people all over the world need to be able to live in harmony and peace with one another. Perhaps, this New Year will move us more in this direction. Irregardless of background or culture, we always move into a new year with hope that the new year will bring all that is good for us and our loved ones, friends, and neighbours.\nLunar New Year has become a special and joyous time for me. For many years before my retirement, I worked at a school in the Chinatown area of Toronto. The children who attended were mainly Chinese. Many of them had parents who owned businesses in the Chinatown area. The families I was privileged to work with were very lovely, respectful, and kind people. As part of the Heritage Program, the children were taught both Mandarin and Cantonese as an adjunct to the regular program.\nIn celebration of Lunar New Year, the students put on a concert for the event. When I first went to work there, I was in awe of the musical calibre of the students there. The concert was magnificent. In addition, we had all sorts of activities that were related to Lunar New Year prior to its beginning and during the time it lasted. How I miss those celebrations!\nI also had the wonderful opportunity to spend Lunar New Year in Hong Kong and China many years ago. It was a fun time to be present for the Festival and see first-hand all the decorations, floats for the big parade, and other cultural nuances that can only be experienced by being there. One of those was seeing the manager at the hotel where I was staying giving gifts to each member of the staff right outside the hotel and wishing each person a Happy Lunar New Year. I felt the joy and happiness they were all experiencing. “Culture opens the sense of beauty.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson One of the greatest joys of my life has been the opportunity to meet people of different cultures both at home and abroad and to come to understand that we are more alike than unalike. This has certainly been the case with my work in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Chinatown and my time in Hong Kong and China. Whether you\u0026rsquo;ve had the same experiences I\u0026rsquo;ve had or not, have a Happy Lunar New Year, Gong hei fat choy, Gong xi fài. May you have a peaceful, joyful, prosperous, and safe New Year.\n","permalink":"/posts/year-of-the-rabbit/","summary":"\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2023/Year-of-the-rabbit/i-vWdH4DR/0/MmVxxR6NRB3fr62BwkRRc86tkXvKpmSzGccqKtDVS/D/Kits-Year-of-the-Rabbit-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Kits-Year-of-the-Rabbit-1024x1024.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eby \u003cem\u003eLeung\u003c/em\u003e Kit\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s Lunar New Year time again. Tomorrow, January 22nd/2023 marks the beginning of this year\u0026rsquo;s Chinese New Year celebrations. If you want to use the proper greetings with your Chinese friends here is what you need to say:  \u0026ldquo;Gong hei fat choy\u0026rdquo; (恭喜发财) (Cantonese) Gong xi fài (Mandarin). This 15 day long celebration will end on February 5th with the Lantern Festival.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Year of the Rabbit"},{"content":"\nThe mountains are calling and I must go. ~ John Muir\nIt wasn\u0026rsquo;t only John Muir who felt called by the mountains. I felt the call in September of 2021. Many people who like being with Nature are drawn to spend some time in the presence of these towering giants. My trip was a conducted tour which started in Calgary and lasted for five days. Talk about a true mountain-top experience!\nThere\u0026rsquo;s something special about being in the presence of so much natural beauty. I like being able to reflect on my \u0026ldquo;smallness\u0026rdquo; in their presence when I\u0026rsquo;m in the mountains - to feel awed by their size and grandeur. It\u0026rsquo;s also a time to be reflective and meditative about life.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s possible to visit some of the most awe-inspiring mountain scenes in the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise (above) is one such place. It\u0026rsquo;s one of the most visited sights on any journey to Banff and Jasper National Parks. It was also fun to dine at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise with a friend. The view was spectacular and we had a wonderful time.\n“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”\n~__Jack Kerouac\n[gallery columns=\u0026ldquo;2\u0026rdquo; size=\u0026ldquo;full\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;4942,4941,4940,4939,4938,4937,4936,4935,4933,4932,4931,4930,4929,4928,4927,4926,4925,4924,4923,4922,4920,4919,4918,4917,4916,4915,4914,4913,4912,4911,4910,4909,4908,4907,4906,4905,4904,4903,4902,4899,4898,4897,4895,4894,4893,4892,4891,4890,4889,4888,4887,4886,4885,4884,4883,4882,4881,4880,4879,4878,4877,4876,4875,4874,4873,4872,4871,4870,4869,4868,4867,4866,4865,4864,4863,4862,4861,4860,4944,4943\u0026rdquo;]\n“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than what we could learn from books.” – John Lubbock\nThe above quote is so true. The lessons we learn in school are so different from those we learn when we are in the presence of the natural environment. There\u0026rsquo;s a going within that happens and the learning is so much more about our inner selves than it is about the acquisition of knowledge. This is true for me anyways.\nI thought that sharing photos would give a much better idea of my trip than giving lots of narrative which can easily be found in travel books and guides. Apart from spending lots of time in both Banff and Jasper National Parks, the visit to Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, British Columbia was wonderful. See some photos below.\n[gallery ids=\u0026ldquo;5183,5184,5185,5186,5187,5188,5189,5190,5191,5192,5193,5194\u0026rdquo;]\nLast, but not least, are the photos of Maligne Lake and our visit to Spirit Island. The boat cruise and the sights along the way and back were spectacular. Perhaps, one of my favourite sights on the trip.\n[gallery ids=\u0026ldquo;5208,5207,5206,5205,5204,5203,5202,5200,5198,5196,5195\u0026rdquo;]\nHope you all have a chance to visit the Canadian Rockies sometime. You will not be disappointed.\n“Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.” – Khalil Gibran\nIf you prefer to see the ebook for this, please find it at this link:\n","permalink":"/posts/rocky-mountains-a-photographic-tour/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Rocky-mountains-a-photographic-tour/i-cM5tjXM/0/NB6H5rLgSTQ94r872w7cfP4D2jxWNBffQ5VHr8hB8/D/Title-Page-Rockies-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Rocky-mountains-a-photographic-tour/i-cM5tjXM/0/NB6H5rLgSTQ94r872w7cfP4D2jxWNBffQ5VHr8hB8/D/Title-Page-Rockies-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe mountains are calling and I must go. ~ John Muir\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt wasn\u0026rsquo;t only John Muir who felt called by the mountains.  I felt the call in September of 2021.    Many people who like being with Nature are drawn to spend some time in the presence of these towering giants.  My trip was a conducted tour which started in Calgary and lasted for five days.  Talk about a true mountain-top experience!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rocky Mountains - A Photographic Tour"},{"content":"As the New Year, 2022, is on the cusp of being born, it\u0026rsquo;s a good time to reflect and think about the year past. There have been challenges for all of us on the planet above and beyond the usual. This has, of course, been due to dealing with the Coronavirus at each and every stage since it first manifested itself. Are you anxious, afraid, hopeful, thankful, or in some other emotional state as 2022 begins?\nI feel nervous about the new variant especially as I\u0026rsquo;m a Senior Citizen and more vulnerable than other members of the population. Another reason for feeling this way is because someone in my building was diagnosed with the virus. A few months ago when it seemed that things were \u0026ldquo;looking up\u0026rdquo; and reopening, I had begun to feel more relaxed and light-hearted.\nThat didn\u0026rsquo;t last for long though. On November 28th, the Ontario government announced that they had found two cases of people with the Omicron variant in Ottawa. From that time, the number of cases has increased in Canada and other parts of the world. What must we think now? I\u0026rsquo;m reminded of Viktor Frankl\u0026rsquo;s words:\n\u0026ldquo;It does not really matter what we expect from life, but rather what life expects from us. We are being questioned by life, hourly, daily, moment by moment. Our answer—to respond with right action and right conduct. Life ultimately means, taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems, and to fulfill the tasks which are constantly set for each individual.\u0026rdquo; ~ Viktor Frankl\nDespite the virus in its original form or any variant that arises now or in the future, our attitude will be crucial to dealing with it. In the beginning, we didn\u0026rsquo;t have masks, PPE, and no vaccine. We have to be thankful that there\u0026rsquo;s no shortage of masks or protective equipment now and most people who want to have been vaccinated. Many have even had a booster shot. We\u0026rsquo;ve made progress since 2020 when it first started. That\u0026rsquo;s something to be thankful for.\nWe can also be grateful for the present moment. This may seem simplistic to some but the reality is that the present moment is all that we have. This Coronavirus time, despite its challenges, may just be the time for all of us to learn to live more mindfully. Maybe it\u0026rsquo;s more than physical safety we need to give our attention to. If we go back to our old ways after the Coronavirus is just a memory, will we have learned anything?\n“Gratitude bestows reverence\u0026hellip;changing forever how we experience life and the world.” ~ John Milton\nIs this a time that we can learn to share our appreciation verbally? We know that our healthcare workers and many others have been working tirelessly on our behalf. That\u0026rsquo;s something else that we can be grateful for. A short word of thanks wouldn\u0026rsquo;t do any harm and, in fact, may do lots of good. Perhaps, there is some other way you want to express your appreciation that is peculiar to you - and only you can do. It\u0026rsquo;s important to do it.\n\u0026ldquo;Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.\u0026rdquo; ~ Margaret Cousins\nWhat of those who have lost loved ones this year? That\u0026rsquo;s a reason for grief and sorrow. Is there anything we can do? Those of us who know such persons can reach out in whatever way we can to bring comfort and help to them and their families. We may not be able to visit with them but a phone call, dropping off a meal or sending a bunch of flowers will let them know you\u0026rsquo;re thinking of them and be a source of support. How about a weekly email in 2022? \u0026ldquo;If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.\u0026rdquo; ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.\nWe can\u0026rsquo;t forget those who have lost loved ones this year that did not succumb to the virus. Their hearts too are heavy with loss and grief. Can we lift them up for a moment by remembering them, getting in touch and keeping in touch in 2022? It\u0026rsquo;s the time for New Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions. Perhaps, that could be one we put on our list for the New Year. On Christmas night, I dropped off some turkey dinners for three people in the building. One person had lost his wife in late 2020 and as we spoke briefly at the door, he was overcome by emotion and shed a few tears. Try to be kind in 2022!\nIrregardless of the scenario being played out by the Coronavirus and its variants, we\u0026rsquo;re all hoping to be safe, happy, healthy, prosperous, and live peacefully in 2022. Like all the generations before us, we want good in our lives and for those around us with the coming of each New Year. As we continue to do our very best in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, my wish for you is the same as usual - HAPPY NEW YEAR!\nFinally, I\u0026rsquo;d like to end this post by sharing a poem and a quote that mean something to me personally. Hope they will bring some insight to what you may be experiencing at this time. Stay safe and well.\nOtherwise\nI got out of bed on two strong legs. It might have been otherwise.\nI ate cereal, sweet milk, ripe, flawless peach. It might have been otherwise. I took the dog uphill to the birch wood. All morning I did the work I love.\nAt noon I lay down with my mate. It might have been otherwise. We ate dinner together at a table with silver candlesticks. It might have been otherwise.\nI slept in a bed in a room with paintings on the walls, and planned another day just like this day. But one day, I know, it will be otherwise.\n—Jane Kenyon\nAll Coronavirus Art in this post by Jean Janki Samaroo\nQUOTE\n“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.“ ~ Marcus Aurelius\n","permalink":"/posts/new-year-in-covid-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs the New Year, 2022,  is on the cusp of being born, it\u0026rsquo;s a good time to reflect and think about the year past.  There have been challenges for all of us on the planet above and beyond the usual.  This has, of course, been due to dealing with the Coronavirus at each and every stage since it first manifested itself.  Are you anxious, afraid, hopeful, thankful, or in some other emotional state as 2022 begins?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Year in Covid Time"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4832\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1000\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.\u0026rdquo; ~ Arthur Schopenhauer[/caption]\nIs death anyone\u0026rsquo;s favourite topic? Death has always been a heavy topic for me and most people I know shy away from any discussion around the topic whenever it comes up. It\u0026rsquo;s as though not talking about it will make it go away. I\u0026rsquo;m talking here about physical death - that of a loved one or beloved pet. There\u0026rsquo;s no impermanence about physical death. We never get to see our loved one again in this life.\nThis kind of death wrenches ever fibre of our being - body, mind, soul and spirit. Even when someone has been very ill and suffering, it\u0026rsquo;s still hard to let go. It\u0026rsquo;s not just me that\u0026rsquo;s experienced agonizing loss. As long as we\u0026rsquo;re alive, it\u0026rsquo;s something we all get to experience at one time or other, in one way or another. It\u0026rsquo;s the great equalizer. We wallow in grief and are inconsolable.\n\u0026ldquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every part of my body is broken too.\u0026rdquo; ~ Chloe Woodward\nOf course, the demise of the body is the death that drives the most \u0026ldquo;fear\u0026rdquo; into us. However, there are other \u0026ldquo;deaths\u0026rdquo; we experience in life as well. As a young person, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t schooled in loss or grief and just how I might handle those emotions. I was inexperienced. It never once occurred to me that losing a friendship or romantic relationship, a job, a place of residence, health, or even one stage of life for another could be painful or a reason to grieve. I learned this through the school of hard knocks. These are \u0026ldquo;deaths\u0026rdquo; too and we can grieve for them.\n\u0026ldquo;Grieving allows us to heal, to remember with love rather than pain. It is a sorting process. One by one you let go of the things that are gone and you mourn for them. One by one you take hold of the things that have become a part of who you are and build again.\u0026rdquo; ~ Rachel Naomi Remen\nNo matter what the \u0026ldquo;death\u0026rdquo; is, life goes on. What are we going to do? How are we going to handle the situation? Some of us become ill, disillusioned, depressed and hardened. It takes a longer time to deal with whatever has been lost. Others though seem to have that buoyancy and resilience to bounce back quickly, face reality, and move on. I\u0026rsquo;ve always admired those kinds of people.\n\u0026ldquo;When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.\u0026rdquo; ~ G.K. Chesterton\nI realize now that that when I was a younger person, I spent too much time living in the past and what might have been. I stayed much too long wallowing in self-pity and questioning myself when a relationship didn\u0026rsquo;t work out or a job ended and pieces of myself were unrecognizable. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how to be grateful. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that over time and with more experience of life and living, I have become a more grateful person. I realize that nothing is forever - relationships, jobs, ages and stages of life, health, and even life itself.\n\u0026ldquo;We long for permanence but everything in the known universe is transient. That\u0026rsquo;s a fact but one we fight.\u0026rdquo; ~ Sharon Salzberg\nAt seventy-two years, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to be letting go more easily of illusions, bad habits, relationships that drain energy, beliefs that are no longer true for me, ideas that don\u0026rsquo;t carry the same weight for me anymore, and so forth. Day by day, I\u0026rsquo;m learning to come back to being present in the moment. When I hear of the death of someone in their late eighties or even in their nineties now, I find myself saying that he or she had a good innings. This isn\u0026rsquo;t being callous. It\u0026rsquo;s just accepting the reality of death.\n\u0026ldquo;You don\u0026rsquo;t need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding.\u0026rdquo; ~ Guy Finley\nSo you see, there\u0026rsquo;s a bright side to this topic of death. There are many things in life that we die to that are a reason for celebration. A person who has been an alcoholic for years and doesn\u0026rsquo;t drink anymore has a reason to celebrate in a big way. There\u0026rsquo;s a freedom now to live in a different and new way that is tantamount to a rebirth. This person has died to old ways of living and being. lt always feels good to grow more into who we truly are or are becoming. This comes from \u0026ldquo;dying\u0026rdquo; to those things that don\u0026rsquo;t serve us well now or didn\u0026rsquo;t in the past. I had carried a grudge for a long time against someone who had hurt me in the past. Years ago, I had decided that it was the best thing for me to not carry on this relationship. For many years, it had been like this. Recently, I saw a Friend Request on Facebook from this person and immediately added her to my Facebook Friends.\nOver the years that we had not been in touch, I came to realize that she was an angry person when she hurt me by her words. Whatever had deeply hurt her in her life came out that day and affected my sense of who I was. It took many years for this understanding to come to me and over time I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to forgive her. I\u0026rsquo;m free from the burden of whatever anger, bitterness, and negativity had been holding me captive. The old me has died. This is something to celebrate.\n\u0026ldquo;Sometimes you have to kind of die inside in order to rise from your own ashes and believe In yourself and love yourself to become a new person.\u0026rdquo; ~ gerard way\nSo, the little deaths and the big and final death are part and parcel of our human existence and frailty. There are deaths that call for mourning and those that call for celebration. I\u0026rsquo;ve experienced both. Whenever we let go of old habits, ways, ideas, grudges - in short, anything that prevents us from living full and meaningful lives, there\u0026rsquo;s cause for celebration. Having said all that, life is for living. Let\u0026rsquo;s focus on living the best life we can right here, right now. Let\u0026rsquo;s celebrate our lives while we still have them and are here to celebrate. Cheers to life!\nBe the celebrators, celebrate! Already there is too much—the flowers have bloomed, the birds are singing, the sun is there in the sky—celebrate it! You are breathing and you are alive and you have consciousness, celebrate it!” ~ Osho\n","permalink":"/posts/death/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4832\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1000\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Death/i-PnKv8fH/0/NQ6qSVfrQdKk9pQdgFMnMsZ966pnS77BnCQ6j6XF6/D/Angel-of-Death-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Death/i-PnKv8fH/0/NQ6qSVfrQdKk9pQdgFMnMsZ966pnS77BnCQ6j6XF6/D/Angel-of-Death-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u0026ldquo;Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.\u0026rdquo; ~ Arthur Schopenhauer[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIs death anyone\u0026rsquo;s favourite topic?  Death has always been a heavy topic for me and most people I know shy away from any discussion around the topic whenever it comes up.  It\u0026rsquo;s as though not talking about it will make it go away.  I\u0026rsquo;m talking here about physical death - that of a loved one or beloved pet.  There\u0026rsquo;s no impermanence about physical death.  We never get to see our loved one again in this life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"DEATH"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4817\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “As I have walked through many lives, some of them my own, and I am not who I was, though some principle of being abides, from which I struggle not to stray.\u0026quot; ~ Stanley Kunitz[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that so many years of my life have gone by and I\u0026rsquo;m at the ripe old age of seventy-two. When I was sixty-five, I remember thinking what a long life that was. Of course, when I turned seventy, that feeling was even more pronounced. What do I have to say at seventy-two?\nMy life has been a mixed bag. Although I\u0026rsquo;m very grateful to have reached this age, I have to say that it hasn\u0026rsquo;t always been a bed of roses. I didn\u0026rsquo;t arrive here with the questions or the answers to the challenges of life. My parents and other caregivers along the way didn\u0026rsquo;t have the answers either. They were all making the journey that I\u0026rsquo;ve been making these past 72 years. It\u0026rsquo;s a learning from life and about life as we go along - a kind of growing-up that we do day after day, year after year.\n“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ~ Rumi\nParents want their children to be clever and \u0026ldquo;bright.\u0026rdquo; As in most societies and cultures throughout the world where a high emphasis is placed on book learning, they tried their best to \u0026ldquo;educate\u0026rdquo; me. A lot of learning back then was by rote. I don\u0026rsquo;t even think my educators themselves knew any other way to teach or that there was any other way for a child to learn. I myself didn\u0026rsquo;t know back then that there was such a thing as \u0026ldquo;critical thinking.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used.\u0026rdquo; - Carl Sagan\nWith due respect to all our elders and educators - secular, religious, political, and otherwise, there\u0026rsquo;s much, much more to life than rote learning, book learning, or following any particular system blindly. Of course, this doesn\u0026rsquo;t only apply to the basic learning that is necessary for all of us as we get \u0026ldquo;schooled.\u0026rdquo; It applies to learning to live out our lives in a manner that fits with who we are in order to bring the best of who we are into all the different roles/areas of life we find ourselves in.\n\u0026ldquo;Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one learned in school.\u0026rdquo; - Albert Einstein\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4645\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] You Matter (Designed by Jean Janki Samaroo)[/caption]\nAs I\u0026rsquo;ve grown older, day by day and year by year, it has occurred to me that there are those inner recesses of the mind that we don\u0026rsquo;t really access until we\u0026rsquo;re of mature age. It may not be so for everyone but it\u0026rsquo;s certainly been so for me. The maturity I speak of isn\u0026rsquo;t physical but has led to more of an ability to see and discern things in a broader and more \u0026ldquo;enlightened\u0026rdquo; way.\nThe preoccupations of younger days no longer have the same appeal now. Who cares about school now? What about money and property? That striving and wanting that I had for so many things has gone. My biological clock has been winding down for over a decade now. None of this is morbid in the least bit. It\u0026rsquo;s a reality that\u0026rsquo;s true for me. It causes me to grow in other ways.\n“If we shift as we age toward appreciating everyday pleasures and relationships rather than toward achieving, having, and getting, and if we find this more fulfilling, then why do we take so long to do it? Why do we wait until we’re old? The common view was that these lessons are hard to learn. Living is a kind of skill. The calm and wisdom of old age are achieved over time.” ― Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.\nYes - there\u0026rsquo;s a time for everything. The later years are not a disease or sickness but a different phase of life. It\u0026rsquo;s true that many older persons have diseases and illnesses. Those are a result of biological processes. I myself have those. Things wear out with use and the body is no different.\nHowever, barring dementia, Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s, and being bedridden, the spirit of a person continues to be however it was. If a person had a playful spirit, they continue to be that way. Learning, growing, creating, playing (cards, music, dominoes, etc.) bring joy even in one\u0026rsquo;s later years. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to be learning and exploring many new things at 72. Despite the aches and pains that come with aging, I try to live each day with enthusiasm and gratitude.\nAlthough I can\u0026rsquo;t do it, there are many days that I feel like I want to dance, sing, jump and play. With my \u0026ldquo;new eyes,\u0026rdquo; I see every older person as a young person inside. If I feel this way, I know that other elderly people must feel this way too.\n“The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven’t changed in seventy or eighty years. Your body changes, but you don’t change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion.” ~ Dorothy Lessing ","permalink":"/posts/72nd-birthday-reflections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4817\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/72nd-birthday-reflections/i-BNwNnFQ/0/K292ztv42qJ2NxLjMmFR6h43tmRdcFKBhDwJnDV7R/D/72nd-Birthday-Reflections-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/72nd-birthday-reflections/i-BNwNnFQ/0/K292ztv42qJ2NxLjMmFR6h43tmRdcFKBhDwJnDV7R/D/72nd-Birthday-Reflections-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“As I have walked through many lives, some of them my own, and I am not who I was, though some principle of being abides, from which I struggle not to stray.\u0026quot; ~ Stanley Kunitz\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that so many years of my life have gone by and I\u0026rsquo;m at the ripe old age of seventy-two.  When I was sixty-five, I remember thinking what a long life that was.  Of course, when I turned seventy, that feeling was even more pronounced.  What do I have to say at seventy-two?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"72nd Birthday Reflections"},{"content":"I’m a member of the Facebook group “Parents, Find Children’s Books and Authors Here.” As the author of a children’s book called “Making New Friends,” I like to see what both authors and parents are sharing in this group. Well, I have to tell you that I was fascinated to find this charming young boy by the name of Stanley Singh in the group. I listened to him read a children\u0026rsquo;s story and was captivated by his accent and how expressive he was in telling the story. I immediately wanted to find out more about him. So, here we go!\nJJS: Hi Stanley. First of all, how old are you? Can you also tell us about your school, grade level, and hobbies.\nSS: I\u0026rsquo;m ten years old and and I\u0026rsquo;m in Year five going into Year six. My hobbies are football, gaming, biking, and reading\nJJS: I like your accent. I know that people in different places have different accents sometimes. What kind is yours?\nSS: I\u0026rsquo;m from East Yorkshire and my grandma is from Nottingham. My accent is a combination of both.\nJJS: I’ve watched you tell several stories and you’re a very good reader. Do your teachers tell you this and have you always been a good reader?\nSS: All my teachers are very impressed and proud of me. I have received many reading certificates. I also received a Head Teacher\u0026rsquo;s Award.\nJJS: How did you get the idea of reading stories for children?\nSS: Being at home during Covid, my sister and I were bored. One afternoon, we were watching a news story where parents were busy working from home on their laptops. We came up with the idea of telling stories to children.\nJJS: Covid has been very hard for everyone. Did you miss school?\nSS: We really missed school and we realized it was a really sad time for everyone. Small children couldn\u0026rsquo;t go to school or nursery so we wanted to make them smile through stories.\nJJS: That\u0026rsquo;s lovely! When did you start doing this and who does the videotaping?\nSS: It all started in November last year. My sister, Shaan, does the videotaping. She also edits the videos to make them more exciting and colourful.\nJJS: Shaan\u0026rsquo;s doing a great job! How old is she?\nSS: She\u0026rsquo;s fifteen years old.\nJJS: A wonderful big sister! How about your parents? I have a feeling that they must be very supportive and caring people.\nSS: Our parents have been very supportive during this adventure. They were going to work as they were both key workers and also helping us with our big project to make children smile.\nJJS. That\u0026rsquo;s wonderful, Stanley? How have authors, parents, and children responded to seeing you reading different books live and sharing in other ways?\nSS: Some authors have noticed our videos and sent their books along with positive messages to read on camera.\nJJS: I saw a video clip with you - the one on race. That was very good. I understand that you’re also going to be doing some others soon that deal with topics such as bullying and mental health.\nSS: Many young people experience these things and find it hard to talk about them.\nJJS: That\u0026rsquo;s very true. It\u0026rsquo;s good to talk about these things. I look forward to seeing more of these kinds of videos, Stanley. I missed a very important question. What kinds of books do you like to read?\nSS: I have been reading Marcus Rashford\u0026rsquo;s book \u0026ldquo;You are a Champion\u0026rdquo; and it has been very inspiring to me so far. I also like Marvel books.\nJJS: Have any new opportunities or experiences come about for you since you started this?\nSS: Yes - the positivity has made us more confident to take this further. Although it was only through lockdown we started doing this, we want to continue.\nJJS: I know you\u0026rsquo;re only 10 years old. Do you think you want to continue sharing stories with children or working with children in some other way as time goes by? Any thoughts about the future?\nSS: In the future, I would like to be a professional football player. However, I do enjoy reading.\nJJS: Thank you so much for sharing like this with me, Stanley. I feel very happy and proud to see a young person like yourself doing something like this - making a difference in the world at such a young age. When I saw my first video with you reading, a big smile came to my face. You’re a good role model for other young people and I wish you all the best now and in wherever life takes you in the future. I have a feeling that you’re going to go very far in life. Good luck to both you and Shaan!\nSS: A pleasure. Thank you!\n","permalink":"/posts/spreading-kindness-and-positivity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI’m a member of the Facebook group \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Parents, Find Children’s Books and Authors Here.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  As the author of a children’s book called  “Making New Friends,” I like to see what both authors and parents are sharing in this group.  Well, I have to tell you that I was fascinated to find this charming young boy by the name of Stanley Singh in the group.  I listened to him read  a children\u0026rsquo;s story  and was captivated by his accent and how expressive he was in  telling the story.  I immediately wanted to find out more about him.  So, here we go!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stanley Singh - The Smile Project"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;A refugee is someone who survived and who can create the future.\u0026rdquo; ~ Amela Koluder\nWhat are your thoughts on this World Refugee Day? Do you even know a single refugee personally? Are you comfortable/uncomfortable with your country, church, or school being accepting of refugees? If you were to be in a position to assist a single refugee or a refugee family, how would you go about doing that?\nAs someone who was an immigrant before becoming a Canadian citizen, I understand a lot more about the plight of refugees than the average person. Very often, strangers to a new country have to adjust in various ways to their new surroundings. Both immigrants and refugees have to do that.\n\u0026ldquo;It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.\u0026rdquo; ~ Charles Darwin.\nFrom my own experience as an immigrant, I got the feeling that there were people who were willing to accept me and there were others who somehow felt that immigrants were inferior, ignorant, and backward. Some even felt that immigrants were coming to take their jobs away. As people got to know me and got to know other immigrants as well, there has been a change in their understanding and acceptance of immigrants over the years. Many Canadians know and can see the positive contribution immigrants have made to Canadian society as a whole.\n\u0026ldquo;Canada is a nation of immigrants. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve always had immigration as a key tool for economic growth and nation-building.\u0026rdquo; ~ Ahmed Hussen, former Immigration Minister Many people all over the world have the same kinds of feelings about refugees. They are either accepting of them or have a fear and dislike of them. Some people are sympathetic to the plight of refugees and want to help them and others don\u0026rsquo;t like them or are indifferent towards them. The one difference between immigrants and refugees is related to choice. An immigrant chooses the country they want to live in whereas a refugee often goes to any country where the doors are open to receive them.\n\u0026ldquo;Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more.\u0026rdquo; ~ Pope Francis\nRefugees are anything but weak. To pick up one\u0026rsquo;s family and leave one\u0026rsquo;s country to start a new life in another takes courage, physical and emotional strength, and resilience. Many refugees are intelligent and educated persons who are desperate to escape a life of persecution and fear. What they seek the most is safety and a peaceful life.\n\u0026ldquo;No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.\u0026rdquo; ~ Warsan Shire\nThe theme for this year\u0026rsquo;s World Refugee Day is: Together we heal, learn and shine. I like the message of togetherness that is portrayed here. I\u0026rsquo;m very fortunate to have had the wonderful opportunity of calling several refugees friends. These were both individuals and families. I even volunteered to teach English to refugees at a centre for refugees close to my home. They were just like other people in that they wanted happiness, peace, and acceptance for themselves and their families - a place to live that they could truly call \u0026ldquo;home.\u0026rdquo; Being a refugee is not easy. The work of building a new life in a new environment takes courage and guts.\n“To be called a refugee is the opposite of an insult; it is a badge of strength, courage, and victory.” ~ Tennessee Office for Refugees\nRefugees are a fun bunch. I attended several parties for/by refugees and there was always lots of food and drink. The food was mostly prepared by the refugees themselves and the meal was a smorgasbord of delicacies. They are very talented too and after the meal they would put on a wonderful show with music, dancing, and the like. Because the refugees hailed from different countries, the food and the entertainment were authentic reflections of their culture and background.\n“It is the obligation of every person born in a\nroom to open the door when someone in danger knocks.” ~ Dina Nayeri\nThe UN General Assembly decided to observe World Refugee Day from 2001. We can all do our part on this day and throughout the year to make the life of a refugee a little easier. Can you befriend a refugee? What small contribution can you make to their success and well-being? Maybe you can make a donation to a cause that helps with settlement work for refugees. Perhaps, you have some gift that only you know how to share. Use it!\n“We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa.\n","permalink":"/posts/world-refugee-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;A refugee is someone who survived and who can create the future.\u0026rdquo; ~ Amela Koluder\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/World-refugee-day/i-tT84n57/0/NcpkVbLJwG2cgRnVZxQ7Cww8688rXG9CTQZVCmN2n/D/IMG_2698-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/World-refugee-day/i-tT84n57/0/NcpkVbLJwG2cgRnVZxQ7Cww8688rXG9CTQZVCmN2n/D/IMG_2698-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat are your thoughts on this World Refugee Day?  Do you even know a single refugee personally?  Are you comfortable/uncomfortable with your country, church, or school being accepting of refugees?  If you were to be in a position to assist a single refugee or a refugee family, how would you go about doing that?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"World Refugee Day"},{"content":" Internet Photo\nMany of us are aware that May 5th is a public holiday in Guyana to commemorate the arrival of the first shiploads of East Indians to what was then British Guiana. There were many ships that followed after that fateful year of 1838 and continued to 1917. Can you picture your great-great-great-grandmother or grandfather disembarking from the Hesperus or Whitby? They have finally arrived at their destination with high hopes of employment - \u0026ldquo;light work,\u0026rdquo; housing, and a better life than the one they left behind. This was what they were promised.\n“The climate of Demerara is better adapted for the Indian cooly than that of his native country. It has not the extreme heat of India, nor is so cold. The country abounds with pure water, and fruits and tropical vegetables flourish to a degree almost unknown elsewhere. No interference is allowed with the religion of the emigrants, and both Hindoos and Mahomedans are protected in the free exercise of their respective creeds.” (Stabroek News Article - \u0026ldquo;An overview of Indian Indentureship in Guyana, 1838-1917.\u0026rdquo; Stabroek Market, Georgetown (Ronald Mitra Janki - Digital Artist)\nThis blog post is by no means intended to be a scholarly treatise on Indian indentureship. You have all probably heard time and again about the hard work, impoverished conditions, and brutality that our ancestors underwent on the sugar estates. When slavery was abolished, they were recruited, sometimes kidnapped, and transported to several countries so that the sugar industry would prosper for the British estate owners. British Guiana was one of those countries.\nOver the years, East Indians fully came into their own in this colony. From penniless labourers, these \u0026ldquo;Gladstone coolies\u0026rdquo; rose to become prosperous in the many different fields of endeavour they put their hands to. While the contract was for five years when they arrived and they were offered free return passage to India, many of our ancestors made British Guiana (Guyana) their home.\nWooden House - Guyana (Ronald Mitra Janki - Digital Artist)\n\u0026ldquo;Without the labor of the East Indian, the Colony would today have been little more than a mangrove swamp fringed with courida bush.\u0026rdquo; - Rev. J.B. Cropper (Centenary Celebration of the Arrival of Indians to British Guiana (1838-1938)\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been my personal experience and that of others I have spoken with that they have mixed emotions about Indian Arrival Day. Some people feel that our early ancestors were fooled by the recruiters in India and that their working lives were hard and the conditions under which they lived harsh. We can\u0026rsquo;t argue with the facts of history. They see no point to remembering such a day in any special way. They feel that the day when indentureship ceased is the day that should be designated for commemoration.\nOthers are happy and see beyond the hardships of our early ancestors to the resilience they showed in overcoming those circumstances. They feel great pride in their ancestors and what they have achieved over the years. Indian Arrival Day is a wonderful celebration where they remember the historical facts and can still rejoice in this day being one in which we celebrate overcoming servitude and hardship, progress, and adaptation of our ancestors to a new country and life. They see how the contributions of their ancestors made this colony what it is today.\n\u0026ldquo;East Indian Ladies\u0026rdquo; (by Jean Janki Samaroo)\nIrregardless of where your own sentiments lie around this commemoration or whether you know about it at all, India\u0026rsquo;s situation with regard to Covid-19 is at a crisis level. Yes - the land our ancestors hailed from. Whether you live in Guyana, Canada, the U.S.A. or some other part of the world, I have a feeling that our East Indian ancestors would be very happy if we helped in any way to relieve or alleviate the discomfort and pain of our brothers and sisters there. It would also be a fitting way to honour them for this year\u0026rsquo;s Indian Arrival Day.\nThe statistics below are from the internet and give some idea of how grim the situation there is.\nLast updated: May 03, 2021, 19:03 GMT (Worldometers.info)\nIndia Coronavirus Cases: 20,237,781 Deaths: 221,666 If you\u0026rsquo;ve watched the news or seen photos in newspapers, there\u0026rsquo;s a dire need for ventilators, medicine, hospital beds, and ambulances. Many people need food to eat and other basics. If you\u0026rsquo;re in a situation that is more fortunate than theirs, maybe you can find it in your heart to help. Nobody will know whether you\u0026rsquo;ve given or not. Only you will know and there will be a ripple effect when you share. You will feel good and the recipient at the other end may breathe easier, have a full stomach, and if they\u0026rsquo;re dying, they may live. That sounds like something to be excited about.\nInternet Photo\nHere\u0026rsquo;s a list of some places where you will be able to make a donation - anything would help. Some are in the United States and others are in Canada. These come straight off of internet articles listing places to contact in order to offer help for India\u0026rsquo;s Covid crisis. If you can\u0026rsquo;t give, maybe you can share this post with someone you know who may be able to. Maybe a group of friends can join together and make a donation. “Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart\nUnicef\nUNICEF is rushing staff and supplies like critical oxygen concentrators, PPE kits, and diagnostic testing systems to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and support India’s front-line health-care workers.\nIndian Red Cross Society\n_The Indian Red Cross respond_s to disasters like the current coronavirus outbreak by delivering emergency medical supplies and providing emergency services across the country.\nSeva Kitchen\nAn established community group feeding the hungry in India, Seva Kitchen is accepting donations to cover the costs of feeding scores more now that daily wage earners are living under lockdown, forced to stay within their homes and unable to make an income.\nProject Hope\nThis U.S.-based global health nonprofit is working with local partners to provide PPE and critically needed medical equipment to help front-line health-care workers fight the spread of COVID-19.\nRed Cross\nThe Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations that will go to support the Indian Red Cross in assisting affected communities. Donate here\nIslamic Relief Canada With UNICEF, Islamic Relief Canada is collecting funds to donate oxygen and vaccines to those in need during the COVID crisis in India. Donate here.\nIndiaO2.org A volunteer team of tech CEOs from Canada and U.S. have come together to raise money for oxygen concentrators to send to India. Donate here.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4345\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1024\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Golden Temple, India.\u0026rdquo;\nPhoto Collage by Jean Janki Samaroo[/caption]\nAs humans, we are social creatures and need each other. During this past year, many people have been in lockdown and felt the pangs of loneliness and isolation. However, during this time, there has also been an unprecedented outflow of goodwill, cooperativeness, compassion, and altruism towards others. We\u0026rsquo;ve come to know through this crisis how interconnected we really are.\nThough India is geographically far away from us, they need our help right now. Let\u0026rsquo;s honour the memory of our Indian ancestors by opening our hearts and our pockets for Indian Arrival Day, May 5th.\n","permalink":"/posts/indian-arrival-day-showing-altruistic-love-and-compassion/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Indian-arrival-day-showing-altruistic-love-and-compassion/i-PnNHWqL/0/Kc7FCpJD26vKRPNbHShgL4Fw8ngxfjKXmFtDTsjs8/D/1945A082-6F24-4624-8E36-160C9B975C09_4_5005_c-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Indian-arrival-day-showing-altruistic-love-and-compassion/i-PnNHWqL/0/Kc7FCpJD26vKRPNbHShgL4Fw8ngxfjKXmFtDTsjs8/D/1945A082-6F24-4624-8E36-160C9B975C09_4_5005_c-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e       Internet Photo\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of us are aware that May 5th is a public holiday in Guyana to commemorate the arrival of the first shiploads of East Indians to what was then British Guiana.  There were many ships that followed after that fateful year of 1838 and continued to 1917.  Can you picture your great-great-great-grandmother or grandfather disembarking from the Hesperus or Whitby?  They have finally arrived at their destination with high hopes of employment - \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;light work,\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e housing, and a better life than the one they left behind.  This was what they were promised.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Indian Arrival Day - Showing Altruistic Love and Compassion"},{"content":"A year ago, this was put-together to celebrate International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day. I felt that 2021 was a big year for women with the inauguration of America\u0026rsquo;s first female Vice-President. It\u0026rsquo;s an Amazon Kindle ebook. However, since many people don\u0026rsquo;t have Kindle readers, I\u0026rsquo;m sharing here. Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day!\nEdited by:\nJean Janki Samaroo\nCopyright C2021, Jean Janki Samaroo\nThis ebook is for the personal enjoyment\nof the reader. It is the copyrighted property\nof the author/editor and cannot be reproduced,\ncopied, or distributed for commercial or\nnon-commercial purposes.\nThis ebook is authored by many contributors\nand would not have come into fruition without\ntheir contributions. You will meet them all here\nand be enriched and blessed by their sharing.\nI am grateful to each and every one of them.\nCover Design \u0026amp; Ebook Design\nby Jean Janki Samaroo\nINTRODUCTION\n“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained” – Marie Curie\nMarie Curie said those words a long time ago. She was born in 1867 and died in 1934. That was eighty-seven years ago. She was the only person to have been given two Nobel prizes in her lifetime. She was a woman of high achievement and there\u0026rsquo;s a lot all women can learn even today from what she said. She uses words like perseverance, confidence, belief in ourself, gifted for something, must be attained. This year as we celebrate International Women’s Day amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, let\u0026rsquo;s be inspired by her words.\nAs a Canadian citizen, the biggest celebration I can think of for this International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day is that the United States of America now has a woman as Vice-President. To all of us watching the Victory Speech Kamala Harris gave, this is what she said: “But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”\nWe all want to live in the realm of possibilities irregardless of what country we come from. This applies to every single person on the planet. Women all over the world were watching this particular Inauguration. In many other countries of the world, there have been female Presidents and Prime Ministers. Having a female Vice-President in the country next to mine feels good to me. Maybe, in the near future, Canada too will have a female Prime Minister. The glass ceiling has been shattered in more than one way - not only is Kamala Harris female but she is also a woman of colour.\nShe\u0026rsquo;s educated, articulate, personable, hardworking, and willing to serve. We can\u0026rsquo;t expect perfection in any of our world leaders but we expect them to be willing to serve selflessly. Joe Biden as President comes as a welcome change after the last four years. He sees the need for change in America at many different levels and is actively making these. We can only wish this team well as they carry out their duties and responsibilities.\nI must admit that as I watched the news and observed events in the USA over the past four years, I had become very disillusioned, downhearted, and quite exhausted. Many times I wondered where we as the human species were headed for. The language and tone I observed were divisive. The last straw was the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. I hoped that the Inauguration Day would be peaceful.\nAs we all know, everything went peacefully and the Inauguration was very moving and uplifting. It seemed that a new day was dawning for America and the world. I had a celebratory feeling in my heart. Out of that feeling, the idea came to me that it would be nice to put together an ebook in which women could share their thoughts about the event and a little about their lives. I thought that IWD would be a good time for this to happen. Every woman has a story.\nI reached out to people and it\u0026rsquo;s a great pleasure for this 2021 International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day to share the voices of several women who shared about the Inauguration and/or about themselves in this ebook. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful to each and every one of them for taking the time to share their voices and heartfelt feelings. I\u0026rsquo;m pleased to say that the entries are different simply because each person is different and their perspective different. There are also a few blog posts, poems/sayings, quotes, and some Art work that women can enjoy.\nAs \u0026ldquo;sisters\u0026quot;in this vast universe, it\u0026rsquo;s good for us to be excited and happy when something good happens to/for one of us. Sharing like this together connects us with each other in a special way. Although there are only just a few voices here, we too are making history by writing our stories down. We watched the making of history and wrote about it.\n“Sisterhood is important because we are all we have to stand on. We have to stand near and by each other, pray for one another, and share the joys and the difficulties that women face in the world today. If we don’t talk about it among ourselves, then we are made silent by the patriarchy, and that serves us no purpose.” ~ Ntozake Shange\nSystems of patriarchy/matriarchy are different all over the world. It\u0026rsquo;s my observation that it\u0026rsquo;s very subtle in some countries. This has been so particularly with regard to patriarchy in the U.S.A. While no male is verbally saying that a woman should \u0026ldquo;shut up\u0026rdquo; and be invisible, their action/inaction suggests this.\nDespite the Covid pandemic all over the world, best wishes for a \u0026ldquo;Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo; Hope that the collective voices shared here will be a blessing to women all over the world.\nJean Janki Samaroo\nBlog post: https://late-blooms.jeanjankisamaroo.com - shared on November 24/2020 - \u0026ldquo;Biden\u0026rsquo;s Boldness\u0026rdquo;. This was written before the Inauguration.\nWomen worldwide love Joe Biden’s “audacious” choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate and now his Vice-President Elect. Joe Biden has his heart in the right place. He knows that in order to eradicate systemic racism in the US, it’s not enough to pay lip service to an ideal. “Actions speak louder than words.”\nHe’s not afraid of people – immigrants, single parents, people of colour, and the disenfranchised. Kamala’s parents divorced when she was seven years old and her mother raised her and her sister as a single parent. Her parents were from India and Jamaica respectively and were international students to the United States when they met. They later got immigrant status. President-elect Biden didn’t see her early status as a barrier. “Democrats believe in reigniting the American dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all, so everyone can succeed. ~ Nancy Pelosi\nJoe Biden was Vice-President to President Barack Obama, the first black President of the United States. The two men became like brothers. President Obama gave his Vice-President the Presidential Medal of Freedom as a surprise before leaving office. On that auspicious occasion, this is what President Obama said: “To know Joe Biden is to know love without pretense, service without self-regard, and to live fully.”\nLeadership calls for transparency, honesty, and a desire to serve. I see these qualities in both the President-elect and Vice-President elect. Bringing people together rather than sowing seeds of distrust was obvious in Biden’s speech when he reached 270 electoral college votes. He doesn’t want the harsh rhetoric to go on. \u0026ldquo;I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify. who doesn\u0026rsquo;t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.” What a welcome change for the world to hear these words.\nFor too many years, the world has heard and witnessed unnecessary drama, indifference to others and too many instances of the corrosion of what we thought were American values. The Vice-President elect also spoke words that reflected what many watchers world-wide felt. She said: “You assured a new day for America. You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth.\nObviously, we don’t expect that there will be no mistakes made by our leaders. Just as all human beings miss the mark, we know that on occasion we can expect this from those at the top. However, it’s my belief that should these occasions arise, we will see a different way of handling the issues. Leaders have to be able to apologize, change course, make compromises, and carry on. \u0026ldquo;Doing what is right isn\u0026rsquo;t the problem. It is knowing what is right.\u0026rdquo; ~ Lyndon B Johnson\nAlthough I’m not from the United States, I feel excited about seeing a woman become Vice-President there. Furthermore, an educated woman of colour, holding this position bodes well for other women who have felt that their chances at leadership were slim. For the rest of us who have no such aspirations, it’s still good to see one of our own women-folk at the top. We can all be proud. A new day has indeed dawned! “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes—and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt\nThanks, President-elect Joe Biden.\nJean Janki Samaroo, Toronto\nCHOOSE TO CHALLENGE (Written for IWD Day 2021) by Jean Janki Samaroo\nAs we celebrate another International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day, women all over the world are still rising to the challenges inherent in being born female. We\u0026rsquo;ve come a far way from where we were 100 years ago and this has been good for us as individuals, for our families, and our society. However, we aren\u0026rsquo;t there yet and the theme this year is an apt reminder that we must \u0026ldquo;Choose to Challenge.\u0026rdquo; ”Woman must not accept; she must challenge.She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression.”-Margaret Sanger\nAround the early 1900\u0026rsquo;s, if a woman wanted to work, there were very few viable options available - domestic servant, teacher, nurse, or dressmaker. Dependency was a way of life for most women. They went from being dependent on their fathers to being dependent on their husbands for protection and financial support.\nThis vulnerability made them easy targets for abuses of all sorts. Luckily, today women have taken their place in the workforce and can be found everywhere from the boardroom to the battlefield. Financial independence has given women more freedom and a voice. The world watched the historic inauguration of Kamala Harris as the first female Vice-President of the United States of America on January 20/2021.\n“Economic equity is enormous empowerment of women. Having jobs that provide income means that women can be a more effective force, a more equal force, in the political process. Women with income take themselves more seriously and they are taken more seriously,” – Betty Friedan, feminist writer and activist.\nFor women, financial independence means that they are no longer trapped in marriages that don\u0026rsquo;t work. Their livelihood isn\u0026rsquo;t dependent on a man. Divorced women are no longer looked down upon. The stigma of divorce has been lifted and women don\u0026rsquo;t have to put up with as much domestic violence today as in the past. They can choose to leave situations and relationships that are harming them and their children physically and emotionally.\n“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” ~ Toni Morrison, Beloved. The list goes on and on where women have had to rise up in order to be counted and heard - right to vote, availability to birth control and abortion, laws to protect women from domestic abuse and violence, pay equity, and so forth. We have lived in patriarchal societies for a long time. Men inherited this system and way of being early in history. Our societies were structured this way from about 10-12 thousand years ago. \u0026ldquo;Women belong in all places where decisions are being made\u0026hellip; It shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be that women are the exception.\u0026rdquo; – Ruth Bader Ginsburg\nThe saying that \u0026ldquo;the only constant in life is change\u0026rdquo; is true. In 2021, we can\u0026rsquo;t carry on the way things were thousands of years ago - or even 100 years ago. Our societies have changed and we as women have changed. Even today, we as women have to \u0026ldquo;choose to challenge.\u0026rdquo; The work isn\u0026rsquo;t over.\nWhatever we do as individuals or groups towards gender equality, removal of biases against women, recognizing and lauding women\u0026rsquo;s achievements, and all the other important work, raises awareness. Our presence and our voices need to continue to be seen, heard, and recognized. The rights that we have gained and those we are actively pursuing are, in fact, human rights. \u0026ldquo;Life is not a competition between men and woman. It is a collaboration.\u0026rdquo; ~David Alejandro Fearnhead\nThe first International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day gathering was held in 1911. That was 110 years ago. On this March 8th, the designated day for this celebration throughout the world, let\u0026rsquo;s not forget to be grateful for how far we\u0026rsquo;ve come over the years. Many brave women started the work and may all of us join with our sisters and brothers throughout the world to celebrate, encourage, and continue the fight for human rights. We deserve it.\n\u0026ldquo;CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4703\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Collage created by Jean Janki Samaroo[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4705\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;169\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Lady with Flowers\u0026rdquo; by Jean Janki Samaroo[/caption]\nHappy International Women’s Day!\nOn Inauguration Day, I was as excited as when Obama became President and proud that Mr. Biden has chosen a respectful lady as the Vice-President. I could feel peace, harmony, and hope.\nEsmeralda Knowles, Toronto, Canada\nA PROUD DAY!\nHappy International Women’s Day!\nIt was with great Pride, Excitement and Happiness that I watched Kamala Devi Harris be sworn in as the Vice-President of the USA on January 20, 2021. Pride, because she is a woman, and it’s been a long time coming for a woman to achieve this valuable leadership role. She has broken the glass ceiling and will now pave the way for many, many more women to reach this high office in the USA. I emphasized “in the USA” because women have been leaders in other countries around the world for decades, but the chauvinistic USA could not handle that. Thankfully, President Biden saw a way to not only create history but also to open up a path for other women to follow.\nExcitement, because she belongs to a minority group like myself – South Asian descent. We were all celebrating around the world that day, and there are many of us. Champagne was on the table, and the excitement was palpable in my household at least. She made us all feel such pride because she is so well spoken, so calm, so highly educated and has held so many important Offices in her career. Being highly educated is a source of great pride among South Asians. We know she will do a great job and will make America and women around the world proud.\nHappiness, because I am alive to witness this history being made in the USA. I hope I will be around to watch her be sworn in as President of the USA one day. CONGRATULATIONS Vice-President Kamala Devi Harris.\nSavita Yassin, Toronto, Canada\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4707\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;150\u0026rdquo;] Amanda Gorman, Poet[/caption]\nTHE HILL WE CLIMB\nWhen day comes we ask ourselves,\nwhere can we find light in this never-ending shade?\nThe loss we carry,\na sea we must wade\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve braved the belly of the beast\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve learned that quiet isn\u0026rsquo;t always peace\nAnd the norms and notions\nof what just is\nIsn\u0026rsquo;t always just-ice\nAnd yet the dawn is ours\nbefore we knew it\nSomehow we do it\nSomehow we\u0026rsquo;ve weathered and witnessed\na nation that isn\u0026rsquo;t broken\nbut simply unfinished\nWe the successors of a country and a time\nWhere a skinny Black girl\ndescended from slaves and raised by a single mother\ncan dream of becoming president\nonly to find herself reciting for one\nAnd yes we are far from polished\nfar from pristine\nbut that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean we are\nstriving to form a union that is perfect\nWe are striving to forge a union with purpose\nTo compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and\nconditions of man\nAnd so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us\nbut what stands before us\nWe close the divide because we know, to put our future first,\nwe must first put our differences aside\nWe lay down our arms\nso we can reach out our arms\nto one another\nWe seek harm to none and harmony for all\nLet the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:\nThat even as we grieved, we grew\nThat even as we hurt, we hoped\nThat even as we tired, we tried\nThat we\u0026rsquo;ll forever be tied together, victorious\nNot because we will never again know defeat\nbut because we will never again sow division\nScripture tells us to envision\nthat everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree\nAnd no one shall make them afraid\nIf we\u0026rsquo;re to live up to our own time\nThen victory won\u0026rsquo;t lie in the blade\nBut in all the bridges we\u0026rsquo;ve made\nThat is the promise to glade\nThe hill we climb\nIf only we dare\nIt\u0026rsquo;s because being American is more than a pride we inherit,\nit\u0026rsquo;s the past we step into\nand how we repair it\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve seen a force that would shatter our nation\nrather than share it\nWould destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy\nAnd this effort very nearly succeeded\nBut while democracy can be periodically delayed\nit can never be permanently defeated\nIn this truth\nin this faith we trust\nFor while we have our eyes on the future\nhistory has its eyes on us\nThis is the era of just redemption\nWe feared at its inception\nWe did not feel prepared to be the heirs\nof such a terrifying hour\nbut within it we found the power\nto author a new chapter\nTo offer hope and laughter to ourselves\nSo while once we asked,\nhow could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?\nNow we assert\nHow could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?\nWe will not march back to what was\nbut move to what shall be\nA country that is bruised but whole,\nbenevolent but bold,\nfierce and free\nWe will not be turned around\nor interrupted by intimidation\nbecause we know our inaction and inertia\nwill be the inheritance of the next generation\nOur blunders become their burdens\nBut one thing is certain:\nIf we merge mercy with might,\nand might with right,\nthen love becomes our legacy\nand change our children\u0026rsquo;s birthright\nSo let us leave behind a country\nbetter than the one we were left with\nEvery breath from my bronze-pounded chest,\nwe will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one\nWe will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,\nwe will rise from the windswept northeast\nwhere our forefathers first realized revolution\nWe will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,\nwe will rise from the sunbaked south\nWe will rebuild, reconcile and recover\nand every known nook of our nation and\nevery corner called our country,\nour people diverse and beautiful will emerge,\nbattered and beautiful\nWhen day comes we step out of the shade,\naflame and unafraid\nThe new dawn blooms as we free it\nFor there is always light,\nif only we\u0026rsquo;re brave enough to see it\nIf only we\u0026rsquo;re brave enough to be it\nGRATITUDE, CELEBRATION, CONGRATULATION\nAs women in 2021, we have a lot to be grateful for. We have come a long way. I believe that when great numbers of women, of all nations and colours, lift up their voices they can make significant improvements in homes, communities and nations worldwide.\nWomen of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence. To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.\nInternational Women’s Day has always been special for women all over the world. This year women all over the world can celebrate seeing a woman hold the position of Vice-President of the United States. At last, a woman has a chance to become President in a nation that has always considered themselves to be a world leader. Women\u0026rsquo;s full and effective participation and leadership in all areas of life drives progress for everyone.\nAs a citizen of the USA, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to have a woman as our Vice-President. Most of the women in the world are happy too, especially to have a woman of colour. When women lead, we see positive results. Some of the most efficient and exemplary responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were led by women.\nWishing a Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day to all the amazing women in the world, especially our Vice-President.\nMay you always shine and succeed in everything you set out to do.\nKathy Samaroo, New Jersey, U.S.A.\nA ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN\nMy name is Sirene Qureshi. I will have been in Canadian Politics for 10 years this October 11th.\nSeeing Kamala Harris become the Vice President of America was so uplifting. Not only was she a woman but she was also a woman of colour. She represented so many beautiful things that the West had not seen before in a leader.\nI, myself, too, want to be the Prime Minister of Canada. Kamala Harris showed us what change looks like. How we too can make our dreams possible. She was a symbol for so many girls that could never even see themselves in leadership roles.\nKamala Harris has been an incredible Vice President. Since day one of the inauguration she and Joe Biden have gotten to work. They know that with great privilege come greater responsibilities.\nI am proud that a woman like Kamala Harris can even make it to Vice-President. But we have to try even harder. We have to get a woman President too. Having Kamala Harris as Vice President is a celebration but having a woman President would be the final victory.\nWe women of all nations need to step up into seats of power. We women sacrifice so much for others. I think it’s time that we step up our game and go even further. Kamala Harris is a nudge to all of us ladies of what we can do. But it is up to all of us to continue this mission of electing even more women.\nSeeing women in power is definitely important. But seeing black women in power is the most important! I am so happy how girls around the world saw themselves in Kamala Harris.\nThis is just the start! It should never finish here. Kamala Harris has given us so much hope for the future. We need to push for women leaders and even diversity in our leadership. We shouldn’t always just want the rich to lead us. For me, the most important thing a politician should have is a story. A story of how they overcame so much adversity. How they are people too!\nI love Kamala Harris for all she stands for and all she is. But I know we can even do so much more. But even having the first female Vice-President of America who is of East Indian/Jamaican origin? We have broken so many barriers right there. Women always have had to work hard. And my life is no different. But Kamala has lit the way for us. May we all also follow that path. Not only more women in politics; but more women in leadership roles. That is my dream! And I am glad to have such a beautiful sister like Kamala Harris who is already up there.\nKamala Harris is that hope that we women need in this world. She made it possible to break the glass ceiling. But we still can even reach greater heights. She has awoken the dreams of so many girls!\nIt is very difficult for anyone to go into politics. I even took Political Science in University but none of the women wanted to be a politician. Guys definitely want to! Even the girl that said she wanted to be Prime Minister of Canada changed her mind three years later.\nTo be a politician, we have to love our country and want to serve it. And this is what Kamala Harris embodies. She is more than woman, more than any colour. She is a leader! I just hope that we definitely see Kamala Harris up there for two sessions. Because it’s women like her that make me think I can be Prime Minister of Canada too!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4728\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Indian woman selling snacks.[/caption]\nSTRONG WOMEN\nAs we celebrate International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day this year (2021) with the theme \u0026ldquo;Choose to Challenge,\u0026rdquo; I can\u0026rsquo;t help thinking about those strong women who were responsible for my existence and who nurtured me into the woman I have become. They balanced their role in the world and they chose to be challenged.\nI remember hearing stories of my paternal great great grandmother (in the late 1800s) who made the trip across the ocean from India to a new land with promises of a better life. As a young sixteen year old with a young child and no husband (because he was not as brave as she was, he stayed behind) - she challenged, she ventured and she succeeded.\nI know first-hand of my own maternal and paternal grandmothers who worked tirelessly night and day. My maternal grandmother mothered thirteen children and did not \u0026ldquo;sit down\u0026rdquo; one single day. Even though she married into wealth, she would cook, clean, look after the kids and also go to work in the rice fields. She became widowed at a young age and continued to plant her garden and rice fields. She worked until she died, making Bara, Peera (fudge), Sugar cake and Channa which she sold as snacks to primary school children.\nMy paternal grandma did the same. She looked after her children while also planting vegetables which she sold at the market. Her day started at 5 a.m.\nMy Mom, another generation, did not work in the fields. By the 1930\u0026rsquo;s, girls were sent to school but only up to a certain grade. They didn\u0026rsquo;t go any further than primary school. My Mom never had a career and after she got married, she spent time taking care of the home and family. Years later, she would help me to take care of my family when my children were young. This meant I was able to spend my time working and pursuing my career.\nAt age 60, I challenged myself and was brave enough to leave the country that had been home for more than 35 years (Canada) and migrate to a new country (USA) to help take care of my aging father. I started all over in a new land with a new job\u0026hellip; with determination and zeal.\nI fell blessed that I have strong genes and I hope and pray that I have passed them on to my progeny and recursively into subsequent generations.\nAs we celebrate women all over the world and their achievements, I would like to say what an extraordinary feeling it was to watch the first woman being sworn in as Vice-President of the USA - Kamala Harris. From one woman to another\u0026hellip; I wish women all over the world a \u0026ldquo;Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo; Stay strong and always \u0026ldquo;Choose to Challenge.\u0026rdquo;\n~ Jackie Janki (Seecharran), Florida - U.S.A.\nTHINGS ARE CHANGING\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve come to another International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day and it\u0026rsquo;s nice to see that we\u0026rsquo;re finally breaking ground for women in North America to move into political leadership roles. North America has long been a patriarchal society.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a first for women to see that the new VP of America, Kamala Harris, is a female and also one of colour. This has been unheard of in North America. Incidentally, her mother was a scientist. She hailed from India, studied in the U.S.A. , married a Jamaican and raised two daughters as a single parent after being divorced. In Europe, Asia , South America, and New Zealand, there have been at least seven Prime Ministers who were women. Lets get it together North America - don\u0026rsquo;t let\u0026rsquo;s lag behind in the world.\nInauguration Day, January 20th, was a memorable day for me. Even before the actual swearing in,, I was struck by the ceremony that was planned the evening before the Inauguration to pay tribute to those who died by the Coronavirus. This was a wonderful showing of respect for the victims and their families and an acknowledgement that their lives were precious.\nOn the actual Inauguration day, I noticed how much thought and detail went into the ceremony. It was carefully planned and there was a calming effect as a result of Joe Biden\u0026rsquo;s demeanour and tone. Lady Gaga\u0026rsquo;s outfit brought some light-heartedness and fun to the day. I thought that Amanda Gorman\u0026rsquo;s poem touched many hearts and made the whole Inauguration ceremony special. I was glad to be part of this moment in history - seeing the first woman in the U.S.A. become Vice-President.\nHappy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day!\nOrissa Washington, Toronto, Canada\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4729\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;206\u0026rdquo;] Lady Gaga[/caption]\nTHE FUTURE FOR WOMEN?\nAs we celebrate another International Women’s Day, there’s a lot to reflect on.\nForbes listed the World’s most powerful 100 women. The women span a wide age range from Rihanna 33 to Queen Elizabeth 93. They included women from various disciplines but few Heads of State. According to UNwomen.org.\n“Women serve as Heads of State or Government in only 21 countries, and 119 countries have never had a woman leader [1]. At the current rate, parity in the highest decisions of power will not be reached for another 130 years [2].”\nThe fact that the US finally has its first female vice-president in 2121 and never a female president shows that female bias still exists for leadership roles in a country that is supposed to be forward thinking. We have had women leaders in India, Germany, and New Zealand and they are doing a fantastic job. The sky did not fall.\nOn January 20th, as I watched the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC, these words resonated in my head – truth, decency, honour! A breath of fresh air, and it was like we had been holding our breaths for four years and could finally exhale! Of course, Amanda Gorman’s poem was awesome, and shone a light on youth and their future. We came out of the twilight zone.\nFor International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate women’s strength and resilience, and that the push for human and education rights for girls around the world will be realized.\nJanet L’Abbe, Waterloo, Canada\n~ Janet\u0026rsquo;s Calligraphy\nTHE RIGHT COMBINATION\nHappy International Women’s Day!\nOn January 20th, I watched the whole ceremony along with most people.\nAfter the elections, there was so much confusion culminating on the dreadful day of January 6/2021. One didn’t know what else to expect. It is true we live in uncertain times, what with the pandemic and all, so I suspect we are feeling somewhat fragile.\nThe ceremony was beautiful. The Biden speech was better than a sermon. It was so full of hope and promises of peace, unity, and compassion. The sufferings of his life’s experiences have made him such a man. His perseverance is to be applauded.\nFrom someone who is also a senior, it gives me a wonderful outlook on my senior years. Anything is possible.\nOf course, I rejoiced to see a woman, any woman in such a position as Kamala Harris. But what a pleasure to see a woman of colour next to the President of the USA. She exudes vitality and he exudes serenity. A clever combination.\nJeanette Persaud, Toronto, Canada\nPOSITIVE VIBES\nHappy International Women’s Day!\nWhen I watched the Inauguration of the new U.S. President and Vice-President, I was positively impacted by the entire ceremony. I was very surprised when I learned of Kamala Harris\u0026rsquo; career path and was moved to tears with the entire celebration.\nShe is certainly a person for young women and especially those of minorities to emulate. She portrayed herself to be very real, down-to-earth, truthful, and a happy person. I was also very happy and relieved that there were no demonstrations or violence. This was an inauguration that will go down in history. I hope that President Joe Biden will be successful to restore democracy.\nJuliet Stevens, Toronto\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4713\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;791\u0026rdquo;] Women\u0026rsquo;s Day Painting (European artist)[/caption]\nFIGHTING BACK THE TEARS\nHappy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day!\nOn January 20th, women around the world witnessed a huge moment in history— Kamala Harris sworn in as Vice-President of the United States. Despite being Canadian, I still followed the election, watched the debates and any other news relating.\nAt first, I had mixed feelings. I wondered if people were more concerned about Kamala’s heritage than what her stance was on issues in the U.S. I’d seen so many different posts circulating on Instagram, all with different opinions. Some people couldn’t be happier, after all, we’ve never seen a Black or South Asian woman in this position before. That alone made her candidacy worthy of celebrating. On the other hand, others said her heritage didn’t matter if her plans for the country weren’t going to be helpful to the citizens— also a very valid point. Still, I couldn’t help but feel excited whenever I saw her.\nOn the day of the Inauguration, I tuned in of course, mainly wanting to watch the candidates sworn in and give their speeches. Watching Kamala, dressed beautifully, sitting there amongst Joe Biden and the other guests, was powerful. When she was sworn in and later gave her speech, I felt a number of emotions swell inside of me. I fought back tears at a few moments because I wasn’t sure why it was I felt that much emotion. But the fact is, as a Brown girl, as an Indo-Caribbean woman, I grew up never seeing myself represented in media and powerful positions.\nEven to this day, while there is more representation than there was in my childhood, it’s still nowhere near enough. But to see Kamala, who is Indian and Jamaican, South Asian and Caribbean, I saw myself. I saw a woman who looked like me in a position of power, a position that has never been held by any woman in history. To think, the first woman to hold this position is a woman of colour, it’s huge for all of us.\nI also think of her journey to the position she’s in. All women of colour understand what it’s like to face obstacles in the workplace both for our gender and our heritage. Whether it’s being in male dominated spaces, spaces dominated by white people or being worried your first name, last name, or both, might prevent you from getting a call back. Being in politics, Kamala would’ve likely been in spaces most of her career that are dominated by white males from established families. You can imagine people must have looked down on her or overlooked her for being a woman of colour.\nI also think of the time period she has built her career in. Over the past ten years, people have begun to stress diversity and representation in the workplace, but prior to this new found “wokeness” there wasn’t a push for it in the 90s and early 2000s. As well, being the daughter of immigrants as many of us are, she had no advantages in her industry based on family name and wealth. Whether you like her or not, I think her hustle is admirable. She worked her way up on her own merit and that’s never easy.\nTo Kamala, my final words are congratulations Madam Vice-President. You have ignited a flame that has been wanting to burn for so many decades and it is one that is powerful to all the Black and Brown women watching you.\nTiara Chutkhan, Toronto, Canada\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4730\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;672\u0026rdquo;] Women in history who won the Nobel Prize (Internet)[/caption]\nABLE TO IDENTIFY\nJanuary 20th, 2021 is a day that will forever stand out in my memory, because it was so history making. Not only was the first female Vice-President of the United States sworn in, but she was like me - a woman of colour with an East Indian background. She\u0026rsquo;s a woman who was raised by a strong mother, a woman who has worked hard for everything she has. This is the America I dreamed of as a child. Now my future grandchildren can one day hold the highest office in the land because we have broken all the barriers. This happened first with President Obama in 2008, and now twelve years later, with Vice-President Harris. I am proud to be a female immigrant in this America.\nChitra Pillay, U.S.A.\nLEADING BY EXAMPLE\nGender equality remains a topic of discussion time and time again because there is still a long way to go to achieve equality between men and women in the areas of leadership, socio-economic need, financial equality, education, and health. In order to close the gap we need to find effective solutions to do so.\nIt’s been really encouraging to see that in the recent United States election a woman was elected as Vice President. This represents a big step forward in the right direction towards gender equality. Women in major leadership roles will inspire other women to succeed and will have the potential to make changes to increase equality. It’s also important to celebrate and put a spotlight on these women.\nAs the eldest of six children, I became a natural leader and role model for my siblings. I have a sister and four brothers who look up to me with a lot of respect. I taught my brothers by example that being female didn’t mean that I was weaker, less intelligent, less confident, less talented, less creative, less ambitious, less independent or less important. I proved to them that females could be just as powerful as a male and I give my upbringing by my parents and grandmother a lot of credit for that.\nI was very fortunate to have been raised in a household where I was never told that I couldn’t, but to try and achieve. I was encouraged by my parents to be the best that I could be and that the sky was the limit. This is really valuable because it allows one to reach their full potential in anything they do.\nI feel extremely blessed that I was given the freedom to make my own decisions on what I wanted to do in life. I was quite an ambitious child with many interests and talents. For example, I wanted to become an artist, architect, author, astronaut, scientist, inventor, doctor, entrepreneur, martial artist, and so on. I’ve been fortunate enough to have fulfilled some of those ambitions to date and I plan on continuing to fulfill as many of my childhood and future ambitions as I can. I hope to inspire other people to do the same to unleash their power within.\nWhen I was ten years old I learned how to make friendship bracelets and I really got into learning new patterns and then creating my own patterns. I was making so many of them that all my siblings and parents were even wearing them. The trend really caught on as kids at school started asking me to make them some as well. My siblings’ friends were also asking for bracelets and before I knew it I had my first business.\nI created a business name, business cards, packaging and later on a catalog with all my patterns and designs along with order forms. It eventually got so busy that I had to teach my siblings how to make them to keep up with fulfilling the orders. When I was in my teens my mother even contacted Walmart to ask them if they were interested in my bracelets. They said yes, but wanted 10,000 bracelets to start, which was a bit much even with the help of all my siblings.\nEven though I had to turn them down that really gave me the confidence that I could be a successful entrepreneur. Years later, I have created an e-commerce store, which I launched last year specializing in products that improve one’s wellbeing and lifestyle. I still have a lot to learn about e-commerce, but I plan to grow my store and make it as successful as possible.\nAside from managing an online store, I also run a busy private Traditional Chinese Medicine practice in Toronto. I treat patients using acupuncture, cupping, Tuina massage and herbal medicine. At the age of twelve, I had decided that I wanted to become a doctor or do something with healing and medicine.\nI also believe that it’s extremely important to volunteer and give back to your community because that will also bring about positive change. As women in 2021, let\u0026rsquo;s move forward boldly and bravely, individually and collectively, to bring about the changes that will better women\u0026rsquo;s lives.\nHappy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day!\nMai-Yee Yue, Toronto\nThis blog post was written on March 8/2014. It\u0026rsquo;s being shared here because of the quotes. Those may be enjoyed by readers.\nINTERNATIONAL WOMEN\u0026rsquo;S DAY!\nWhat a special day for us ladies! My day was made even more special by a young, handsome, well-dressed man, giving me a rose and saying \u0026ldquo;Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo; This happened in Downtown Toronto this morning. Unfortunately, I didn\u0026rsquo;t have my camera with me. All the images here were taken when I got home.\nThe first Women\u0026rsquo;s Day took place in 1911 and we women have come a long way. There is still a long journey ahead though. \u0026ldquo;International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women\u0026rsquo;s success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed.\u0026rdquo; Some countries take this day so seriously that it is a public holiday. The United Nations theme for 2014 is: \u0026ldquo;Equality for women is progress for all.\u0026rdquo;\nWhile the surprise of receiving a rose was very touching, all of us women know that this day and our lives are about more serious matters. Our personhood as people and our right to be treated with dignity and respect in all spheres of life is really what this day is all about. Here are some interesting quotes to reflect on by people you may know.\n1. \u0026ldquo;Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity.\u0026rdquo; - Gandhi\n2. \u0026ldquo;God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I\u0026rsquo;ve ever met.\u0026rdquo; - Farrah Fawcett\n3. \u0026ldquo;Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size.\u0026rdquo; - Virginia Woolf\n4. \u0026ldquo;Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President\u0026rsquo;s spouse. I wish him well!\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Barbara Bush\n5. \u0026ldquo;Women are leaders everywhere you look \u0026ndash; from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Nancy Pelosi\n6. \u0026ldquo;A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Melinda Gates\n7. \u0026ldquo;Whatever glory belongs to the race for a development unprecedented in history for the given length of time, a full share belongs to the womanhood of the race.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Mary Mcleod Bethune\n8. \u0026ldquo;Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Eleanor Roosevelt.\n9. \u0026ldquo;Dream the dreams that have never been dreamt.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; David Bower\n10. \u0026ldquo;The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Charles Malik11. \u0026ldquo;Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, do not grovel. Take courage, join hands, stand besides us, fight with us.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Christabel Pankhurst12. \u0026ldquo;Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren\u0026rsquo;t.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Margaret Thatcher13. \u0026ldquo;Be thankful for what you have; you\u0026rsquo;ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don\u0026rsquo;t have, you will never, ever have enough.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Oprah Winfrey14. \u0026ldquo;When I thought I couldn\u0026rsquo;t go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Estee Lauder15. \u0026ldquo;If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Coco Chanel.\nAFTERWORD : AN APPRECIATION\nThose of us who are part of this time in history must realize how fortunate we are. Despite the Coronavirus and all the political mayhem we\u0026rsquo;ve been experiencing in the world, the vast majority of women were ecstatic to see a woman sworn in as Vice-President of the United States\nIt\u0026rsquo;s my belief and feeling that these kinds of historic moments must be acknowledged and celebrated in some way. Many times in life I thought or had an idea of doing something and didn\u0026rsquo;t end up doing it. Years later, I looked back and felt sad that it wasn\u0026rsquo;t accomplished.\nI\u0026rsquo;m deeply grateful for all those who gave in to my desire to carry out this project and supported this effort. Without all the writers, there would be nothing to share. You are a very special group of women making history in your own little way. Not all of us can become Vice-Presidents but we can share about what it was like to see another woman step into this role.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve also been able to share about some of the deeper issues and concerns that we have surrounding women\u0026rsquo;s needs and rights. Other women in other generations have carried out this work so that we can be where we are today. They were making history at that time and whatever we are able to do, big or small, to further the cause of women, means we too are making our own history.\nFor those women who share by reading what other women have written here, you too become experiencers of that history. A ripple effect is being created. I hope that those who shared by writing and those who share by reading will both be blessed In some small way. My deepest gratitude to all of you.\nMany thanks. Jean\nThe author/editor, Jean Janki Samaroo, lives in Toronto with her husband and Ragdoll kitten, Ali. She studied Library Arts at Ryerson University and is also a certified TESL/TEFL instructor. She\u0026rsquo;s been keeping busy during her retirement and her two books on Amazon are \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms: Inspiration for Seniors\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Making New Friends\u0026rdquo; which a is a picture book for children. She\u0026rsquo;s delighted to be able to collaborate with other women for this ebook which is her first.\nhttps://www.amazon.com/author/jeansamaroo https://jeanjankisamaroo\nContributors/Writers Tiara Chutkhan. Chitra Pillay Esmeralda Knowles. Sirene Qureshi Janet L\u0026rsquo;Abbe Jackie Janki (Seecharran) Orissa Washington Juliet Stevens Mai-Yee Yue Kathy Samaroo. Savita Yassin Jeanette Persaud\nPlease leave a review on Amazon if you like what you read here. You don\u0026rsquo;t have to have bought an item on Amazon to write a review. Many people receive books as gifts. The link is: www.amazon.com/author/jeansamaroo. Thank you!\n","permalink":"/posts/international-womens-day-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA year ago, this was put-together to celebrate \u003cstrong\u003eInternational Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u003c/strong\u003e  I felt that 2021 was a big year for women with the inauguration of America\u0026rsquo;s first female Vice-President.  It\u0026rsquo;s an Amazon Kindle ebook.  However, since many people don\u0026rsquo;t have Kindle readers, I\u0026rsquo;m sharing here.  Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/International-womens-day-2/i-4xFRPLg/0/Kdx62krj4WXWHZPgXCXbCjbXhfW5xSt4nvK9cWxKK/D/516-D.png\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/International-womens-day-2/i-4xFRPLg/0/Kdx62krj4WXWHZPgXCXbCjbXhfW5xSt4nvK9cWxKK/D/516-D.png\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e                                                      \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e                                    Edited by:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e                             Jean Janki Samaroo\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e                                    Copyright C2021, Jean Janki Samaroo\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis ebook is for the personal enjoyment\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the reader.  It is the copyrighted property\u003c/p\u003e","title":"International Women's Day 2022"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m pleased to share this article I wrote and that was in Simply Woman which is an online magazine for women.\npsychological richness?\nBy simply\u0026hellip;woman! on January 18, 2021\nBy Jean Janki Samaroo\nThe saying that you’re never too old to learn is so true. I had never heard the term “psychological richness” used in relation to the good life until just recently. The concept of a happy life, a meaningful life, a fulfilled life, were all familiar to me as well as the terms themselves. After all, even at 71 those are still the things that I’m seeking daily in order to make my life count.\nIn a Scientific American article, the humanistic psychologist, Scott Barry Kaufman said “The psychologically rich life is full of complex mental engagement, a wide range of intense and deep emotions, and diverse, novel, surprising and interesting experiences. Sometimes the experiences are pleasant, sometimes they are meaningful, and sometimes they are neither pleasant nor meaningful. However, they are rarely boring or monotonous.” If the elements described above are already part of your life, kudos to you. You’re already living a “psychologically rich” life.\nFor most of the world’s population, happiness is as far as they get. Happiness is a basic need for every living person. It’s the same in that we all want it and it’s different in that what makes you happy may not necessarily be the thing that makes me happy.\nYour idea of happiness may be to get married and have your own home and family and my idea may be to start my own business. For a poor person, happiness may be having food, clothing, and shelter. Whatever you choose for yourself that makes you happy is all that’s important here.\nThe Dalai Lama sums it up well when he says that “No matter what part of the world we come from, we are all basically the same human beings. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. We have the same basic human needs and concerns. All of us human beings want freedom and the right to determine our own destiny as individuals and as peoples. That is human nature.”\nHowever, it’s only a fraction of the general population who have the luxury of pondering the deeper meaning of life and their own life in particular. Meaningful and fulfilling lives are like the icing on the cake. Living this kind of life means that we’ve gone way beyond meeting our basic needs for sustenance, safety, and self-esteem. People who fall into this category have had time to do some soul-searching.\n“Your long-term happiness and fulfillment depend on your ability to fulfill your soul’s unique purpose and to fill the place in the world that only you can fill, making the contribution that only you can make.” Rod Stryker\nYou may be one of those people who are happy, fulfilled and living a meaningful life already. Would “psychological richness” be something you want to add to your repertoire?\nResearchers on well-being have done many studies on “psychological richness” and continue to work with different populations. I’ve taken a look at some of the reporting and find it very interesting. A study was done, for example, with two groups of students. One group studied at home and the other studied abroad. It was found that those who studied abroad experienced more psychological richness. Nothing changed for those who stayed at home. (Oishi, Choi, Liu, \u0026amp; Kurtz, 2020)\nWhat this study reveals is that those who studied abroad were exposed to many different experiences – perhaps a different culture, different people, different food, different language, and so much more. Their new environment exposed them to what they didn’t have at home. There was room for growth and greater awareness. This made them psychologically richer.\nWhile there’s still a lot to learn about “psychological richness,” it feels like it could be a natural progression from a happy, fulfilled, and meaningful life or part of it. To reach the level where one is able to look at one’s life objectively and decide to live in a distinctive way where one accrues meaning to one’s life is an achievement.\nIn Kaufman’s definition of “psychological richness,” he says that this kind of life is rarely boring and monotonous. If you thrive on growth and newness like I do, this may be your cup of tea. We can’t be complacent here. Let’s go for “psychological richness.” “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” ~ Neale Donald Walsch\n********\nJean Janki Samaroo lives in Toronto. She is the self-published author of two books. “Late Blooms” is an inspirational book for Senior Citizens and “Making New Friends” is a children’s picture book. These are both available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/author/jeansamaroo\nShe enjoys writing and has her own blog called “Late Blooms.” https://late-blooms.jeanjankisamaroo.com\nShe studied Library Arts at Ryerson University and is also a certified TESL/TEFL instructor. Her writing explores many diverse topics.\n","permalink":"/posts/psychological-richness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m pleased to share this article I wrote and that was in Simply Woman which is an online magazine for women.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.simplywoman.com/\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Simply Woman | Online Magazine by Crystal Andrus Morissette\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.simplywoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/simplywomanlogoidea.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epsychological richness?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy \u003ca href=\"https://www.simplywoman.com/author/admin/\" title=\"Posts by simply...woman!\"\u003esimply\u0026hellip;woman!\u003c/a\u003e on January 18, 2021\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"psychology\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.simplywoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/psychology-300x336.gif\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Jean Janki Samaroo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe saying that you’re never too old to learn is so true.  I had never heard the term “psychological richness” used in relation to the good life until just recently.  The concept of a happy life, a meaningful life, a fulfilled life, were all familiar to me as well as the terms themselves. After all, even at 71 those are still the things that I’m seeking daily in order to make my life count.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Psychological Richness?"},{"content":"\nWhere are we headed as a species - humans, I mean. What do we conclude when our baser nature shows itself? It\u0026rsquo;s customary to conclude we\u0026rsquo;re headed in a forward, upward moving direction when the best of our human nature comes out.. On the contrary, when there\u0026rsquo;s selfishness, greed, indifference, disrespect and our \u0026ldquo;lower\u0026rdquo; nature manifests itself, there is a great disconnect. This disconnect takes place within and without.\n\u0026ldquo;Human nature is not totally fixed, but on any realistic scale, evolutionary processes are much too slow to affect it. \u0026quot; ~ Noam Chomsky\nEven for those who might not be the least bit interested in politics or passing judgements on other people, the riot at Capitol Hill touched some deep discordant chords within. Personally, although I\u0026rsquo;m not from the U.S.A. I feel sad that this happened. It caused me to wonder about my own human nature and whether or when I too could be reduced to this kind of behaviour. What would it take? What did it take to cause these people to act this way?\n\u0026ldquo;We need more understanding of human nature, because the only real danger that exists is man himself.\u0026rdquo; ~ Carl Gustav Jung\nIt\u0026rsquo;s true that we\u0026rsquo;re all different and have had different influences in our lives. However, my experience tells me that most of our public institutions - schools, churches, universities, etc. try to instil values like respect, consideration, acceptance, openness, empathy and love towards others.\nThe child\u0026rsquo;s first teachers, namely the parents, try to pass on some core values to their offspring. Peace is a concept we all become familiar with at some point in our lives and, hopefully, most are trying to follow. How do we begin to explain this forgetting that took place that day? Should we try to even explain it? Should we just accept that we all make mistakes and this is part of human nature?\n\u0026ldquo;We are not only human animals; we are also persons, in essential relation with other persons, and bound to them by obligations and rights. Our world is a shared world, exhibiting freedom, value, and accountability, and to understand it we must address other people face to face and I to I.\u0026rdquo; ~ Sir Roger Scruton\nDid this group of people know each other? Did they plan that this was how they would act? Did the behaviour of others in the group influence them? Did they want to look good in the eyes of the other people? Irregardless of whether they were instigated or not, something happened individually within them that day that made them forget that their actions would have ramifications.\n“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. All this questioning and wondering on my part is to come to terms with, perhaps, not only what happened at Capitol Hill this week - it\u0026rsquo;s to try to understand my own human nature a little bit more. If you have some of the same thoughts and feelings, perhaps this short post will help you to see that others are resonating with you.\nOut of the basic values we\u0026rsquo;re taught as children come the bigger concepts we put into practice like justice, acting with integrity and not being violent toward others. Peace is made up of all of these elements. It\u0026rsquo;s my hope that our higher nature can prevail. Despite outward circumstances, may we all be able to tap into the core of goodness deep within us and make a concerted effort to behave decently toward others.\n\u0026ldquo;When the norm is decency, other virtues can thrive: integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness, and trust.\u0026rdquo; ~ Raja Krishnamoorthi\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4645\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] (Designed by Jean)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/climbing-the-walls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2021/Climbing-the-walls/i-h8dPGmM/0/KQ3HDT8GSDXPkMG86JCGvFRVcV4dnQkVGcvCFSx42/D/np_file_61531-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/np_file_61531-1024x682.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere are we headed as a species - humans, I mean.  What do we conclude when our baser nature shows itself? It\u0026rsquo;s customary to conclude we\u0026rsquo;re headed in a forward, upward moving direction when the best of our human nature comes out..   On the contrary, when there\u0026rsquo;s selfishness, greed, indifference, disrespect and our \u0026ldquo;lower\u0026rdquo; nature manifests itself, there is a great disconnect.  This disconnect takes place within and without.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"CLIMBING THE WALLS"},{"content":"And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm is all about’ – Haruki Murakami\n2020 will soon be over. We\u0026rsquo;ve just got a few hours left before we cross over into a brand new year. Many folks have voiced to me that they can\u0026rsquo;t wait for it to be over. It has been a year when our whole world was turned upside down due to COVID-19.\nI must admit that I\u0026rsquo;ve felt this way many days during this year myself. Since March, we\u0026rsquo;ve been having to learn to live differently - wearing masks, social distancing, frequent hand washing, and getting used to frequent lock-downs. For those of us who like to travel, we\u0026rsquo;ve had to stay put. Our world doesn\u0026rsquo;t feel like a \u0026ldquo;safe\u0026rdquo; place anymore.\nWhile we all live with the hope in our hearts that 2021 will be much better than 2020, we don\u0026rsquo;t really know for sure how things will shape up or how soon. It\u0026rsquo;s great that there\u0026rsquo;s a vaccination available now and the scientific community is backing it. Until we all get vaccinated, we do have to carry on and keep on carrying on though.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t the first time in mankind\u0026rsquo;s history that we\u0026rsquo;ve been confronted with challenges and setbacks. We haven\u0026rsquo;t had COVID-19 before but generations before us have experienced war, pestilence, and disaster. It passed and they came through and so can we. At the same time, we acknowledge and feel the loss of all those who have lost their lives to this virus. We so want to see better days. ‘ Every situation in life is temporary. So, when life is good, make sure you enjoy and receive it fully. And when life is not so good, remember that it will not last forever and better days are on the way.’ ~ Jennie Young\nIn every challenging situation, whether personal or global, there are opportunities for learning and growth. There are also opportunities for acceptance of changing circumstances - whether these be good or bad. Two persons just within the past few days expressed being thankful during this time. Their circumstances changed and they changed.\nOne person\u0026rsquo;s mother (who has passed on) was in a Nursing Home and got COVID while there but survived. Her family were unable to see her during the first lockdown and it was a very hard time for her and for them. She died suddenly just when the first lockdown was lifted and two members of her family saw her on the day that she died. A blessing for them indeed!\nIn an exchange we had before Christmas, I mentioned her Mum and that I knew she would miss her a lot this Christmas. Her reply to me was that although they would miss her, that she personally was grateful that she wasn\u0026rsquo;t here to go through the second lockdown. The first had been too hard for her.\nThe other instance that comes to mind is personal to me. My son was working in Ottawa and his wife in Hamilton for a while now. The management had not approved for him to work from home as we had hoped. COVID-19 came along and everyone had to work from home. He and his wife are able to be together now. They are grateful for this and so are we. “The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” ~ Hannah Whitall Smith\nGiven that COVID-19 is very much here, It\u0026rsquo;s still possible to think about what you want your New Year to look like. The virus can\u0026rsquo;t take away the direction or course you choose to set for yourself personally. Maybe you need to practice better self-care in 2021. To achieve this goal, it\u0026rsquo;s a good idea to write down some concrete strategies for how you plan to achieve this.\nWalk for 15 minutes every morning and evening. Spend less time on social media Eat soup and salad for lunch Go to bed one hour earlier every night Practice Mindfulness Those are just suggestions to show how you can make your own \u0026ldquo;to do\u0026rdquo; list . If your New Year\u0026rsquo;s goal is to get rid of debt, your list will look different. Whatever, you hope to achieve will have to be worked at. There are steps that have to be taken to get you there. ~ “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis\nPerhaps, you\u0026rsquo;re not feeling up to making any New Year resolutions for 2021 or setting any goals. The past year has been difficult enough as it is. That\u0026rsquo;s ok too. Sometimes we feel that we need to slow down and not take on more. We can use that as an opportunity to become more in tune with our feelings, thoughts, and inner being. We may be on a spiritual journey. Whatever it is that nourishes you as a person will benefit you and those around you. Your journey in 2021 is your own. \u0026quot;Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.\u0026quot; ~ Carl Jung Wherever you happen to be and whatever space you find yourself in during these last few hours of 2020, I hope that your New Year will bring joy, peace, and happiness to you and yours. We\u0026rsquo;re all doing the best we can to ride the storm and, hopefully, come out better people on the other side of it. \u0026quot; Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.\u0026quot; ~ Vivian Greene\nNOTE: THE CORONAVIRUS ART IN THIS POST IS MY OWN\n","permalink":"/posts/dancing-in-the-rain/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnd once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm is all about’ – Haruki Murakami\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Dancing-in-the-rain/i-rvVZkMq/0/LCRNNVRW2gpDWhX9W2H89KqS5GDzPBcHrPgjQnkXJ/D/20200806_233707-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Dancing-in-the-rain/i-rvVZkMq/0/LCRNNVRW2gpDWhX9W2H89KqS5GDzPBcHrPgjQnkXJ/D/20200806_233707-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2020 will soon be over.  We\u0026rsquo;ve just got a few hours left before we cross over into a brand new year.  Many folks have voiced to me that they can\u0026rsquo;t wait for it to be over.   It has been a year when our whole world was turned upside down due to COVID-19.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"DANCING IN THE RAIN"},{"content":"Dear Children:\nChristmas will be here soon. I just want you to know that I will still be coming.\nI know that the Coronavirus has been with us for a long time. You weren’t able to go to school or daycare for many months. You had to do your lessons on your computer. You missed your friends. I understand.\nI’m sure your Mummy and Daddy have told you about the virus. Your teacher probably has too. We don’t see the virus but it’s around. Masks are a little bit uncomfortable but please wear yours.\nKeeping a safe distance from others is very important too.\nWashing your hands a lot helps to protect you from becoming sick.\nI know that you understand that doing all these things will help to keep you safe. You want your friends and family to be safe and well too. They’re doing the same things so you can stay safe and well too.\nYour Mummy and Daddy may be working from home too. One of them may be helping you with your virtual learning. If you’re back at school, listen to your teachers and follow the rules please.\nSome parents have no jobs right now. The job they did may not be safe to do until they can take a vaccine to protect them. In Canada, some help is available for people without jobs. Our country has been helping people. We’re lucky.\nIf your Mummy or Daddy is a doctor, nurse, or lab technician, they have been very busy during this time.\nThey go to work every day. Many jobs that people do could not be stopped during this time. People who are sick need to be cared for to get well. The people who do these jobs are called “essential workers.”\nMany more people than just doctors, nurses, and lab technicians are “essential workers.” Your Mummy and Daddy can tell you about them.\nJust like you have had your needles at the doctor before, you will need to have a needle that will protect you from the virus. That vaccine will be ready in a few months. Your parents will get one and they will arrange for you to have yours. I will have to get one too.\nThere are many people who we don’t know who are working day and night to make sure we\u0026rsquo;re safe. We have to be thankful for those people.\nAs for us at the North Pole, we have been trying to keep safe. We do wear our masks all the time. We are keeping a safe distance from others at the workshop. We use hand sanitizer and wash our hands regularly. We’re very busy putting the finishing touches on the toys. Some elves are wrapping gifts already. My sleigh needed a coat of paint. That job’s already done.\nEven with the Coronavirus,the excitement and magic of Christmas is in our hearts. It’s the time when we love to give and receive gifts. We think of those we don\u0026rsquo;t remember all year. Some of us send cards to them. Sometimes we may even drop off a gift or something we made for them.\nEven if your Mummy or Daddy can’t take you shopping this year,I’m sure you can have great family fun at home.\nMrs. Claus and I love making Christmas cookies together. We give some as gifts too. It would be fun to bake cookies with Daddy or Mummy before Christmas.\nI’m going to share a great recipe for sugar cookies that we make. You can cut the dough into Christmas shapes and decorate.\nSUGAR COOKIE RECIPE\nIngredients\n3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Tinted frostings, colored sugars, edible glitter and nonpareils Directions In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill until firm, 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in thickness. Cut out with Christmas cookie cutters of your choice. Using a floured spatula, transfer cookies to greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.\nDecorate cookies with frosting and colored sugars.\nDon’t forget to make a nice Christmas card for Mummy and Daddy. You can use construction paper and all the craft supplies you have at home. You can do the same for friends and family.\nChristmas is special when we share our love with others.\nThe Coronavirus can’t take that away from us. Even if you can’t see your friends, you can send a card or phone them. You may even be able to Zoom with them!\nI’m looking forward to coming by on Christmas Eve. Be good little boys and girls until then. I have a nice poem to share with you called “Santa.”\nSanta\nTwo merry blue eyes A very little nose A long snowy beard And cheeks like a rose A round chubby man A big bulging pack Hurrah for Old Santa We’re glad he’s come back!\nSleep tight!\nWith love from Santa.\nHo! Ho! Ho!\nMerry Christmas!\n","permalink":"/posts/greetings-from-santa/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDear Children:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristmas will be here soon.   I just want you to know that I will still be coming.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know that the Coronavirus has been with us for a long time.  You weren’t able to go to school or daycare for many months. You had to do your lessons on your computer. You missed your friends. I understand.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m sure your Mummy and Daddy have told you about the virus.  Your teacher probably has too. We don’t see the virus but it’s around. Masks are a little bit uncomfortable but please wear yours.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Greetings from Santa!"},{"content":"\nWomen worldwide love Joe Biden’s “audacious” choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate and now his Vice-President Elect. Joe Biden has his heart in the right place. He knows that in order to eradicate systemic racism in the US, it’s not enough to pay lip service to an ideal. “Actions speak louder than words.”\nHe’s not afraid of people – immigrants, single parents, people of colour, and the disenfranchised. Kamala’s parents divorced when she was seven years old and her mother raised her and her sister as a single parent. Her parents were from India and Jamaica respectively and were international students to the United States when they met. They later got immigrant status. President-elect Biden didn’t see her early status as a barrier. “Democrats believe in reigniting the American dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all, so everyone can succeed. ~ Nancy Pelosi\nJoe Biden was Vice-President to President Barack Obama, the first black President of the United States. The two men became like brothers. President Obama gave his Vice-President the Presidential Medal of Freedom as a surprise before leaving office. On that auspicious occasion, this is what President Obama said: “To know Joe Biden is to know love without pretense, service without self-regard, and to live fully.”\nLeadership calls for transparency, honesty, and a desire to serve. I see these qualities in both the President-elect and Vice-President elect. Bringing people together rather than sowing seeds of distrust was obvious in Biden’s speech when he reached 270 electoral college votes. He doesn’t want the harsh rhetoric to go on. \u0026ldquo;I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify. who doesn\u0026rsquo;t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.” What a welcome change for the world to hear these words.\nFor too many years, the world has heard and witnessed unnecessary drama, indifference to others and too many instances of the corrosion of what we thought were American values. The Vice-President elect also spoke words that reflected what many watchers world-wide felt. She said: “You assured a new day for America. You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and yes, truth.\nObviously, we don’t expect that there will be no mistakes made by our leaders. Just as all human beings miss the mark, we know that on occasion we can expect this from those at the top. However, it’s my belief that should these occasions arise, we will see a different way of handling the issues. Leaders have to be able to apologize, change course, make compromises, and carry on. \u0026ldquo;Doing what is right isn\u0026rsquo;t the problem. It is knowing what is right.\u0026rdquo; ~ Lyndon B Johnson\nAlthough I’m not from the United States, I feel excitedabout seeing a woman become Vice-President there. Furthermore, an educated woman of colour, holding this position bodes well for other women who have felt that their chances at leadership were slim. For the rest of us who have no such aspirations, it’s still good to see one of our own women-folk at the top. We can all be proud. A new day has indeed dawned! “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes—and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt\nThanks, President-elect Joe Biden.\n","permalink":"/posts/bidens-boldness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Bidens-boldness/i-W65vH5K/0/LMNG62WLQNjKMz9Tc9782CzQjT5bhG39nB5KsZ4TF/D/Web-Card_HQ_BidenKamala_Our-Best-Days-Still-Lie-Ahead_1600x836_Digital_081120-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Web-Card_HQ_BidenKamala_Our-Best-Days-Still-Lie-Ahead_1600x836_Digital_081120-1-1024x419.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWomen worldwide love Joe Biden’s “audacious” choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate and now his Vice-President Elect.  Joe Biden has his heart in the right place. He knows that in order to eradicate systemic racism in the US, it’s not enough to pay lip service to an ideal.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Actions speak louder than words.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e He’s not afraid of people – immigrants, single parents, people of colour, and the disenfranchised.  Kamala’s parents divorced when she was seven years old and her mother raised her and her sister as a single parent. Her parents were from India and Jamaica respectively and were international students to the United States when they met. They later got immigrant status. President-elect Biden didn’t see her early status as a barrier.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Democrats believe in reigniting the American dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all, so everyone can succeed. ~ Nancy Pelosi\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Biden's Boldness"},{"content":"Two words that matter so much! We all want to feel that we are loved and cherished as we live our days here on this earth. It\u0026rsquo;s very important that we are able to feel and experience this from our nearest and dearest. But how about extending that beyond that small circle of loved ones.?\nI was moved by an article that was shared on DailyGood.org called \u0026ldquo;TWO WORDS THAT CAN CHANGE A LIFE.\u0026rdquo; It resonated so much with me that I downloaded one of their cards and sent by e-mail to a few people who are near and dear to me. We really don\u0026rsquo;t know until we try what a difference we can make when we\u0026rsquo;re willing to move beyond our comfort zone. Cheryl Rice stepped up and stepped out that day.\nCheryl Rice was in the line waiting to check-out her groceries one day when she overheard a conversation between the cashier and the person that she was serving. This lady was going through a rough time and Cheryl Rice felt in her heart that she wanted to help but didn\u0026rsquo;t really know how. It was an awkward situation. She didn\u0026rsquo;t do anything.\nShe later saw this lady outside returning her shopping cart. She decided to approach her. This is what Cheryl said: “I couldn’t help overhearing what you said to the cashier. It sounds like you’re going through a really hard time right now. I**’m** so sorry. I’d like to give you something.” She gave her a \u0026ldquo;You Matter\u0026rdquo; card.\nI\u0026rsquo;m sure that if you clicked on the long line above the article title in the second paragraph, you already know the story. It mattered a lot to this woman to receive the message on the card and she cried. Out of the encounter that day, something new came about that has the power to impact lives.\nThe \u0026ldquo;You Matter Marathon\u0026rdquo; was born and every year in November it is hoped that collectively those who participate in this project will give out 10,000 of these cards. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that I joined this marathon and am waiting to receive my cards.\nA few days ago, I made up a poster in Piktochart which is something that I\u0026rsquo;m now experimenting with using. Guess what it says - YOU MATTER. If you feel that this is something you could use as a vehicle to reach out to others, please feel free to share.\nIf inspired, you can join the You Matter Marathon here and sign up to receive 30 You Matter cards at no charge! Each week in November, participants will receive an email with card sharing missions, inspiring quotes, and an opportunity to share experiences and connect with each other online.\n\u0026quot; LET\u0026rsquo;S MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE\u0026rsquo;S DAY AND LIFE\u0026quot; ~ Jean Janki Samaroo\n","permalink":"/posts/you-matter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwo words that matter so much!  We all want to feel that we are loved and cherished as we live our days here on this earth. It\u0026rsquo;s very important that we are able to feel and experience this from our nearest and dearest.   But how about extending that beyond that small circle of loved ones.?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was moved by an article that was shared on DailyGood.org called \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;TWO WORDS THAT CAN CHANGE A LIFE.\u0026rdquo;             \u003ca href=\"https://www.dailygood.org/story/1420/two-words-that-can-change-a-life-cheryl-rice/\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e             It resonated so much with me that I downloaded  one of their cards and sent by e-mail to a few people who are near and dear to me.   We really don\u0026rsquo;t know until we try what a difference we can make when we\u0026rsquo;re willing to move beyond our comfort zone.  Cheryl Rice stepped up and stepped out that day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"YOU MATTER"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4608\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;642\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;SENIOR CITIZENS COME FROM ALL WALKS AND TALKS OF LIFE.\u0026rdquo;\n~ Jean Janki Samaroo[/caption]\nOn October 1st which is tomorrow, Seniors are being celebrated in Canada and internationally as well. In Canada, it\u0026rsquo;s called National Seniors Day. October 1st is also designated by the UN as the I_nternational Day of Older Persons_. I\u0026rsquo;m sure many Seniors don\u0026rsquo;t even know about it. Seniors tend to be seen as a \u0026ldquo;dying breed.\u0026rdquo; We all know what happened in long-term care homes during this COVID-19 time. Many Seniors succumbed to the virus. We older persons as a whole have to be very cautious and extra careful these days as the Coronavirus is still very much here.\nMost Seniors are portrayed as frail, wrinkled, dementia-ridden and bordering on useless. This does happen later in people\u0026rsquo;s senior years. Energy and strength ebb. Some people at that time have to go to Nursing Homes and facilities where they can have round-the-clock care. While their bodies are becoming frailer, their spirit and inner awareness could be very strong or becoming stronger.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4609\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;453\u0026rdquo;] None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. ~ Henry David Thoreau[/caption]\nWhile some of this may be true of some Seniors, it isn\u0026rsquo;t true of all. The designated Senior years (receiving pension) are from 65 years of age and upwards. People are living longer these days due to better health care, diet, exercise, and their own self-care and engagement in life.\nFor this National Seniors Day Post, it gives me great joy to share and show that other Senior Citizens are doing different and interesting things. My friend, Merlyne, went to a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic for a nephew\u0026rsquo;s wedding before the Coronavirus. The whole family were staying in a big resort where the wedding took place. This was in Punta Cana.\nHer sons, their spouses and little ones were there. From what she\u0026rsquo;s told me, they were preoccupied with other activities. She decided to join a one-day trip to \u0026ldquo;Swim with the Dolphins\u0026rdquo; somewhere far away from the resort. I don\u0026rsquo;t think that for one moment she ever thought that she was too old to go. Every time she tells me about it, her face lights up and I can tell that was the highlight of her visit to the Dominican Republic.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s good for those of us who are Seniors and those who don\u0026rsquo;t understand this stage of life to have perspectives that are realistic and true. Not all Seniors are retired at 65. Some work well into their seventies because they enjoy working and are in good health to keep doing so. On the other hand, some Seniors are burnt-out or sick long before they reach their Senior years. Many older people die earlier in their Senior years without receiving any pension or living to do the things they might have liked to.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to see Seniors like my friend, Merlyne, who don\u0026rsquo;t sit around and wait for others in order to do things and enjoy life. Many Seniors travel, take courses, teach, volunteer, do Consulting - in fact, many make new strides or find new careers after a lifetime of working at one or several different jobs. Some are involved in more serious activities and others yet choose playful, fun pastimes. No one way is right or wrong. It depends on all the factors that are important at any other stage of life.\nJust like any other stage of life, we\u0026rsquo;re not all at the same place at the same time. It\u0026rsquo;s good that there\u0026rsquo;s recognition of Seniors by different groups and organizations. On the website for Canadian National Seniors Day, you will be able to find out more if you are interested. CARP also has lots of information on their website. There\u0026rsquo;s an online event taking place tomorrow too at which our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, will give a Welcome message.\nFor information on the United Nations International Day of Older Persons, please check their website out too. According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, \u0026ldquo;The world marks the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons as we reckon with the disproportionate and severe impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought on older persons around the world – not only on their health, but on their rights and well-being.\u0026rdquo;\nMy perspectives here may not be in accordance wholly with those of these groups mentioned but I feel they are worth sharing. Between the ages of sixty-five to one hundred years, there are 35 years. Most older persons want to be healthy, happy, and be able to take care of themselves during whatever years they happen to live. Happy National Seniors Day to those in Canada and Happy International Day of Older Persons to the rest of us.\nYEARS MAY WRINKLE THE SKIN, BUT TO GIVE UP ENTHUSIASM WRINKLES THE SOUL. ~ Samuel Ullman\n","permalink":"/posts/national-seniors-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4608\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;642\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/National-seniors-day/i-9p5VBJW/0/LqfZxtMH4dGJfXpC4q6jgBP9R5KxQvwb7HXvDnsP5/D/AFP_8QU76B-scaled-e1601298470879-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/National-seniors-day/i-9p5VBJW/0/LqfZxtMH4dGJfXpC4q6jgBP9R5KxQvwb7HXvDnsP5/D/AFP_8QU76B-scaled-e1601298470879-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e             \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;SENIOR CITIZENS COME FROM ALL WALKS AND TALKS OF LIFE.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                               \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e~ Jean Janki Samaroo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn October 1st which is tomorrow, Seniors are being celebrated in Canada and internationally as well.  In Canada, it\u0026rsquo;s called \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNational Seniors Day\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e.  October 1st is also designated by the UN as the I_\u003cstrong\u003enternational Day of Older Persons\u003c/strong\u003e_.   I\u0026rsquo;m sure many Seniors don\u0026rsquo;t even know about it.   Seniors tend to be seen as a \u0026ldquo;dying breed.\u0026rdquo;  We all know what happened in long-term care homes during this COVID-19 time.  Many Seniors succumbed to the virus. We older persons as a whole have to be very cautious and extra careful these days as the Coronavirus is still very much here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"National Seniors Day"},{"content":"\nSCARED\nI’m scared of this “new” Coronavirus\nI can’t see it, hear it, or feel it.\nSneaky thing – your droplets rest on\nsurfaces when a person coughs, sneezes,\nor exhales. I can’t touch my own nose, eyes,\nor mouth. You’ve made me afraid of people now!\nI’m scared to stand close to anyone lest they breathe\non me. They feel scared to be close to me too. Breathing\nin and breathing out has become something to think about.\nIt was so natural before. My mask protects me and them!\nSometimes it feels very uncomfortable. But, I wear it, stand\nsix feet away, and ask the question “Do I really want to die?”\nI’m scared because you’ve already taken so many world-wide\n– young and old, male and female, rich and poor. You’re no\nrespecter of persons. It’s been so many months since you came\nand you’re still here. We’ve experienced, lock-down, social distancing,\nand halted all our regular activities. Medical people say “we need a\nvaccine.” I agree but I still feel scared!\n~ by Jean Janki Samaroo\nCORONA VIRUS YOU TIRE US\nYou came out of the blue,\nLeaving us defenseless, jobless, and infectious.\nYou’re invisible while masses of us are nervous,\nsuspicious, sleepless, powerless, in your wake.\nThere’s a stillness in our streets,\nOur Universe crutches while our gloved, masked Protectors,\nWork with singleness, steadfastness, rapidness,\nTo squelch your spread.\nDo you have a message for us?\nAre you here on purpose?\nWe vow to practice cleanliness,\nLet go of self-righteousness,\nMake our utterances pure.\nPeacefulness, Placidness, Profoundness, Steadfastness,\nWe’ll embrace.\nCorona Virus, we’ll have a metamorphosis,\nGive us a chance to dance again!\n~ by Jean Janki Samaroo\nA NEW DAY\nWidespread testing,\nConfirmed cases,\nFatality rates,\nLanguage of Coronavirus gone,\nA new day!\nNo more lockdown\nWalking about freely,\nNo more masks,\nBreathing freely,\nA new day!\nSchools open, children playing,\nlearning and growing,\nMums and Dads working, earning,\nand going about daily tasks,\nA new day!\nGoing to movies, concerts, and ball games,\nCelebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and just being together once more\nNothing taken for granted and nobody either,\nA new day!\nWe’ve come through the storm together,\nMourning our losses and grateful for our gains.\nReady to move forward day by day\nDoing the best we can for ourselves and our brother,\nA new day has dawned,\nA new people have been born!\nby Jean Janki Samaroo\n","permalink":"/posts/coronavirus-art-and-poetry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Coronavirus-art-and-poetry/i-cSBThzQ/0/MPWgdZf4GHtZJGX4mggVSPpQ4fqR3fj55cnvxSKCW/D/20200806_233657-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Coronavirus-art-and-poetry/i-cSBThzQ/0/MPWgdZf4GHtZJGX4mggVSPpQ4fqR3fj55cnvxSKCW/D/20200806_233657-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSCARED\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m scared of this “new” Coronavirus\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI can’t see it, hear it, or feel it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSneaky thing – your droplets rest on\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esurfaces when a person coughs, sneezes,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eor exhales. I can’t touch my own nose, eyes,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eor mouth. You’ve made me afraid of people now!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m scared to stand close to anyone lest they breathe\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon me.  They feel scared to be close to me too.  Breathing\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coronavirus  Art and Poetry"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1635\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. ~ William Blake[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that another year has gone by so quickly. It seems that it was just the other day that I turned 70. As the years go by, time seems to go faster. It was a very busy year for me. I decided to get a new kitty after my beloved Cali died. My new cat, Ali, was just 9 weeks old when we brought him home. He was very active and had a way of getting into everything. I was overjoyed to have him but I had to muster lots of energy and stamina to care for my new \u0026ldquo;baby.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4540\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] You take away all the other luxuries in life, and if you can make someone smile and laugh, you have given the most special gift: happiness. ~ Brad Garrett[/caption]\nAfter I turned 70 last July, I felt the need to do something to mark this milestone. In late September, 2019, I decided to put together \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms,\u0026rdquo; the book named after this blog. As a Senior Citizen of many years, I decided to make it an inspirational collection for people like myself. Having written over 200 posts on different topics, a selection of posts, quotes, poetry, and photos had to be carefully chosen for this project.\nAs I worked on Late Blooms, a second project was started to mark this milestone and that was a children\u0026rsquo;s book called \u0026ldquo;Making New Friends.\u0026rdquo; You can read about both projects and view photos and videos at jeanjankisamaroo.com This website was the brainchild of my brother, Ronald Mitra Janki of Simply Spectacular Designs. I\u0026rsquo;m very thrilled with it and there is additional material he plans to put there.\nSome of you have already seen the outcome of \u0026ldquo;Project 70\u0026rdquo; and others have see pictures of them. A project that I thought would take around 3 months (Late Blooms) took the better part of a year. This leads me to my first reflection on time. Expect things to take longer than you anticipated. Learn patience.\nThese projects were not completed alone. I was working with many people on them and I\u0026rsquo;m very grateful to each and everyone. However, many unforeseen situations and challenges came up and had to be dealt with as we went along. My second reflection is that whatever project/projects we may undertake, there\u0026rsquo;s always a steep learning curve. The third reflection is to stay the course. The fourth reflection is that \u0026ldquo;you have to surround yourself with good people who understand your project and why it\u0026rsquo;s important to you. It\u0026rsquo;s their energy , support and understanding that will get you to the end.\nLast, but not least, be grateful for how things turn out. We always want our work /projects to be perfect. I was happy to hold these books in my hands. When I found things that I had overlooked within the book or errors that others made, I was disappointed. I had to remind myself that we\u0026rsquo;re all human and that mistakes will be made. What I/they didn\u0026rsquo;t do this time can always be addressed the next time. We have all learned from this experience and can move on.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4299\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years. ~ Ausonius[/caption]\nWith the Coronavirus in the air since late last year (Wuhan) and for us in this part of the world this year, it\u0026rsquo;s been a trying time. We\u0026rsquo;ve all been learning more and more that \u0026ldquo;we are our brother\u0026rsquo;s keeper.\u0026rdquo; What I do or don\u0026rsquo;t do matters. For many months of my 70th year, I have been immersed in the language and news regarding this virus - as has the rest of the world. Keeping safe has been the top priority. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful that so far I\u0026rsquo;ve been safe and so have friends and family. Others have not been that fortunate and we remember them.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4541\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;248\u0026rdquo;] My own Coronavirus art project[/caption]\nTo reach my 71st Birthday is a privilege and joy. I never expected to live this long. Instead of bemoaning growing older, I\u0026rsquo;ll just say I\u0026rsquo;m lucky to be here in this time, space, and place. I\u0026rsquo;ve always liked Dr. Seuss and I think that his is a good quote to end this post:\nToday you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Dr. Seuss\n","permalink":"/posts/71st-birthday-reflections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1635\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/71st-birthday-reflections/i-GgZGt2d/0/LkHGDZCLX7BMWJNxn9q5PZSpgLwsRsKQ6Kz446923/D/Cherry-Blossom-Angels-for-bio-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cherry-Blossom-Angels-for-bio-1024x576.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. ~ William Blake[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that another year has gone by so quickly.  It seems that it was just the other day that I turned 70.   As the years go by, time seems to go faster.  It was a very busy year for me.  I decided to  get a new kitty after my beloved Cali died.  My new cat, Ali, was just 9 weeks old when we brought him home.  He was very active and had a way of getting into everything.  I was overjoyed to have him but I had to muster lots of energy and stamina to care for my new \u0026ldquo;baby.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"71st Birthday Reflections"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4501\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;929\u0026rdquo;] You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way. ~ Walter Hagen[/caption]\nAs I walked over to the pharmacy yesterday, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist stopping to enjoy the flowers in our condo\u0026rsquo;s garden. I started to admire them long before I got really close to them. When I reached where they were, I stopped and took in all the colours - yellows. whites, and purples. They looked so beautiful, delicate, and sometimes even fragile, but I knew that they could stand up to a strong wind. I didn\u0026rsquo;t smell them though - but I did slow down.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4530\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] Flowers are one of the few things we buy, bring home, watch die, and we don\u0026rsquo;t ask for our money back. ~ George Carlin[/caption]\nThis moment with the flowers brought so much joy to me. Flowers always lift my spirits when I am in their presence. This isn\u0026rsquo;t just my experience. Everyone I know loves being in the presence of flowers and giving and receiving them. They feel overjoyed to have flowers. _\u0026ldquo;Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy, Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.”_Those are the words of Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., a Professor of Psychology at Rutgers. A study was done there on how flowers as part of Nature can boost our emotional health.\nFlowers are very important for emotional health. These days we\u0026rsquo;re fortunate to have a plethora of information about both emotional health and its counterpart,\u0026ldquo;emotional intelligence,\u0026rdquo; to read and learn from. When it comes to the way having a flower or flowers can make us feel, we don\u0026rsquo;t need any book, doctor, or scholar to tell us how good one flower can make us feel. It\u0026rsquo;s an experience we have all had at one time or the other.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4505\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;929\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.\u0026rdquo; ~ Chinese Proverb[/caption]\nI bought the flowers in the photo above one day when I stopped at a small green-grocer\u0026rsquo;s to buy some fruit. It made me very happy to buy them and I knew they would bring joy and happiness to me for days to come. The Chinese proverb above resonates with me because it\u0026rsquo;s not only sustenance for the body that we need. We need to feed what brings joy to our souls and spirits. Flowers have a powerful way of doing this. Whether they\u0026rsquo;re wildflowers, cultivated ones, cut flowers, or arrangements, they all do the same job.\nI\u0026rsquo;m sure that everyone\u0026rsquo;s familiar with the saying, \u0026ldquo;Take time to smell the roses.\u0026rdquo; Flowers give us the opportunity to slow down for just a moment and whether we smell them or not, we\u0026rsquo;re overcome by their beauty. In our busy world and lives, it\u0026rsquo;s good to slow down sometimes. Life is short and it\u0026rsquo;s good to avail ourselves of all those special moments we might miss if we\u0026rsquo;re not taking the time to appreciate them.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4533\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring. (Wise Old Sayings)[/caption]\nDuring this Covid-19 time of social distancing, I saw an ad from a flower shop saying: \u0026ldquo;Give a hug with stems.\u0026rdquo; A flower or a bouquet of flowers feels like a big hug - at least to me. We\u0026rsquo;re lucky that it\u0026rsquo;s the time of year when flowers abound everywhere. You can give someone a big hug or you can give yourself a big hug too. Go and buy a nice bunch of cut flowers for yourself. Let the beauty of Nature nurture you at this time. Better yet, if you have a garden with lots of flowers, you can \u0026ldquo;say it with flowers.\u0026rdquo; How about wildflowers - they are stunningly beautiful too!\nTake Some Time By Leon Hansen\nTake some time to smell the flowers As you walk the path of life. Take some time to ease the tensions From the challenges and strife.\nTake some time to hear the birds sing As they usher in the dawn. Though the day be just emerging, Too soon it will be gone.\nTake some time to watch a sunrise, Now and then a sunset too. Just be sure that seeking pleasure Isn\u0026rsquo;t all you ever do.\nTake some time to count your blessings, Though you feel they\u0026rsquo;re not that great. You will find they\u0026rsquo;re more abundant Than you thought, at any rate.\nTake some time to banish hatred When and where you can. Just detest man\u0026rsquo;s evil ways And not your fellow man.\nTake some time to love your children Every moment you are free. The benefits exceedeth A university degree.\nTake some time to love your neighbor And even more important still, Take some time to love yourself Or not many others will.\nAnd if you don\u0026rsquo;t like that image Of yourself that others see, Take some time to make some changes, Be the best that you can be.\nTake some time to help another Who you think might need a hand. You will find the satisfaction Leaves you feeling sort of grand.\nTake some time to live by virtue In the best way that is known, And respect the rights of others As equal to your own.\nTake some time to just appreciate The fact that you are here, And to know that Higher Power And to trust It without fear.\nIf you do these things with diligence You will eventually be glad. If you don\u0026rsquo;t attempt to do them You may one day wish you had.\nAlthough this no doubt could impose Upon your time for seeking wealth, There should be little question That it could improve your health.\nAnd though you might not be as wealthy Nor drive so fine a car, You\u0026rsquo;ll find you will be richer In other ways by far.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4311\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] “Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities in the world.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/smell-the-roses/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4501\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;929\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Smell-the-roses/i-RRt7RMz/0/LVpdZjfdRn5qp5Dx4kBR8ZnPjX9KxMHtZsHxChGp2/D/20200704_151833-EFFECTS-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Smell-the-roses/i-RRt7RMz/0/LVpdZjfdRn5qp5Dx4kBR8ZnPjX9KxMHtZsHxChGp2/D/20200704_151833-EFFECTS-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way. ~ Walter Hagen\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I walked over to the pharmacy yesterday, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist stopping to enjoy the flowers in our condo\u0026rsquo;s garden.  I started to admire them long before I got really close to them.  When I reached where they were, I stopped and took in all the colours - yellows. whites, and purples.  They looked so beautiful, delicate, and sometimes even fragile, but I knew that they could stand up to a strong wind.  I didn\u0026rsquo;t smell them though - but I did slow down.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Smell the Roses"},{"content":"\nI\u0026rsquo;m happy to be able to share about my two new books with all of you. Turning seventy last July was momentous for me as I had never ever expected to live this long. To celebrate/mark this important milestone in my life, I undertook two projects. The first is a book for Seniors called \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms: Inspiration for Seniors.\u0026rdquo; The second is a children\u0026rsquo;s book called \u0026ldquo;Making New Friends.\u0026rdquo;\nIt could be said that I\u0026rsquo;m taking care of those at both ends of the generational spectrum - the young and the old. With each birthday, I definitely become more aware of the passage of time in my own life and instead of giving in to apathy and boredom, I decided to do something special for my 70th Birthday - a birthday present to myself that I could share with others. \u0026ldquo;Old age is far more than white hair, wrinkles, the feeling that it is too late and the game finished, that the stage belongs to the rising generations. The true evil is not the weakening of the body, but the indifference of the soul.\u0026rdquo; ~ Andre Maurois\nMany of you are regular readers of my blog and there are others from all over the world who pop in to read something that they find of interest. \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms: Inspiration for Seniors,\u0026rdquo; was put together with blog posts from this very blog, photographs, Art Projects, poetry, and a vast collection of quotes. Although my posts cover every conceivable topic, people seem to like those in which I share about Aging and Life and contain quotes and poetry that deal with this time. I thought that having such information in one volume might help Seniors. So far, the response from fellow Seniors has been good.\nWith over 260 published posts, it was hard to choose which ones to use. However, I hope that the ones I chose and the photos, quotes, and poetry, are an inspiration to anyone who comes across this book. Since I live in Canada, both books are listed on Amazon.ca and show that they\u0026rsquo;re in stock. I\u0026rsquo;m hoping to send some inventory to Amazon.com soon. Late Blooms is $22.95 and Making New Friends is $12.00. If any of you buys the book, please don\u0026rsquo;t forget to write a review on Amazon.\n\u0026ldquo;Making New Friends,\u0026rdquo; came about as a result of taking a course on Coursera called \u0026ldquo;Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest.\u0026rdquo; All the authors/teachers I listened to in that course made it seem as though it was easy to write for children. I decided to give it a try. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that I did. I won\u0026rsquo;t fool you about it being easy. It was challenging but fun too. In fact, I was still taking the course when I decided to write a story and publish it. The image below shows the back cover and the four mouse friends eating ice-cream cones.\nI will give you the Amazon description of both books below so that you can read these for yourself. I have donated copies of \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; to a few Senior Centres in the area. Many people have said it would make a good gift. I believe this can be said for \u0026ldquo;Making New Friends\u0026rdquo; as well. Children like to read and look at pictures and I feel that my illustrators (husband and wife) did a great job. Someone from Readers\u0026rsquo; Favorite also wrote a review of Making New Friends which I will share below.\nI would be happy if you could tell your friends, family, and neighbours about these two books. My next book will have to be for those in the middle of life! As my birthday comes around again in a few weeks, I\u0026rsquo;m glad that this project is ready at last.\nAs Catherine Pulsifer wrote: \u0026ldquo;Life isn\u0026rsquo;t about your age. Life is about living. So when your birthday comes be thankful for the year that has just past and anticipate with a happy heart what the coming year will bring.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m doing both things.\nABOUT LATE BLOOMS\n\u0026ldquo;Late Blooms: Inspiration for Seniors,\u0026rdquo; is a book that will speak to the hearts of all those who find themselves at this stage of life. This stage of life is as important as any other stage of life, if not more so. It\u0026rsquo;s written by a Senior for Seniors. The author shares blog posts, excerpts from posts, quotes, poetry, photography, and Art Projects here.\nHer blog \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms,\u0026rdquo; has been widely read by many people from all over the world. People have returned to certain posts on Aging and Life because something resonated with them. Aging and life are important topics as people find themselves growing older.\nThis book was put together for the author\u0026rsquo;s milestone 70th Birthday. It\u0026rsquo;s sure to stimulate thought about life in one\u0026rsquo;s Senior Years. Readers may be inspired by \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; to share some of their own stories, feelings, and projects with others.\nAfter you\u0026rsquo;ve read this book, you will want to share with all your friends. Aging is serious business but this book makes for light, enjoyable reading.\nABOUT MAKING NEW FRIENDS\nThis story about two little mice named Jake and Buddy is sure to delight little ones. One day the mice are feeling particularly lonely and the old routine is just not enough. Jake comes up with a brilliant idea about how they could escape to the cottage with their human family. The story unfolds with how they go about this and have adventure, fun, and find new friends along the way.\nThe themes of loneliness, friendship, and acceptance of those who are different are captured in the story in a fun way. By the end of the story, children are sure to fall In love with Jake and Buddy and their new mouse friends, Chalkie and Ginger. Children will come to understand what it means to be a friend.\nThe illustrations are heart-warming and will appeal to children. The language is simple and after a few readings children are sure to recognize many words. Parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians, are sure to delight in reading this book to and with the little ones in their lives. Don’t miss out on the fun!\nBOOK REVIEW FOR MAKING NEW FRIENDS\nReviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers\u0026rsquo; Favorite\nJake and Buddy are two little mice who are tired of the same old routine. When they discover their human family preparing to go to the cottage for the weekend, they decide to tag along, hiding in the picnic basket on the journey. They eat all the food and sleep all the way to the cottage. When they arrive, the two mice sneak out of the basket and start exploring. They meet new mice friends, Chalkie and Ginger, and they have a grand time. Even though Chalkie and Ginger are a bit different, Jake and Buddy like them and enjoy the shared time together.\nJean Janki Samaroo’s picture book story, Making New Friends, is all about the exhilarating power of friendships. The story is told through the dialogue, primarily between Jake and Buddy, with graphic-like dialogue scattered across the page. However, with the colorful and creative illustrations, the plot develops nicely as the two mice go on their adventure to the cottage and make new friends. They learn that friendships are important and it doesn’t matter if you’re different. Differences make everything so much more interesting. The author uses simple language to make the story readable by a young beginner reader. This is a fun story as well as being encouraging and educational on the true meaning of friendships. Loneliness is also presented as well as clever ideas on how to overcome it. Overall, a charming story.\n","permalink":"/posts/my-new-books/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/My-new-books/i-q7DWPBr/0/KMNfQ7Q2SHTstXdGTrdbXBbtCH4ctzk8PGFCqFSQL/D/smartmockups_kbsraqax-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/smartmockups_kbsraqax-1024x783.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m happy to be able to share about my two new books with all of you. Turning seventy last July was momentous for me as I had never ever expected to live this long.   To celebrate/mark this important milestone in my life, I undertook two projects.  The first is a book for Seniors called \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Late Blooms:  Inspiration for Seniors.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  The second is a children\u0026rsquo;s book called \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Making New Friends.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My New Books"},{"content":"If you\u0026rsquo;re at all like me, it\u0026rsquo;s difficult sometimes to take a break from the constant barrage of Coronavirus news, news of police brutality, widespread racism, Black Lives Matter, climate change, and other issues. Don\u0026rsquo;t get me wrong - these are realities that we have to face and confront and deal with, each in our own way and collectively as members of the human race.\nThe Coronavirus is deadly and so is the virus of hate. We aren\u0026rsquo;t talking \u0026ldquo;survival of the fittest\u0026rdquo; these days. We all want to survive, both the fit and unfit, the old and the young, the black and the white and those in-between. We want to survive with our bodies, minds, and spirits intact.\nThere are many angry and disappointed people around these days. The protests in the U.S. and other parts of the world over the brutal death of George Floyd show that the collective consciousness is growing stronger. What we were silent about before strikes a chord within us now. We want change.\nWe have a right to feel incensed and bitter. We also have to keep hope and courage alive for the challenges ahead. To temper this feeling, here are some quotations and poetry that may serve to inspire hope in all of us. Maybe you don\u0026rsquo;t feel incensed and bitter - hope you enjoy anyways and they bring more joy to your heart.\nYou do not need to know precisely what is happening or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope. ~ Thomas Merton\nThere\u0026rsquo;s nothing \u0026ldquo;ordinary\u0026rdquo; about decency courage under fire, compassion, tenacity, lion-heartededness, and that is what is being called forth in a moment - a deeply mythic moment - like this. ~ Dr. Martin Shaw\n\u0026ldquo;Courage has nothing to do with our determination to be great. It has to do with what we decide in that moment when we are called upon to be more.\u0026rdquo; ~ Rita Dove\n\u0026ldquo;In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment. ~ Maxine Hong Kingston\nDeep trust in life is not a feeling but a stance that you deliberately take. It is the attitude we call courage. ~ Br. David Steindl-Rast\nPeacemaking doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean passivity\u0026hellip;it is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free.\u0026rdquo; ~ Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals\nStart where you are, use what you have, do what you can. ~ Arthur Ashe\n\u0026ldquo;If we remember those times and places where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us energy to act and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. \u0026quot; ~ Howard Zinn\n\u0026ldquo;It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives. Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds.\u0026rdquo; ~ Black Elk\n\u0026ldquo;Faith is taking the first step even when you don\u0026rsquo;t see the whole staircase.\u0026rdquo; ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.\n\u0026ldquo;Only when we\u0026rsquo;re brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.\u0026rdquo; ~ Brene Brown\n\u0026ldquo;Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing.\u0026rdquo; ~ Arundathi Roy\nHope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence. ~ Lin Yutang\n\u0026ldquo;The virus isn\u0026rsquo;t happening to us; it\u0026rsquo;s happening for us.\u0026rdquo; ~ Jack Kornfield\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2344\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Lladro Protective Angel Figurine[/caption]\nWe have to begin to do what\u0026rsquo;s unnatural - that is, to give in the midst of crisis, when everyone is feeling lack and poverty; to love when everyone is angry and judging others; to demonstrate courage and peace when everyone else is in fear; to show kindness when others are displaying hostility and aggression; to surrender to possibility when the rest of the world is aggressively pushing to be first, trying to control outcomes, and fiercely competing in an endless drive to get to the top; to knowingly smile in the face of adversity; and to cultivate the feeling of wholeness when we\u0026rsquo;re diagnosed as sick.\u0026quot; ~ Joe Dispenza\n“It took a modern pandemic to infect the collective attention of the world to remind us of our shared vulnerability and to restore humanity and kindness.” ― Farshad Asl\n“The COVID-19 pandemic is Life\u0026rsquo;s way of slowing us all down. So, let us take a reflective pause and focus on taking care of ourselves and each other! As it is with most inscrutable situations in Life, there is no other way to deal with this crisis, going with the flow is THE way\u0026hellip;!” ― AVIS Viswanathan\nPandemic Lynn Ungar English Spanish Hindi German Romanian French\nWhat if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath \u0026ndash; the most sacred of times? Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling. Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is. Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life. Center down.\nAnd when your body has become still, reach out with your heart. Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful. (You could hardly deny it now.) Know that our lives are in one another’s hands. (Surely, that has come clear.) Do not reach out your hands. Reach out your heart. Reach out your words. Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch.\nPromise this world your love\u0026ndash; for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we all shall live.\nLynn Ungar is a poet, and wrote this poem on March 11, 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n","permalink":"/posts/uplifting-virus-quotes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you\u0026rsquo;re at all like me, it\u0026rsquo;s difficult sometimes to take a break from the constant barrage of Coronavirus news,  news of police brutality, widespread racism, Black Lives Matter, climate change, and other issues.  Don\u0026rsquo;t get me wrong - these are realities that we have to face and confront and deal with, each in our own way and collectively as members of the human race.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Coronavirus is deadly and so is the virus of hate.\u003c/em\u003e  We aren\u0026rsquo;t talking \u0026ldquo;survival of the fittest\u0026rdquo; these days. We all want to survive, both the fit and unfit, the old and the young, the black and the white and those in-between.  We want to survive with our bodies, minds, and spirits intact.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Uplifting Virus Quotes"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3312\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] _Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must \u0026ndash; at that moment \u0026ndash; become the center of the universe. ~ Elie Wiese_l[/caption]\nThe United States has certainly become the place where it\u0026rsquo;s all happening these days. Apart from having the highest number of Coronavirus cases in the world, their other virus has once-again reared its ugly head in a horrendous way. The other virus that I\u0026rsquo;m talking about is Racism. The very people that are supposed to protect the citizenry are the perpetrators of hate, discrimination, and murder. The \u0026ldquo;men in uniform\u0026rdquo; this time were the police.\nGeorge Floyd will be buried next to his mother in Houston today. May his soul rest peacefully. As people in the United States and other countries in the world protest against this injustice that was done to this man\u0026rsquo;s body, soul, and spirit, it\u0026rsquo;s a deeper mourning and grieving that\u0026rsquo;s going on here. The grief for Mr. Floyd is palpable but Americans and others are also grieving for all racial injustices, big and small, that have been done from the beginning of time to this very day.\nThis collective cry that BLACK LIVES MATTER is for people of colour and for all who are oppressed. As a member of a neighbouring country to the United States, we too have had our protests here against this heinous crime. We feel the pain, the grief, and the shame that one member of the human race could treat another with such hate, disdain, and disrespect. With due respect to all the decent, honourable white men and women out there who are kind to all peoples, please permit this one quote.“The white man\u0026rsquo;s happiness cannot be purchased by the black man\u0026rsquo;s misery.” ― Frederick Douglass\nFrederick Douglass (above quote) was born a slave around 1817. After he escaped from slavery in Maryland, he went on to become active in the abolitionist movement. If he was born around 1817, that was 203 years ago when he said those words. It\u0026rsquo;s appalling that even after 200 years, a black person in the United States is killed for being black. Whose happiness did his life depend on?\nSlavery was abolished in the U.S. with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. That was 155 years ago. How many hundreds of years will we need before we can be changed in our hearts to be civil, kind, and decent to another member of the human race, irregardless of colour? When will the birthright of all peoples be lived out in the United States of America? America is famous for its declarations and mottos. I had to take a look back because I knew there was something in there about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.\nDECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (July 4/1776)\nWe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.\u0026ndash;That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, \u0026ndash;That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.\nThe motto of the United States is: \u0026ldquo;In God We Trust.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m just wondering how declarations and mottos can change hearts and minds. Can respect, decency, and goodwill be legislated? What do we as a people need to do within ourselves in order to prevent George Floyd\u0026rsquo;s death from happening again or from having been in vain?\nThese thoughts have come to me today as George\u0026rsquo;s body was put to rest. They\u0026rsquo;re just a way of me dealing with my own shock, grief, and disbelief at our human race and what we can do to each other. Some of Martin Luther King\u0026rsquo;s words came to me and I\u0026rsquo;ll end this post with those:\n“In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3899\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1000\u0026rdquo;] “What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we\u0026rsquo;ve never met.” ~ David Levithan[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/lest-we-forget/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3312\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Lest-we-forget/i-NxRcL3X/0/LJgxZt4HVcHv55BMHXNtLz8fTBkbrm8KkZKjHjzVR/D/DSC03830-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Lest-we-forget/i-NxRcL3X/0/LJgxZt4HVcHv55BMHXNtLz8fTBkbrm8KkZKjHjzVR/D/DSC03830-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e _\u003cstrong\u003eWherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must \u0026ndash; at that moment \u0026ndash; become the center of the universe. ~ Elie Wiese\u003c/strong\u003e_l[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe United States has certainly become the place where it\u0026rsquo;s all happening these days.  Apart from having the highest number of Coronavirus cases in the world, their other virus has once-again reared its ugly head in a horrendous way.  The other virus that I\u0026rsquo;m talking about is Racism.  The very people that are supposed to protect the citizenry are the perpetrators of hate, discrimination, and murder.  The \u0026ldquo;men in uniform\u0026rdquo; this time were the police.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lest We Forget"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3656\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] ’Tis the perception of the beautiful, A fine extension of the faculties, Platonic, universal, wonderful, Drawn from the stars, and filtered through the skies, Without which life would be extremely dull.\n~ Lord Byron[/caption]\nI\u0026rsquo;m sure that there are many instances in life where we\u0026rsquo;re surprised by what we find out about ourselves. At the very beginning of an online course that I took through Coursera, we were assigned to go to the VIA Institute online and do a survey to find out what our character strengths were. I\u0026rsquo;d never heard of the Institute before but was curious to find out what my character strengths might be. I thought that maybe I had a few!\nVIA stands for Values in Action. Based on the answers you provide in the survey, VIA comes up with 24 character strengths. Number one is your top strength and number twenty-four your weakest. Having such a list to work with enables one to feel good about the ones that top the list and work at those on the lower end of the spectrum. My top strength was Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. What a surprise!\nLots of people like beautiful objects, natural surroundings, earth\u0026rsquo;s offerings of fruit and flowers, architectural wonders, and so forth. The Earth\u0026rsquo;s beauty is in itself a wonder to be treasured, experienced, and shared. Stars in the night sky, a beautiful moonlight night, sun rising over the ocean waves, snow-capped mountains, and the list could go on and on. I love beauty whatever form it takes and I like to think that I have a penchant for excellence. As for it being a character strength, that was a first for me.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4479\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see. ~ Albert Einstein[/caption]\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a great sense of joy, awe, and peace when I witness something that appears beautiful to my eyes. My energy increases and I feel moved within the depths of my being. Many others have told me they feel this way. Some of us are nature buffs, others are movie buffs or history buffs - but my particular buff is Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. That\u0026rsquo;s not a bad one, I would say. And isn\u0026rsquo;t that the meaning of life? To find beauty in ourselves, in the world, and in others? ~ _Risa Mickenber_g\nThe 24 strengths fall into 6 broad categories: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. My #1 falls under the virtue category of Transcendence. \u0026ldquo;Appreciation of Beauty \u0026amp; Excellence is a strength within the virtue category of transcendence, one of six virtues that subcategorize the 24 strengths. Transcendence describes strengths that help you connect to the larger universe and provide meaning. The other strengths in Transcendence are appreciation of beauty \u0026amp; excellence , gratitude , hope , humor , and spirituality.\u0026rdquo; (VIA website)\nThe course that I alluded to having taken earlier on was \u0026ldquo;Positive Psychology.\u0026rdquo; Dr. Martin Seligman has been referred to as the \u0026ldquo;father of Positive Psychology.\u0026rdquo; Along with Dr. Christopher Peterson, they created the VIA Character Strengths. They are both distinguished in their own fields and authors as well.\nIn Google, type in Authentic Happiness Website. Once there, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for Questionnaires - you will see the VIA Survey of Character Strengths there.\nHave fun!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4481\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong. ~ Buckminster Fuller, Architect[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/appreciation-of-beauty-and-excellence/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3656\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Appreciation-of-beauty-and-excellence/i-6nVwzJ8/0/Lv34F3VrZh7mHb8txZdFgK5Jhc2vwgjJwwXv6FVCS/D/IMG_2716-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Appreciation-of-beauty-and-excellence/i-6nVwzJ8/0/Lv34F3VrZh7mHb8txZdFgK5Jhc2vwgjJwwXv6FVCS/D/IMG_2716-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e ’Tis the perception of the beautiful, A fine extension of the faculties, Platonic, universal, wonderful, Drawn from the stars, and filtered through the skies, Without which life would be extremely dull.\u003cbr\u003e\n~ Lord Byron[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m sure that there are many instances in life where we\u0026rsquo;re surprised by what we find out about ourselves.   At the very beginning of an online course that I took through Coursera, we were assigned to go to the VIA Institute online and do a survey to find out what our character strengths were.  I\u0026rsquo;d never heard of the Institute before but was curious to find out what my character strengths might be.  I thought that maybe I had a few!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4465\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;987\u0026rdquo;] “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” ― Confucius[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s Easter time once again and we\u0026rsquo;re all having to keep a safe distance from each other. For Christians who are usually immersed in the religious celebrations that mark Easter, this is a difficult time. For those of the secular population who just celebrate Easter as another holiday, it\u0026rsquo;s also hard to be away from family and friends. We have to keep ourselves and others safe though and maybe we can share this Easter in other ways with our loved ones and friends.\nI thought that I would share some YouTube music with you. There\u0026rsquo;s a small section with some Easter music which you might enjoy over this Easter weekend if you\u0026rsquo;re so inclined. Since I\u0026rsquo;m older now, I\u0026rsquo;m not up-to-date with music geared to younger people. Most of the selections here are for older folk. My sincere apologies to the younger generation.\nThis idea only came to me today and I\u0026rsquo;m hoping to add more selections as the days go by. But, for now, hope you enjoy. Happy Easter to one and all!\nWhen words fail music speaks. ~ Irena Huang\nSINGLES\nhttps://youtu.be/M9R6FBEe_10?t=3 The Ten Tenors – “Hallelujah”\nhttps://youtu.be/PGouUmdnGGc?t=2 Connie Francis – “Al Di La”\nhttps://youtu.be/BeJ55sUacPM?t=158 Neil Diamond – “Red, red wine”\nhttps://youtu.be/2ENzT9k1LRs Pat Boone – “Love Letters in the Sand”\nhttps://youtu.be/kIZlNOWwcRU?t=298 Andre Bocelli \u0026amp; Celine Dion “The Prayer”\nhttps://youtu.be/Sf-tjXevlyQ Renée Fleming, soprano · Ion Marin, conductor ·\nBerliner Philharmoniker – “O Mio Babbino Caro”\nhttps://youtu.be/FUnrLMvpQLk?t=1 Amira Willighagen – “Ave Maria”\nhttps://youtu.be/iqjRT7ZQjsc?t=150 Chubby Checker – “Let’s Twist Again”\nhttps://youtu.be/PnGius4F_fg?t=5 Berklee Students – “What the World Needs Now”\nhttps://youtu.be/CDdxXL6fdwA?t=6 Cast of Beautiful - “You’ve Got a Friend”\nALBUMS\nhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/6iTLj0nS6Kc Best Songs (Englebert, Tom Jones, etc.)\nhttps://youtu.be/Zi0H9NGh_R8?t=55 Rock and Roll – Very best Party\nhttps://youtu.be/iqjRT7ZQjsc?t=150 The Platter Greatest Hits\nhttps://youtu.be/WaKmNg_zWJU?t=27 The Greatest Waltzes Ever\nhttps://youtu.be/sKZOkOwqZY4?t=10 Musica Italiana Instrumental\n#ABBA #ABBAGreatestHits #ABBATopSongs\nEASTER\nhttps://youtu.be/MC1Nvn4Bk0Y?t=3 Easter version of Cohen’s “Hallelujah”\nhttps://youtu.be/z07w4848lvA?t=236 Guy Penrod – “The Old Rugged Cross”\nhttps://youtu.be/wv5n_eCGkvM?t=420 Ray Charles \u0026amp; The Voices of Jubilation\n“Oh Happy Day”\nhttps://youtu.be/HsCp5LG_zNE Celtic Woman – “Amazing Grace”\nhttps://youtu.be/jFYSLwMX-yU 2019 Live Easter Concert with the Mormon\nTabernacle Choir: “He is Risen”\n","permalink":"/posts/coronavirus-oldies-for-oldies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4465\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;987\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Coronavirus-oldies-for-oldies/i-hwBmnpb/0/LKT2kcTGJKzv7d7MkQ9WMntW8QWFQCK7R2hpgZ76G/D/20190314_183006-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Coronavirus-oldies-for-oldies/i-hwBmnpb/0/LKT2kcTGJKzv7d7MkQ9WMntW8QWFQCK7R2hpgZ76G/D/20190314_183006-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” ― Confucius\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s Easter time once again and we\u0026rsquo;re all having to keep a safe distance from each other.  For Christians who are usually immersed in the religious celebrations that mark Easter, this is a difficult time.  For those of the secular population who just celebrate Easter as another holiday, it\u0026rsquo;s also hard to be away from family and friends.  We have to keep ourselves and others safe though and maybe we can share this Easter in other ways with our loved ones and friends.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coronavirus Oldies for Oldies"},{"content":" The Coronavirus is uppermost on people\u0026rsquo;s minds these days. We are moved to come to terms with the way it\u0026rsquo;s affecting us by responding in different ways. I felt like writing a poem yesterday and am pleased to share it with you below. It\u0026rsquo;s called \u0026ldquo;Corona Virus You Tire Us.\u0026rdquo; At the same time, I looked to see if there was any other relevant poetry from others that might be meaningful at this time. It\u0026rsquo;s also my pleasure to share these with you.\nCORONA VIRUS YOU TIRE US\nYou came out of the blue,\nLeaving us defenseless, jobless, and infectious.\nYou’re invisible while masses of us are nervous,\nsuspicious, sleepless, powerless, in your wake.\nThere’s a stillness in our streets,\nOur Universe crutches while our gloved, masked Protectors,\nWork with singleness, steadfastness, rapidness,\nTo squelch your spread.\nDo you have a message for us?\nAre you here on purpose?\nWe vow to practice cleanliness,\nLet go of self-righteousness,\nMake our utterances pure.\nPeacefulness, Placidness, Profoundness, Steadfastness,\nWe’ll embrace.\nCorona Virus, we’ll have a metamorphosis,\nGive us a chance to dance again.\nby Jean Janki Samaroo [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3079\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] To walk quietly until the miracle in everything speaks is poetry, whether we write it down or not. ~ Mark Nepo[/caption]\nIn a Time of Distance\nBy Alexander McCall Smith\nThe unexpected always happens in the way The unexpected has always occurred: While we are doing something else, While we are thinking of altogether Different things – matters that events Then show to be every bit as unimportant As our human concerns so often are; And then, with the unexpected upon us, We look at one another with a sort of surprise; How could things possibly turn out this way When we are so competent, so pleased With the elaborate systems we’ve created – Networks and satellites, intelligent machines, Pills for every eventuality – except this one? And so we turn again to face one another And discover those things We had almost forgotten, But that, mercifully, are still there: Love and friendship, not just for those To whom we are closest, but also for those Whom we do not know and of whom Perhaps we have in the past been frightened; The words brother and sister, powerful still, Are brought out, dusted down, Found to be still capable of expressing What we feel for others, that precise concern; Joined together in adversity We discover things we had put aside: Old board games with obscure rules, Books we had been meaning to read, Letters we had intended to write, Things we had thought we might say But for which we never found the time; And from these discoveries of self, of time, There comes a new realisation That we have been in too much of hurry, That we have misused our fragile world, That we have forgotten the claims of others Who have been left behind; We find that out in our seclusion, In our silence; we commit ourselves afresh, We look for a few bars of song That we used to sing together, A long time ago; we give what we can, We wait, knowing that when this is over A lot of us – not all perhaps – but most, Will be slightly different people, And our world, though diminished, Will be much bigger, its beauty revealed afresh.\nAnthony Tao\nCORONAVIRUS IN CHINA\nCoronavirus in the Neighborhood We smiled through facemasks,\nsaid hello with our brows,\nheld open doors\nto remind each other\nwe were still here. Miss Chen the grocer\nwas gone, back to her hometown.\nOld Li the barber was gone,\nalong with his radio. Zhou the locksmith\nonly left a phone number, Min absconded\nwith her cherished regrets, and\nthe Zhang family, who made flatbread,\nnever returned: Gone\nfor the new year, the sign\non their door read.\nThose of us still here\nnodded knowingly, sidestepped\ncouriers zipping down our alleys\non our way to Tang’s noodle shop.\nThe sky is nice, we grunted. The air clean.\nWe were surrounded by kindness that barely\nseemed real. Our throats itched for coal\nand tar. Whatever else we craved,\nof insurrection or speaking truth\nto bureaucracy, whatever small\nbonuses we desired for ourselves\nor ailments we nursed, of anger\nor temperatures, we did it indoors.\nWe pulled our curtains and waited\nuntil the kettle screeched, then said\nexactly what we had always wanted.\nII. Coronavirus in the Streets\nThe viruses had first and last names\nuntil there were too many to count.\nWe grafted masks onto their faces\nand by that point, what did names\nmatter? We locked them in\nboxes, sealed those boxes within\nlarger boxes built in ten days. But\nstill they leaked out into the streets,\nconfused, bumping randomly\ninto people who could not see.\nWatch for them, we whispered,\nbut to us they all looked\nthe same. We practiced saying\nplague, a fun word, and some of us\nwished for it, because why not. Alas,\nit was hard to overcome our hardwiring,\nanimal instinct to survive even\nif we knew we were doomed.\nWe stalked the side alleys with déjà vu\nfeeling we’d done this before, back\nin another lifetime—spying\non neighbors, reporting family,\nmantis arms and wheels of history,\nmisery enforced as baseline.\nIn a way, we are all the same disease.\nTo survive humans, you have to give up\nhumanity—so says the tyrant within.\nOur lungs cracked like sheet ice. Breath\nwhistled through our veins like steam. We searched\nfor sickness, but there was only sharpness, like guilt.\nVI. Coronavirus in the Heart\nWe stopped saying hello.\nWe infected with caprice, infected\nones we love with doubt,\nthose we dislike with conviction;\nwith memories of the gone,\nwhich is an exacting affliction,\nafflicted as we are with the same disease;\nwith misunderstanding,\navoidable if we weren’t simply ourselves;\nwith truth blasted out like a sneeze\nwe’d meant to keep in. We sighed\nin bed, patted the outline of body next to us,\nsoothed by the warm hiss of the shower.\nThe virus was gone, and in those early days\nwe filled its vacuum with energy and humor;\nthen with our sense of what is righteous,\ntrying to infect others. In our purgatory\nwe had learned what was meant by\n“human condition,” and now\nwe wondered what was worth celebrating.\nA triumph for humanity, the news trumpeted\nwhile we questioned if we deserved it.\nWe leaned away from bodies, stopped\nholding doors. We dragged our feet\non office carpets, poured coffee without smelling.\nWe looked mockingly on those still masked,\nforgetting the ways we are infectious.\nWe walked the streets like sorrowful ghosts.\nWith two fingers we rubbed our chest,\nwondering what was missing.\n—from Poets Respond February 23, 2020\n","permalink":"/posts/coronavirus-poetry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Coronavirus is uppermost on people\u0026rsquo;s minds these days.  We are moved to come to terms with the way it\u0026rsquo;s affecting us by responding in different ways.  I felt like writing a poem yesterday and am pleased to share it with you below.  It\u0026rsquo;s called \u0026ldquo;Corona Virus You Tire Us.\u0026rdquo;  At the same time, I looked to see if there was any other relevant poetry from others that might be meaningful at this time.  It\u0026rsquo;s also my pleasure to share these with you.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coronavirus Poetry"},{"content":"I received some great ideas for things to do at home during the Coronavirus. Conscious Life News sent this to me today and I\u0026rsquo;m sharing with you. It\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to see how many cultural institutions are allowing us to enjoy their offerings. So, for you culture buffs, get to work! (See below)\nTheMindUnleashed.com\n(TMU) — Let’s face it: things are looking bad in the world, and if we haven’t already felt the heavy impact of the coronavirus outbreak, we soon will.\nAcross the English-speaking world, public events are being canceled, schools are being closed or placed on an extended vacation, and cultural and art institutions are being shuttered en masse. Professional athletic organizations like the NCAA and MLB are canceling or delaying the start of their seasons, leaving sports fans in the lurch.\nMeanwhile, whole municipal zones are instructing to shelter in place, self-quarantine, and otherwise lie low as authorities grasp at ways to keep the novel virus under control.\nHowever, while we may be stuck at home, cultural institutions, national park services, symphonies, and zoos are now offering stunning virtual tours online, allowing us to enjoy some of humankind’s most amazing artistic and musical achievements from our homes.\nHere are a few cultural “outings” you can enjoy from your computer, tablet, or phone!\nA “Trip” to the Museum Google’s Arts and Culture pages offer no less than 2,500 world-class museums and galleries, where you can peruse the collections of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Whitney Museum in New York City, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and the Tate Modern in London. You can also take a virtual tour of such locales as the Uffizi Galleries. And one cool “feature” of these Google tours is that you can zoom in on the priceless art far closer than you would ever be able to lean into it.\nVarious museums are also offering virtual tours through their websites. This includes the Louvre, which has a breathtaking exhibit in its Egyptian antiquities department; Madrid’s Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, which offers a virtual tour of its Rembrandt and Portraiture in Amsterdam, 1590-1670 exhibit on virtual view; the Vatican Museums, which offer state-of-the-art 360-degree tours of Raphael’s Rooms, the Sistine Chapel, and other attractions; as well as a self-guided tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.\nTake a Guided (Virtual) Tour of U.S. National Parks In partnership with the U.S. National Parks Services, Google’s Arts \u0026amp; Culture pages are also offering a program called “The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks” that will bring the great outdoors to your living room or bedroom. The digital tour includes five national parks, including Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska.\nTake the Kids to a Virtual Aquarium or Zoo The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California may have been closed since March 12, but that’s not stopping it from allowing online visitors from enjoying the everyday life of its aquatic critters. Visitors can see a range of free live camera streams, ranging from their world-famous kelp forest to the jellyfish exhibit, or you can just watch penguins waddle about adorably. Scheduled feeding times will also be shown.\nMeanwhile, at Boston’s New England Aquarium you can also watch feedings, tours, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of operations through scheduled Facebook Live streams.\nThe California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco is also featuring views of penguins as well as their Philippine Coral Reef exhibit, while the Oakland Zoo is offering live views of their elephants, sun bears, and black bears.\nEnjoy a Night Out at the Symphony (Without Dressing Up)! While nothing can substitute a live performance from a symphony orchestra, many are offering live streams of their performances rather than cancel them entirely. Old shows are also being offered for free online.\nThe Philharmonie Berlin, which will remain closed until at least April 19, has opened its digital library of performances to the public, allowing unfettered access to over 600 shows. Just use the code BERLINPHIL by March 31 to get a 30-day all-access pass to the orchestra’s amazing work. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is also live-streaming its performances through YouTube, and while those of us in the Western Hemisphere may not prefer to wake up at 7 p.m. AEDT (or 4 a.m. EDT) to catch a symphony performance, we can still watch replays on the orchestra’s YouTube channel. Make sure to check out their outstanding performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s immortal classic, Scheherazade.\nBy Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com\nROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM\nI also received an e-mail from the Director \u0026amp; CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum, Josh Basseches, today. It is about how you can also access their online collection if you would like. This is part of what he said: \u0026ldquo;Museums play an important role in our lives. In the current period of societal stress, we are being asked to change our ways, but not the qualities that bind us to each other. Now more than ever, art, culture, and nature can lift our spirits, brighten our days and support our wellbeing. With that in mind, I invite you to visit our website to explore the museum and enjoy our robust online collections, as well as follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.\u0026rdquo;\nThe ROM is temporarily closed to the public as of Friday, March 13 at 5:30 pm. \u0026hellip; The ROM\u0026rsquo;s Online Collection opens the Museum to everyone, anywhere in the world. \u0026hellip; With thousands of items currently logged in its database, ROM\u0026rsquo;s Online Collections is an ongoing project to digitally \u0026hellip;\nADDED MARCH 21st\nScholastic is offering free online courses so your kids can keep learning while schools are closed The educational company has launched a \u0026ldquo;Learn at Home\u0026rdquo; website that has daily courses for students from Pre-kindergarten to grades 6 and higher.\nFrom learning about why zebras have stripes to math lessons based on K-Pop stars, Scholastic\u0026rsquo;s learning plans cover all the subjects your student would be taking at school.\ncnn.com The fact is, most of us are going to be spending a lot of time at home. And while nothing can replicate the swell of a live orchestra or the quiet murmur of an art gallery on a Saturday morning, there are countless cultural experiences at your fingertips to make your time indoors more artful and imaginative.\nCNN Style looks at some of the most fascinating, immersive concerts, museum tours and other virtual experiences you can explore from the comfort of your own couch.\nBut first, some tips on enjoying them:\nMake a moment of it. You would schedule time for a museum visit or a concert, right? Do the same for your virtual version. Find a place or time with minimal interruptions so you can get the most out of the experience. Forego extraneous internet browsing or Facebook messenger, and enjoy the art in front of you. This is why livestreams are so great. Of course, you can watch a performance afterward, but if you can, experiencing it in the moment feels more like the real thing.\nClass it up. OK, you don\u0026rsquo;t need to get glammed up (you could, though!). But a little pour of wine or tea and a plate of snacks will help set the mood.\nChoose a theme. If museum jaunts are your thing, plan out your dream art tour across the world, or hone in on a particular history or interest. Or pick a city, like Washington, D.C., and load up all the local cultural experiences you can.\nInvolve the kids. Sure, they may not want to watch \u0026ldquo;Carmen,\u0026rdquo; but plenty of zoos and museums are offering cool programs for kids while they\u0026rsquo;re out of school, like animal spotlights and virtual safaris. (Bonus: No long walk back to the car after your visit.)\n1/20 – 1. Louvre, Paris\nThe Louvre is the world\u0026rsquo;s most-popular museum, according to the 2015 Museum Index released by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM. The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors. Click through the gallery to see the rest of the world\u0026rsquo;s most popular museums. Credit: Watcharee Suphaluxana/Shutterstock\nNow, on to the good stuff, with suggestions. (And remember, these are just a few options in a virtual sea of things to do. Explore, or look up your favorite local cultural landmark to see what online offerings they have.)\nArt galleries Shutterstock\nMusée d\u0026rsquo;Orsay: Paris\nTake in 278 masterpieces here. Our suggestions: Vincent Van Gogh\u0026rsquo;s self portrait, and Éduoard Manet\u0026rsquo;s legendary nude, \u0026ldquo;Olympia.\u0026rdquo; Don\u0026rsquo;t worry about clicking aimlessly, all the pieces have extensive descriptions and notations.\nNational Gallery of Art: Washington, D.C.\nView online exhibits and more than 42,000 works here. Our suggestion: A selection of fashion watercolors from the Index of American Design.\nAlberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images\nHow it\u0026rsquo;s made: Backstage at Tommy Hilfiger\u0026rsquo;s global, celebrity-filled show\nUffizi Gallery: Florence, Italy\nTake a virtual walk through Florence\u0026rsquo;s artistic gem before stopping to admire some of the museum\u0026rsquo;s most famous inhabitants. Our suggestion: Sandro Botticelli\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Birth of Venus,\u0026rdquo; of course. But also, in the tour, don\u0026rsquo;t forget to drag the screen and look up at the beautiful frescoes on the ceiling, painted by Alessandro Allori.\nJohannesburg Art Gallery: Johannesburg\nBrowse more than 500 works from Africa\u0026rsquo;s largest art gallery. Our suggestion: The museum houses plenty of works form Dutch and other European artists, but it also offers an array of works from South African artists. For a more historical angle, browse their online exhibit about the role of photography and resistance in the era of Apartheid.\nPaul Morigi\nNational Portrait Gallery: Washington, D.C.\nThe intimate nature of portraiture makes this museum a particularly great option for a home browse. Our suggestion: Now\u0026rsquo;s the time to take a closer look at the Obama portraits everyone raves about.\nNational Gallery Victoria: Victoria, Melbourne\nAfter a 6-year digitization project, more than 75,000 works from the gallery\u0026rsquo;s collection are available online. Also on offer are free curator-led virtual exhibition tours, which are added to regularly. This weekend visit \u0026lsquo;KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness\u0026rsquo; (from Saturday March 21), and \u0026lsquo;Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines\u0026rsquo; (as of Saturday March 28).\nTate Galleries in the UK are offering downloadable exhibition guides, including for the recently opened Aubrey Beardsley and Andy Warhol exhibitions, and their online collection, featuring nearly 80k artworks is available to all.\nFor more ideas, online art marketplace Artsy have put together a list of other virtual exhibitions and art experiences you can visit.\nMuseums Dan Kitwood/Getty Images\nBritish Museum: London\nExplore a stunning visual timeline of the world, with an array of annotated objects. Our suggestion: This timeline pairs nicely with \u0026ldquo;A History of the World in 100 Objects,\u0026rdquo; a podcast narrated by the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor. (If your ears are craving more, here are some more culture podcasts to enjoy.)\nAfrican American History and Culture: Washington, D.C.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;ve ever wanted to visit an extremely popular museum but couldn\u0026rsquo;t seem to nab tickets, a virtual tour is the next best thing! This one gives you just a taste of what the museum has to offer, and where in the museum each feature is located.\nLucia RM Martino/National Museum of Natural History\nBeyoncé photographer Tyler Mitchell opens first solo show\nSmithsonian Museum of Natural History: Washington, D.C.\nDinosaurs! Snakes in jars! Giant diamonds! This is a good option for kids. Our suggestions: The Ocean Hall, The Hall of Mammals, and the Hall of Fossils. Or, mix it up with minerals.\nRussia\u0026rsquo;s State Hermitage Museum: St. Petersburg, Russia\nGot five hours to kill? Enjoy this extensive video tour of the largest museum in Russia, complete with 45 galleries and 588 artistic masterpieces.\nArt experiences Cathy Carver/Hirshhorn Museum\nKusama\u0026rsquo;s Infinity mirrors\nIf you missed one of the hottest traveling museum exhibits of the past few years, ooh and ahh at a brisk room-by-room rundown of the hypnotic, multi-faceted work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.\nCarl Court/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images\nThe fraught business of removing and selling street art murals\nBanksy Murals around the world\nGo on an artistic treasure hunt \u0026ndash; without the hunt part. With something like street art, it\u0026rsquo;s much more interesting to see the work it its full context, than just through a close-up.\nVan Gogh\u0026rsquo;s Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City\nThese close-up looks at famous paintings are so intense, you may think a docent will start yelling at you. Few paintings are suited to such a treatment than the bold, textured lines of The Starry Night.\nStreet Art tours\nExplore the stories behind street art across the world with audio-guided tours and online exhibitions, offered by the Google Cultural Institute.\nClassical concerts Sun-drenched photos capture the golden age of surfing\nVancouver Symphony\nThe Vancouver Symphony live streamed its final performance from their BeethovenFest, and it\u0026rsquo;s available for your viewing \u0026ndash; and listening \u0026ndash; pleasure any time.\nSean Gallup/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images\nBerlin Philharmonic\nWith a special limited-time code, you can enjoy a treasury of online performances from one of the best orchestras in the world. Our suggestion: You can\u0026rsquo;t go wrong with anything from the trifecta of national B\u0026rsquo;s: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. But Gustav Mahler\u0026rsquo;s second symphony, The Resurrection Symphony, seems apt in these trying time.\nOperas, plays and ballets Royal Opera House: London\nWhen it comes to high culture, don\u0026rsquo;t underestimate YouTube! The Royal Opera House\u0026rsquo;s channel has a selection of some of the top performances from famous operas and ballets, just a click away. Our suggestions: The Caterpillar from Alice\u0026rsquo;s Adventures in Wonderland, and The Dance of the Knights from Prokofiev\u0026rsquo;s Romeo and Juliet, if just for the incredible costumes.\nGetty Images\nCatherine Opie: \u0026lsquo;Beauty has to encompass more about the human condition\u0026rsquo;\nVienna State Opera\nIf you can\u0026rsquo;t be in Vienna, you can at least treat yourself to full streams of some of the Vienna State Opera\u0026rsquo;s latest performances. A reminder, for people who don\u0026rsquo;t like opera: These works are almost always as much a treat for the eyes as much as the ears.\nMetropolitan Opera: New York City\nArts lovers, if appointment viewing is more your thing, the Met is putting on nightly opera streams. But you better not be late! They\u0026rsquo;re only available until 3:30 p.m. ET the next day. And there\u0026rsquo;s something to be said for such ephemerality.\nKathy Willens/AP\nThe Social Distancing Festival\nWant more live streamed arts? A theater artist has created The Social Distancing Festival, which gathers live streams and videos of all different types of performances in one place, on one calendar.\nWhen your first fashion show is a smash hit, how do you follow up?\nCourtesy Matthew Murphy/The Phantom of the Opera\nBroadway shows\nDid you know you can stream broadway shows through Amazon, iTunes, YouTube and other streaming services? You can also check out BroadwayHD,a special streaming service that brings you the greatest from the Great White Way. It\u0026rsquo;s $8.99 a month, but there\u0026rsquo;s a one-month free trial.\nCultural sites The White House: Washington, D.C.\nHang out in the Oval Office? Don\u0026rsquo;t mind if we do! By the way, the online exhibit sections of Google Arts \u0026amp; Culture\u0026rsquo;s offerings are like having your own personal tour guide. Our suggestion: The Virtual Tour of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building will get you acquainted with stunning spaces you\u0026rsquo;ve only ever seen on TV.\nMARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images\nPalace of Versailles: Versailles, France\nExplore one of France\u0026rsquo;s national treasures and all of the Baroque art, architecture and finery within. Our suggestion: Go outside of the palace interior for an early birds-eye-view of the grounds, to get your bearings.\nBeauty and imperfections: The pleasures of painting skin\nThe Prambanan Temple: Yogyakarta, Indonesia\nThere\u0026rsquo;s so much to behold in this iconic, intricate Hindu temple complex. Good thing you\u0026rsquo;re in no rush! Step up to the spires with the arrow marks, and drag your cursor to get a good look at the carvings.\nAFP / Getty Images\nThe Sistine Chapel: Vatican City\nThere are a lot of museum collections to explore on the Vatican\u0026rsquo;s virtual site. But first, go straight to zooming in on all of the detail on the Sistine Chapel.\nZoos and aquariums from Facebook\nThe Cincinnati Zoo\nEvery day while school is out, the Cincinnati Zoo (home of the famous Fiona the hippo), will be hosting a Home Safari on their Facebook Live Feed at 3 p.m. ET. They\u0026rsquo;ll have up-close animal experiences, plus activities to do at home.\nPenguin touring aquarium gives internet much-needed break\n\u0026lsquo;It\u0026rsquo;s urban, but it\u0026rsquo;s beautiful\u0026rsquo;: NYC through the eyes of its favorite photographer\nThe Shedd Aquarium: Chicago, Illinois\nThe Shedd Aquarium has already captured hearts with the antics of its resident penguins, which have been filmed roaming the now-empty halls of the aquarium, looking at all of the other exhibits. But animal lovers will want to follow their Facebook page, too: They\u0026rsquo;re sharing all kinds of behind-the-scenes videos and fun virtual experiences.\nThe San Diego Zoo\nWant to have something fun going on in the background while you\u0026rsquo;re working? Your favorite zoo probably has live cams so you can check in on all the animals. The San Diego Zoo is a great start.\nThe Georgia Aquarium: Atlanta\nThe Georgia Aquarium has live streams, too! And you can pick what animal you want to watch. We\u0026rsquo;re partial to the African Penguins.\n","permalink":"/posts/coronavirus-cultural-offerings/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI received some great ideas for things to do at home during the Coronavirus.  Conscious Life News sent this to me today and I\u0026rsquo;m sharing with you.  It\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to see how many cultural institutions are allowing us to enjoy their offerings.  So, for you culture buffs, get to work!  (See below)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Coronavirus-cultural-offerings/i-zLPJFDv/0/M7GzMggNRRrFt4wmb96GQP4572RfPNWwh6g4wbzfv/D/DSC03907-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Coronavirus-cultural-offerings/i-zLPJFDv/0/M7GzMggNRRrFt4wmb96GQP4572RfPNWwh6g4wbzfv/D/DSC03907-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://themindunleashed.com/2020/03/stuck-indoors-enjoy-these-museums-aquariums-national-parks-zoos-and-symphonies-from-home.html\"\u003eTheMindUnleashed.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(\u003ca href=\"https://themindunleashed.com/\"\u003eTMU\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e — Let’s face it: things are looking bad in the world, and if we haven’t already felt the heavy impact of the coronavirus outbreak, we soon will.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coronavirus Cultural Offerings"},{"content":"You might be wondering what there is to be happy about given the present world situation. Tomorrow is World Happiness Day and also the first day of Spring. Are you starting to feel happy yet?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;960\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; \u0026lsquo;Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another\u0026rsquo;s tears, \u0026lsquo;Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on.\u0026rdquo; (Henry Burton)[/caption]\nSince 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness on March 20th. It recognizes that happiness is important to people around the world. Without the UN setting aside a day for this, we go to great lengths as individuals to live happy lives. Of course, the arrival of Spring is also a time when we rejoice that good weather will soon be coming, flowers will be in bloom, and those glorious days of Summer will soon be here.\nThe UN theme for this year is as the title of this post says \u0026ldquo;Happiness for all, Together. \u0026ldquo; I\u0026rsquo;ll share their ten steps to global happiness below that I hope might brighten your day.\n1. LET’S STICK TOGETHER\nStep 1 is to stick together. We’re all in this together, and we will get through this together. Global unity, collective action, and a joint response to the COVID 19 coronavirus are the key to winning the fight against this global pandemic and threat to humanity. 2. FOLLOW WHO ADVICE.\nStep 2 is to follow the World Health Organization’s advice and guidance. Wash hands, physical distancing, stay at home, avoid large crowds, and let’s work together to #FlattenTheCurve.\n3. VIRTUALLY ATTEND A WORLD HAPPINESS EVENT.\nWORLD HAPPINESS FEST MARCH 16-21\nEVERYWHERE (ONLINE) FROM MADRID, SPAIN\nLEARN MORE\n4. STAY SOCIAL ONLINE\nHappiness is contagious. Step 4 is to stay social online and do what makes you happy! Spread joy around the world on social media while fighting to end COVID 19. Funny videos that make people laugh, while educating about ending the virus are great for step 4. Staying social online is also key to maintaining positive mental health and state of mind while reducing anxiety and stress.\n5. BE KIND, SHARE \u0026amp; SAY THANK YOU.\nStep 5 is to be kind to others, share with those in need, and say thank you. Check on your friends and neighbors, and even on strangers. Share food, supplies, medicine, and other resources with those in need. Say thank you to the healthcare, food, delivery drivers, teachers, and others working overtime and risking their lives on the frontlines of the global crisis to fight the disease, and keep the shelves stocked with supplies, and keep society going.\n6. STAY ACTIVE AND BE MINDFUL.\nStep 6 is to stay active and be mindful. Exercise everyday, meditate, practice mindfulness, and yoga. Staying active and mindful is a great way to spend time at home while reducing anxiety and stress, and boosting your immune system, which in turn, will reduce spread of the virus, and help #FlattenTheCurve.\n7. BE OPTIMISTIC, POSITIVE, AND RESILIENT.\nStep 7 is to be optimistic, positive, and resilient during these challenging times. We will get through this together, and we will win the fight against this global pandemic together. Optimism, positivity, and resilience will be essential to our success in destroying the COVID 19 disease, and global outbreak.\n8. STAY INFORMED ABOUT FACTS AND NEWS\nStep 8 is to stay informed about facts and news regarding the COVID 19 outbreak, and avoid myths. The World Health Organization (WHO) website has great information on how to prevent contagion, stop the disease, and avoid myths.\n9. ENJOY NATURE\nStep 9 is to get outside, enjoy nature, and connect with the environment during this period. This is a great time to take advantage of the extra time by going for a hike, going to the park, visiting lakes and natural sites to get in touch with nature.\n10. ADOPT HAPPYTALISM\nStep 10 is to think about the steps we can take to implement systemic change so this never happens again. Happytalism is just one of several models which respond to the United Nations 2012 call for a New Economic Paradigm, by taking a holistic approach to economic development and all life, and preventing sudden crises such as a global disease pandemic.\nThink about systemic change we can make so this never happens again.\nFor more information on World Happiness Day, visit: happinessday.org\nYou will be able to make a pledge there to create more happiness in the world.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4440\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;562\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.\u0026rdquo; — Anne Frank[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/happiness-for-all-together/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eYou might be wondering what there is to be happy about given the present world situation.  Tomorrow is World Happiness Day and also the first day of Spring. Are you starting to feel happy yet?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;960\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Happiness-for-all-together/i-Jt4pXP3/0/Lm6tnGdhNTVzhZfkbNvxzTHnN8s2FzkZbmjGjMXjG/D/Gratefulness-flowers-landscape-image-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2020/Happiness-for-all-together/i-Jt4pXP3/0/Lm6tnGdhNTVzhZfkbNvxzTHnN8s2FzkZbmjGjMXjG/D/Gratefulness-flowers-landscape-image-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; \u0026lsquo;Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another\u0026rsquo;s tears, \u0026lsquo;Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on.\u0026rdquo; (Henry Burton)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happiness for All, Together"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3629\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] “We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.”\n-Author Unknown[/caption]\nLife has drastically changed these days for people all over the world since the Coronavirus appeared. Every conversation and move we make revolves around this outbreak. From the World Health Organization and other bodies responsible for health down to health authorities in individual communities, we\u0026rsquo;re well-informed about what to do.\nThis post is not in the least bit scientific or medical. Those details are best left to the experts. Any such information on the virus that you need to know is as near as your television or computer screen. You are probably already washing your hands regularly, keeping surfaces clean, and avoiding crowds.\nCOVID-19\u0026rsquo;s first life lesson is that we are all fragile. Irregardless of sexual orientation, country, colour, income, job status, or any other yardstick of measurement, this virus can hit anyone. In this, we are all equal.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s easy when things are going well in our individual worlds and are, so to speak \u0026ldquo;normal,\u0026rdquo; to forget our common humanity. COVID-19 has turned our world upside-down. How will we act or react as humans to this crisis? As Maya Angelou said: \u0026ldquo;During bad circumstances, which is the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that. We are obliged to know we are global citizens. Disasters remind us we are world citizens, whether we like it or not.”\nCOVID-19\u0026rsquo;S second life lesson is the fact that we are \u0026ldquo;our brother\u0026rsquo;s keeper.\u0026rdquo; Whole countries and cities are shut-down in order to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. We are being asked to keep ourselves safe and be mindful of others as well. Many times in life we tend to act as though we\u0026rsquo;re the only ones that exist on this planet. Our goals and our dreams are usually for ourselves and our families. We\u0026rsquo;re doing things differently now.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re self-isolating these days not only to keep ourselves safe but to keep those around us from becoming ill. We don\u0026rsquo;t want this virus to spread. It\u0026rsquo;s brought us face-to-face once again with our interrelatedness. Granted, we\u0026rsquo;re being told to do this.\nThe fact is that most of us are doing it willingly and that\u0026rsquo;s something. What I do affects you and what you do affects me. Thomas Edison, the famous lightbulb guy, who made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing it had this to say about our interrelatedness: \u0026ldquo;To me, the idea and expectation that the day is slowly and surely coming when we will be able to honestly say we are our brother’s keeper and not his oppressor is very beautiful .\u0026rdquo; Let\u0026rsquo;s hope that in these days and long after COVID-19 is just a memory, we will still want to watch out for our brothers and sisters at home and around the world.\nCovid-19\u0026rsquo;s third life lesson is about adapting to change. Lots of the e-mails I\u0026rsquo;ve been receiving lately are from businesses like banks, walk-in clinics, Walmart, the Royal Ontario Museum, the National Ballet, and the like. These are to inform of changes being implemented as a result of the virus. Schools and universities have decided to close in order to keep the students and the staff safe. All over the world, people are making the necessary changes in order to deal or cope with this virus.\nIn our history as a species, we have had the Bubonic Plague, Smallpox, SARS, Ebola, HIV - just to name a few. Many of our brothers and sisters did lose their lives but many survived these diseases. Not all is in our hands but we can live with hope and do whatever we can to listen to our scientists, doctors, and other personnel about the necessary steps we need to take at this time. Charles Darwin famously said: \u0026ldquo;The most important factor in survival is neither intelligence nor strength but adaptability.\u0026rdquo; Let\u0026rsquo;s adapt day by day.\nCovid-19\u0026rsquo;s last life lesson is that we can never take life for granted. In the face of disease, illness, and loss, our perspectives necessarily change. All the material things we strive for and work so hard to get pale in comparison to having life and health. In the present situation, we\u0026rsquo;re living one day at a time.\nPlans for trips have been cancelled. Social gatherings like parties, ball games, theatrical shows, and plain just going for a coffee, are put on hold. We aren\u0026rsquo;t able to move about as freely as we once did. Trying to avoid crowds wasn\u0026rsquo;t something we were concerned about before but it is now. We once took going to these kinds of places for granted. Events were just part of our lives before COVID-19.\nWhat about the people in our lives? We love them but we realize how precious they really are in the light of this virus. Our children and grandchildren will be away from school for several weeks. Who would take care of them if we weren\u0026rsquo;t around? What of our teachers, healthcare workers, and store personnel. Do we ever think of them as important or do we just take them for granted?\nThis brings us to the \u0026ldquo;gratitude\u0026rdquo; word. When we take life for granted, we\u0026rsquo;re not often grateful. This is an opportunity to think about, evaluate, and be grateful for every opportunity and person who blesses our life in some small way. We owe our existence to so many people on a daily basis. Even in the midst of COVID-19, there are lessons to be learned and we can practice gratitude. “This virus will leave us entirely newborn people. We will all be different, none of us will ever be the same again. We will have deeper roots, be made of denser soil, and our eyes will have seen things.” ― C. JoyBell C.\nI believe that there are many lessons to learn at this time and if you have some of your own to share, I would be happy to add them to this list.\n","permalink":"/posts/covid-19-life-lessons/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3629\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/Photo-gallery/Covid-19-life-lessons/i-xNXtnr3/0/L3ftMbbmNzpZfQH9SX7WVps6b5kzrV2W3jVpDRPLV/D/DSC04872-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/DSC04872-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e“We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e-Author Unknown\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife has drastically changed these days for people all over the world since the Coronavirus appeared.  Every conversation and move we make revolves around this outbreak.  From the World Health Organization  and other bodies responsible for health down to health authorities in individual communities, we\u0026rsquo;re well-informed about what to do.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis post is not in the least bit scientific or medical.  Those details are best left to the experts.  Any such information on the virus that you need to know is as near as your television or computer screen.   You are probably already washing your hands regularly, keeping surfaces clean, and avoiding crowds.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"COVID-19 Life Lessons"},{"content":"\n“How much we know and understand ourselves is critically important, but there is something that is even more essential to living a Wholehearted life: loving ourselves.” (Brene Brown)\nWe are self-conscious creatures from birth. Loving ourselves should be the most natural thing in the world one would think. It is sort of expected. Yet, it poses a big problem for most of us. We worry about how we look, how we dress, whether others like us, whether we’re too fat or too thin, whether we fit in, and a host of other things. As a member of the female species, I think that this is truer for women than for men. We just can’t seem to accept and love ourselves for who we are. “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh\nWhat if all those people we think are looking at us and that we have to please aren’t paying much attention to us anyways. What if they are also preoccupied with the same things that we are worrying about. Do we need to be so preoccupied with looking like the people we see in magazines or the TV and movie stars we view? We need to put things in perspective and remind ourselves that those people are paid for the jobs that they do. They are paid to say what they say and to “look good” on the set. Comparing ourselves with “celebrities” or anyone else is a recipe for self-loathing. Let’s love ourselves instead. “The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” ~ C. JoyBell C.\nI am no stranger to people pleasing behaviours, concerns about what others think and say and body issues like being too fat or too thin. For most of my early life, I wanted to be like others who I thought had it all together. This is something that affects all of us. I have yet to meet a person who tells me they are happy with every aspect of their lives or have even used the words, “I love myself” about themselves. It’s so easy to forget the unique people that we all are with the potential for loving ourselves and our neighbour. “There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.” ~Hindu Proverb\nThe well-known saying “Know Thyself” is familiar to most of us. This saying was attributed to Socrates or Plato and is at the entrance to the oracle’s shrine in Delphi. To know oneself or to be self-aware is essential for our personal development. Our feelings, beliefs, and emotions are part and parcel of our very existence. We need to know and understand how they impact our lives. Are we acting or reacting to events in the outside world? What are the outcomes of our behaviour and are they good or bad? E.g. If I’m bossy but am unaware of this behaviour in myself, I will most likely not have many friends.\nKnowing ourselves enables us to make the necessary changes that will lead us to a better life. Many of us go through life unconscious of ourselves. “We have self-centered minds which get us into plenty of trouble. If we do not come to understand the error in the way we think, our self-awareness, which is our greatest blessing, is also our downfall.” ~ Joko Beck\nWhile knowing and understanding ourselves is pivotal to our emotional and all-round growth and development, we need to love ourselves. This will bring us fulfillment. We need to put ourselves in the driver\u0026rsquo;s seat and steer our lives in the direction of greater self-love. So how do we learn to love ourselves? There are many different ways but these eight are some from my own life experience that I\u0026rsquo;m happy to share with you.\nPractice good self-care. Give yourself time to cook and eat well, sleep the number of hours that is right for your age, exercise at least 3 times per week, and do something for your own relaxation every day. Whatever nice gesture you would make to a loved one or good friend, do the same for yourself. I buy flowers for myself because I love flowers. Sometimes I go for a manicure and pedicure. I treat myself to a concert or show that I like on occasion. It makes me feel good.\nSet limits and boundaries with yourself and others. It’s quite alright to say no. It’s not being selfish. It’s not necessary to accept every invitation you receive or to help everyone that you know. You have to prioritize and guard your time very carefully — and also your energy. It’s a way of loving yourself and caring for yourself. When I started doing this, many people were upset. You may come across the same thing. Know what is important to you. Make a list of the needs that you have. Some of the things on my list are the need for quiet time, need to be listened to, need to receive love and care from significant others, need to be able to rely and trust others. It hurts when these needs are unmet. Create some affirmations that are tailored just for you and say them every day. Some of mine are: I deserve to be healthy, happy, and peaceful. I can take good care of myself. I’m learning to forgive myself for my mistakes. I love myself exactly as I am. Practice forgiveness for yourself and others. We all make mistakes and many of us carry guilt and shame about things we have done or left undone. I say to myself: I forgive myself for not doing better. I forgive myself for not knowing better. I forgive myself for being weak. (I insert the name of the person I am forgiving in the place of “myself.” Follow your heart. Pay attention to your dreams. Whatever activity or hobby makes you happy is something you need to pay attention to. You deserve to be happy doing things that bring enjoyment and fulfillment to your life. I started blogging a few years ago and enjoy doing it. I started painting, doing crafts, and making jewelry a few years ago and enjoy the time spent doing these. I go to the Casino once or twice a month with a friend and enjoy the company, show, and food whenever I go there. I feel good about myself when I choose how I spend my time. Practice mindfulness. Live in the moment. The past is gone and the future hasn’t come. Enjoy whatever it is that you’re doing and be present with whoever you happen to be with. If you’re eating an apple or a slice of your favourite chocolate cake, savour the taste. If you’re having a cup of coffee or glass of wine, smell it and enjoy the scent. If you’re watching a beautiful sunset or a new shoot coming up in the springtime, enjoy Nature. I enjoy beautiful sunsets several times a week where I live and I feel they are one of the greatest pleasures of my present life. I wasn’t always like this. Be grateful. To wake up every day and be able to go about one’s daily activities is a blessing. To have friends and family is a blessing. To have sunshine and changing weather is a blessing. To have food to eat and housing is a blessing. Whatever it is that surrounds you and that you feel grateful for puts you in a different frame of mind. You see how fortunate you really are. A daily gratitude practice does wonders for your frame of mind and your mood. I have a friend who tells me that she shouts to herself several times a day: “I am alive. I am alive.” (She lives alone) It is my hope that you find some of these suggestions useful as you journey to greater and greater self-love. It’s a journey that has to be taken step by step along the way. It’s hard work and takes time. There’s no magic wand that we can wave that will get us there. Enjoy the journey! Live the life you want to live.\nDon’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself — no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are — completely; the good and the bad — and make changes as YOU see fit — not because you think someone else wants you to be different. — Stacey Charter\nNOTE\nPreviously published on Medium - March 6/2018\n","permalink":"/posts/greater-self-love/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2019/Greater-self-love/i-WfNG9Rk/0/LhHtX8Dqg6DqGGxv7zBQTPW2P47x2WscsM4SxzCHz/D/Greater-Self-Love-Image-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Greater-Self-Love-Image-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“How much we know and understand ourselves is critically important, but there is something that is even more essential to living a Wholehearted life: loving ourselves.” (Brene Brown)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are self-conscious creatures from birth. Loving ourselves should be the most natural thing in the world one would think. It is sort of expected. Yet, it poses a big problem for most of us. We worry about how we look, how we dress, whether others like us, whether we’re too fat or too thin, whether we fit in, and a host of other things. As a member of the female species, I think that this is truer for women than for men. We just can’t seem to accept and love ourselves for who we are. \u003cstrong\u003e“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Greater Self-Love"},{"content":"\nWhat path are you following? There are so many options and choices to be made in life with regard to the “right” path. Is there a right path, one might ask? My own life experience tells me that the path is wide open and there is no absolutely right one. There are different wisdom traditions and different schools of thought a person might pursue or follow in life. The “right” path is one that has meaning for the individual involved and leads that person to live a better life. What is the right path for you is certainly not the right path for me. Don’t compare your path with anybody’s else’s. Your path is unique to you. Whatever path you take, it’s God calling you. - Ram Dass\nThis “path” that we might take is part and parcel of our journey here on earth. Whether we’re actively immersed in or pursuing a path, we’re all Seekers. We all want to know how we can best live this life we’re given. While we’re seeking, we’re also learning and changing. The questions we have at an earlier stage of life are diferent to those we have later on. The reason is that we have changed over time. What is for sure is that we all have questions. When it comes to spiritual truth, how can we know that we are on the right path? One way is by asking the right questions — the kind that help us ponder our progress and evaluate how things are working for us. — Dieter F. Uchtdorf\nPersonally, I followed the path that was set out for me by my parents and society. There was nothing intrinsically wrong with their path except that I didn’t know anything else. I’m more open to the paths others are taking and my journey has become a journey of exploration now.\nI am going out of my way to find out about the paths and journeys others are taking. It allows me to get closer to others who share different beliefs and ways of thinking and opens up space for dialogue. I realize that the only thing we all really possess are the values and guidelines we follow on this precious, precarious path, called life. “When you are living your life according to your values, you are being true to yourself and others. There is congruence between what you think, what you say, and what you do.” ―Ruthann M. Wilson, Be True to You: A Practical Guide to Pursuing an Authentic Path. Following a spiritual path doesn’t produce the kind of “success” that we normally think of when that word comes to mind. Our bank accounts may remain the same. We may not get that bigger house. The promotion we had hoped for may not materialize at all. Our family life may bear no resemblance to those families in glossy magazines who appear to be perfect as they luxuriate in affluence. I am discovering that it boils down to living out our own truth and learning to love our neighbour as ourselves. It’s definitely about having less rather than more. Stuff is not passive. Stuff wants your time, attention, allegiance. But you know it as well as I do, life is more important than the things we accumulate. –Dave Bruno\nIn my sixty-eight years of life, I have yet to hear about a system, belief, or path that teaches how to be “bad.” We’re all familiar with the Golden Rule in one form or the other . “Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.” The equation here is not only about ourselves but about others. It’s about unselfishness, honesty, trustworthiness, kindness and love, to name a few qualities. The spiritual quest is not some added benefit to our life, something you embark on if you have the time and inclination. We are spiritual beings on an earthly journey. Our spirituality makes up our beingness. — John Bradshaw\nThe Golden Rule is adhered to by others on different paths. They use different words to describe the same thing. A few examples of this follow:\nWe should conduct ourselves toward others as we would have them act toward us. (Aristotle, 384 BCE) “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” (Buddhism) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Christianity) “T****ry your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.” (Confucianism) “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.” (Judaism) “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desi****res for himself.” (Islam) “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” (Taoism) It is evident from these examples of the Golden Rule that all paths require that we value and love ourselves first and extend this love and value to our fellowman. We all share the same humanity and as such are working hard to overcome selfishness, greed, envy, anger, hate, pride, laziness, carelessness, and the like. We aren’t perfect people and whatever path we take requires work. “Man is not a being who stands still, he is a being in the process of becoming. The more he enables himself to become, the more he fulfills his true mission.” — Rudolph Steiner\nTo see if the path we’re on has brought us joy, peace of mind, and a more loving way of relating to ourselves and others, we can ask certain questions. One of my favourite authors puts it clearly and succinctly. Jack Kornfield, a best-selling author and teacher of Vipassana Meditation (Buddhist) wrote “A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life. It is an excellent book and worth a read. He says there: “When we ask it about our current path, we must look at the values we have chosen to live by. Where do we put our time, our strength, our creativity, our love? We must look at our life without sentimentality, exaggeration, or idealism. Does what we are choosing reflect what we most deeply value?”\nI like this evaluation of a path and feel that our values and our input determine whatever path we happen to be pursuing. What we put into the journey is what we will get out of it. Our choices matter.\nNOTE: Previously published in Medium, Dec. 29/2017\n","permalink":"/posts/right-path-wrong-path/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Right-path-wrong-path/i-6cd45Wz/0/LzGGMcfKXPMxZRbCXqPMDsmxgrgs64WnpZQFfpf97/D/IMG_1447-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/IMG_1447-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat path are you following? There are so many options and choices to be made in life with regard to the “right” path. Is there a right path, one might ask? My own life experience tells me that the path is wide open and there is no absolutely right one. There are different wisdom traditions and different schools of thought a person might pursue or follow in life. The “right” path is one that has meaning for the individual involved and leads that person to live a better life. What is the right path for you is certainly not the right path for me. \u003cstrong\u003eDon’t compare your path with anybody’s else’s. Your path is unique to you. Whatever path you take, it’s God calling you. - Ram Dass\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Right Path/Wrong Path?"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4351\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] This should have read \u0026ldquo;Leave A Little Sparkle Behind Wherever You Go.\u0026rdquo;\nHowever, I would have needed a larger canvas for that.[/caption]\nMany people don\u0026rsquo;t live to see their 70th birthdays. I\u0026rsquo;m one of the lucky ones you might say. We do become more reflective as we age and this birthday finds me looking back over the years. You may ask what has living all these years brought my way? Surely, it\u0026rsquo;s brought what life brings to everyone of us - ups and downs, joys and sorrows, good and bad experiences, and so much more along the way.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4339\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;538\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.\u0026rdquo; ~ Diane Ackerman[/caption]\nThis chapter of life is challenging because it\u0026rsquo;s the last one. While there have been challenges all along life\u0026rsquo;s path, this one comes with the regular challenges, as well as health challenges for many. Just last week, my doctor told me that knee replacement surgery may be necessary for me down the road. While this isn\u0026rsquo;t good news, I\u0026rsquo;m fortunate that technology has made this procedure somewhat routine nowadays. My perspective has had to change. I view my legs and my body with a wealth of gratitude that I never had before.\n“There are things I can’t force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.” —Denis Diderot\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4341\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Change is inevitable, but transformation is by conscious choice.\u0026rdquo; ~ Heather Ash Amara[/caption]\nFeeling grateful is a big part of the ripening that we experience as the years go by. We\u0026rsquo;ve been places, done things, been in and out of love, experienced the value of family and friendships and gained wisdom along the way. Even when I have experienced tragedy and loss in my life, there were others who stood by me and seemed to carry me along. These people have been there for me and may be the reason that I\u0026rsquo;m celebrating 70 years now. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for the big and little things in my life - from little wayside flowers to 70th birthdays.\n“We don’t grow older, we grow riper.” ~Pablo Picasso\nFor many seniors, retirement from working life comes with a feeling of uselessness. This is due to the value system our society holds that equates success with work. There\u0026rsquo;s no need to feel that way though - we\u0026rsquo;ve put in our time the way society taught us to. This time of life is not about position, money, and worldly possessions. Been there , done that. Now is our time to make the last years our best years. We can choose to do as little as we want or as much as we want. The choice is ours.\n“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.” ~ J.M. Barrie\nPersonally, thus far, retirement has been a time to get to know myself better. There\u0026rsquo;s a lot more time for \u0026ldquo;being\u0026rdquo; and discovery. I have been fortunate to do some writing and sharing through \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms.\u0026rdquo; I have taken many photos in many places and consider myself to be somewhat a photographer. Volunteering as a server at lunch in a Seniors Building opened new vistas and opportunities for me. I was able to meet some awesome people while serving them. They showed me by their example how to enjoy one\u0026rsquo;s senior years.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4342\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.\u0026rdquo; ~ Henri Frederic Amiel[/caption]\nHelping an 8 year old with his reading and writing through a \u0026ldquo;Leading to Reading\u0026rdquo; program is also rewarding and enriching for me. I have come to know the whole family which is a blessing in itself. In my early retirement years, I also volunteered to teach English at Romero House - a centre for refugees. Each and every opportunity for serving in the community has brought much personal growth and meaning to my life.\n\u0026ldquo;We need to come to understand to the center of our souls that age is not a disease. It is a new experience in how to live life, how to milk it dry of goodness, of energy, of gratitude, of calm and quiet creativity.\u0026rdquo; ~ Joan Chittister\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4343\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.\u0026rdquo; ~ T.S. Eliot[/caption]\nAnother wonderful experience for me has been taking up artistic pursuits. I\u0026rsquo;ve had the opportunity to do mosaics with ceramics and stained glass, painting, and even tried my hand at pottery. Some of my art work and photography has even been displayed in the condo building, along with that of others. Our Art Gallery is called \u0026ldquo;Gallery 50.\u0026rdquo;\nLife is full of surprises! I never ever expected to be called an artist. However, one day when I was coming out of the elevator, I met a beautifully dressed lady entering, and told her how beautiful her dress was. She said: \u0026ldquo;Are you Jean?\u0026rdquo; I said \u0026ldquo;yes.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;You\u0026rsquo;re the artist\u0026rdquo; she stated. I heard myself saying I was one of them. Many others in the building ask me about my art work. In the afternoon of life, we can surprise even ourselves by taking on a different identity.\n“A human being would certainly not grow to be 70 or 80 years old if this longevity had no meaning for the species to which he belongs. The afternoon of human life must also have a significance of its own and cannot be merely a pitiful appendage to life’s morning.” ~ Carl Jung\nShortly before I retired, I learned to play the accordian and was able to play my whole repertoire of songs in many different situations while still working. For many years after my retirement, I also enjoyed playing both at home and for others. After retirement, the one experience that meant the most to me was when I played at West Park Hospital, Toronto, and some of the staff and the volunteers danced. Patients got very excited too. Although I was a novice player, that day I felt like a \u0026ldquo;diva.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4347\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Our attitudes are the crayons that color our world.\u0026rdquo; ~ Allen Klein[/caption]\nAnother significant occasion for me with my accordion was when I played at a friend\u0026rsquo;s birthday party and some people danced. This was a friend I had made during the time I was volunteering at the Senior\u0026rsquo;s Centre. I heard from another person who was present that she said that was one of her best birthdays. On these occasions mentioned and on others , it was a giving of myself that made them special and also how my gift was received.\n\u0026ldquo;Giving of ourselves, sharing our gift, is what lifts us. The tricky part is, none of us knows exactly how we will impart the gift we have to give: what kind word we speak, what song we sing, which hug we give will be the one that touches another soul.\u0026rdquo; ~ Laya Saul\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4345\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] A Visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the preeminent pilgrimage site of Sikhism.[/caption]\nLike at every other stage of life, the only constant is change. I have changed in my likes and dislikes. What I pursued in my youth, no longer has the same appeal for me now. Added to that, I may no longer be physically able to participate in some activities. I can dance, but not all night, as I was able to do as a teenager. The same goes for other interests and may not be for physical reasons at all. I have just outgrown certain things, and sometimes certain people. I treasure my time with others but also enjoy my solitude.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4346\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;799\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;in youth we learn, in age we understand.\u0026rdquo; ~ Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach[/caption]\nWe have to decide to \u0026ldquo;be.\u0026rdquo; To be content, happy, live a meaningful life, make a small contribution to the society and world we live in, are all conscious choices. I\u0026rsquo;m endeavouring to do this in whatever way I can for as long as I\u0026rsquo;m able to. If I never had the time before to get in touch with who I am, this is the time. It\u0026rsquo;s a journey of discovery. I realize that getting to be 70 is more than about the years lived. It\u0026rsquo;s about what those years have been filled with and what plans I have for the years to come. My life isn\u0026rsquo;t over yet.\n“With age comes the inner, the higher life. Who would be forever young, to dwell always in externals?” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton\nMy favourite birthday card (above) came from an old high-school friend and was unlike the other cards around turning 70. It says: 70 Colorful Years! Inside it reads,\nThe years you\u0026rsquo;ve lived, the way you\u0026rsquo;ve lived them\u0026hellip;\nAll of it could only add up to one thing, and that\u0026rsquo;s the vibrant\none-of-a-kind person you are today.\nI like coloring, working with paints of different colors, arranging flowers of different colors and decorating with different colors. At 70, I want to think that my life has been colorful.\n\u0026ldquo;The first forty years of our life give the text, the next thirty furnish the commentary upon it, which enables us rightly to understand the true meaning and connection of the text with its moral and its beauties.\u0026rdquo; ~ Schopenhauer\nFor 70 years, I\u0026rsquo;ve experienced all the ages and stages before this one. I\u0026rsquo;ve been part of the dynamic processes that make up life\u0026rsquo;s journey. Just as a newborn baby grows and changes everyday, so change takes place in us every day as we grow older. Growth changes are subtle and oftentimes slow. I can hardly believe it myself when something that I was able to do effortlessly suddenly becomes a challenge.\nI am often frustrated with myself before reminding myself that this is a different stage of the game. Being gentle with myself is what\u0026rsquo;s called for here. I\u0026rsquo;m still here and can adjust and make the necessary changes. As Epictetus said many years ago, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” I\u0026rsquo;m trying to follow this advice.\nAs long as I\u0026rsquo;m still looking forward to adventuring and learning, I believe this decade will be good_._ Age doesn\u0026rsquo;t change the things we like to do - it just changes how we do them. Easy does it!\n“Time ripens all things; no man is born wise.” ― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4348\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Life is like a collage. Its individual pieces are arranged to create harmony. Appreciate the artwork of your life.” ~ Amy Leigh Mercree\n[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/ripened-experience-70-colorful-years/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4351\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2019/Ripened-experience-70-colorful-years/i-ttrSjtV/0/LPT3dKhqfQ6Lt5mmsQjcSmCDFBBdGjKxj8X376Cg5/D/20181102_102605-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2019/Ripened-experience-70-colorful-years/i-ttrSjtV/0/LPT3dKhqfQ6Lt5mmsQjcSmCDFBBdGjKxj8X376Cg5/D/20181102_102605-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e This should have read \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Leave A Little Sparkle Behind Wherever You Go.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nHowever, I would have needed a larger canvas for that.[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people don\u0026rsquo;t live to see their 70th birthdays.  I\u0026rsquo;m one of the lucky ones you might say.   We do become more reflective as we age and this birthday finds me looking back over the years.  You may ask what has living all these years brought my way?   Surely, it\u0026rsquo;s brought what life brings to everyone of  us - ups and downs,  joys and sorrows,  good and bad experiences, and so much more along the way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ripened Experience: 70 Colorful Years"},{"content":"\nParenting is one of those jobs that most of us don\u0026rsquo;t have a clue about until we have our first child. Somehow we feel that we will know what to do \u0026ldquo;naturally.\u0026rdquo; In some ways this may be true, but in others, it is absolutely false. Some mothers, for example, take to breast feeding quite easily. Others have to be taught about getting the baby \u0026ldquo;latched on\u0026rdquo; the right way. Others yet just choose to bottle-feed.\nJust as there are many ways to feed, so there are many ways to raise a child and to be a parent. Parenting styles differ and parents are all different personalities. Even the best parents make mistakes and we\u0026rsquo;re not as patient, understanding, and tolerant as we sometimes might like to be. Some of us have gentle ways and some of us are demanding. As I look back at my parenting, I regret that I didn\u0026rsquo;t consciously go about learning skills on how to be a good parent before my child was born.\nScientific American Mind, had an article called \u0026ldquo;What Makes A Good Parent,\u0026rdquo; by well-known psychologist, Robert Epstein, in its November, 2010 issue. Here are 10 essential parenting skills listed in that article. It may be helpful to new parents on the look-out for information.\nLove and affection. \u0026ldquo;You support and accept the child, are physically affectionate, and spend quality one-on-one time together.\u0026rdquo; Stress Management. \u0026ldquo;You take steps to reduce stress for yourself and your child, practice relaxation techniques, and promote positive interpretations of events.\u0026rdquo; Relationship skills. \u0026ldquo;You maintain a healthy relationship with your spouse, significant o ther, or co-parent and model effective relationship skills with others.\u0026rdquo; Autonomy and Independence. \u0026ldquo;You treat your child with respect and encourage him or her to become self-sufficient and self-reliant.\u0026rdquo; Education and learning. \u0026ldquo;You promote and model learning and provide educational opportunities for your child.\u0026rdquo; Life skills. \u0026ldquo;You provide for your child, have a steady income, and plan for the future.\u0026rdquo; Behavior management. \u0026ldquo;You make extensive use of positive reinforcement and punish only when other methods of managing behavior have failed.\u0026rdquo; Health. \u0026ldquo;You model a healthy lifestyle and good habits, such as regular exercise and proper nutrition.\u0026rdquo; Religion. \u0026ldquo;You support spiritual or religious development and participate in spiritual or religious activities.\u0026rdquo; Safety. \u0026ldquo;You take precautions to protect your child and maintain awareness of the child\u0026rsquo;s activities and friends.\u0026rdquo; It\u0026rsquo;s a good list that covers many important aspects of life and learning and since I\u0026rsquo;m not a parenting authority, I thought it would be a good addition to this post. Below are ten quotes on parenting that, in my opinion, are the best ones.\n1. “There are many times as a parent when you realize that your job is not to be the parent you always imagined you\u0026rsquo;d be, the parent you always wished you had. Your job is to be the parent your child needs, given the particulars of his or her own life and nature.”― Ayelet Waldman 2. I learned that life is about the people around you and the people you give back to. That’s what parenting is: You’re not there for yourself; you’re there for your offspring and everyone else around you. – Conrad Anker\n3. For me, conscious parenting is staying attuned to your child, being really open and in the moment. It means staying as present as possible in your own breath for the betterment of your whole family. ~ Anna Getty\n4. “Fathers and mothers have lost the idea that the highest aspiration they might have for their children is for them to be wise\u0026mdash;-as priests, prophets or philosophers are wise. Specialized competence and success are all that they can imagine.”― Allan Bloom\n5. “We must return to optimism in our parenting. To focus on the joys, not the hassles; the love, not the disappointments; the common sense, not the complexities.” ― Fred G. Gosman\n6. Children do not enter this world with bad intentions. The do not come to wear us out, test our patience, or push us over the edge. They come to us with a need for love, connection, and belonging. - Rebecca Eanes\n7. We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself; this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit.” Maria\nMontessori, Education for a New World 8. Parenting has nothing to do with perfection. Perfection isn’t even the goal, not for us, not for our children. Learning together to live well in an imperfect world, loving each other despite or even because of our imperfections, and growing as humans while we grow our little humans, those are the goals of gentle parenting. So don’t ask yourself at the end of the day if you did everything right. Ask yourself what you learned and how well you loved, then grow from your answer. That is perfect parenting.” L.R. Knost\n9. “It\u0026rsquo;s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can\u0026rsquo;t tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.” ― Joyce Maynard\n10. Too much love never spoils children. Children become spoiled when we substitute ‘presents’ for presence – Anthony Witham\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4289\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Sisters hugging their new baby brother[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/ten-best-parenting-quotes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lladro-Figurines-Mother-to-be1-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lladro-Figurines-Mother-to-be1-1024x588-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParenting is one of those jobs that most of us don\u0026rsquo;t have a clue about until we have our first child.  Somehow we feel that we will know what to do \u0026ldquo;naturally.\u0026rdquo; In some ways this may be true,  but in others, it is absolutely false.  Some mothers, for example, take to breast feeding quite easily.  Others have to be taught about getting the baby \u0026ldquo;latched on\u0026rdquo; the right way.  Others yet just choose to bottle-feed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ten Best Parenting Quotes"},{"content":"To make anything of beauty, it takes time, effort, and work. When I was much younger, it was harder to see how interconnected life really was and derive all of what that meant. Somehow, individualism and independence caused me to shy away or misunderstand that every facet or thread in the weave of life matters. What I didn\u0026rsquo;t know is that it takes a whole lifetime for a tapestry of beauty to unfold where life is concerned. But I know now. \u0026ldquo;We don\u0026rsquo;t accomplish anything in this world alone\u0026hellip; and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one\u0026rsquo;s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that create something.\u0026rdquo; ~ Sandra Day O\u0026rsquo;Connor\nAs I began the journey, there was a young \u0026ldquo;self\u0026rdquo; that didn\u0026rsquo;t know better and didn\u0026rsquo;t have life experience - the one that made all the mistakes. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how to have boundaries around my time, space, and person. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how to say \u0026ldquo;no\u0026rdquo; for fear of offending others, and I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how to love and take care of myself. It was easier for me to take care of others and neglect my own needs. I\u0026rsquo;m learning to forgive and befriend that self.\n\u0026ldquo;Healthy boundaries are not walls. They are gates and fences that allow you to enjoy the beauty of your own garden.\u0026rdquo; ~ Lydia Hall\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a \u0026ldquo;better self\u0026rdquo; that has emerged - one with experience and a little bit of wisdom and understanding of the journey. That better self knows that self-love and self-care are important. It\u0026rsquo;s weaving those threads into the fabric of this \u0026ldquo;better\u0026rdquo; tapestry. It has learned that a selfish, hedonistic existence, is no life at all. It knows that when mistakes are made, it is wise to take the learning and move on. It understands that there are life lessons that come out of every experience and that those lessons continue until the end of the journey.\n“As I look back at the entire tapestry of my life, I can see from the perspective of the present moment that every aspect of my life was necessary and perfect. Each step eventually led to a higher place, even though these steps often felt like obstacles or painful experiences.” — Wayne Dyer\nThe \u0026ldquo;best self\u0026rdquo; is struggling to emerge and grow. It has to be gentle with itself and use all the learning, tools, and available resources, for that beautiful design to show through. Like everyone else, I don\u0026rsquo;t want to come to the end of my life and feel that I hadn\u0026rsquo;t learned anything or changed in any way. Even if it\u0026rsquo;s just a small difference, we all want to feel that our being here brought some good - that our own individual tapestry is beautiful and that we\u0026rsquo;ve added some beauty to the Universal tapestry as well.\n\u0026ldquo;The tapestry of life continues to be woven. Occasionally a chance arises to repair an older, tattered piece of the weave. Something happens to jolt our awareness back in time to an event that resulted in tears and rips. With new, more mature vision, we see the circumstances in present time and have compassion for the unclear events of the past. While the new experience is being woven into the design, the old rip is simultaneously being repaired. All is well. ~ Bessie Senette\nAs a woman in my seventies, I have to say that I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for all the experiences and learning in my life thus far. There\u0026rsquo;s a coming to terms with life that one must do as one ages. Like so many other lives, my own is not perfect. It would have been good if I had known certain things that I know now when I was younger. My tapestry would have been woven more easily and been beautiful earlier. This is not the way life works though.\nOne thing I do know is that even when there are ups and downs, achy muscles and painful knees, and days when low energy and weakness is felt, each day is a chance to learn and grow in some way. Attitudes, ideas and choices matter. It\u0026rsquo;s the willingness to learn new things and expand my horizons that opens up new possibilities and experiences. The tapestry of my life is an ongoing work. It\u0026rsquo;s not easy because it requires time, patience, and commitment.\nI was just reading today that when Michelangelo was commissioned by the Medicis to create a statue for the main square in Florence, it took him two years to find a slab of marble from which he would carve his masterpiece. It also took him two years of work to create the rough outline of the statue and an additional two years were spent polishing and sanding before the work was complete. That was just for a statue. Creating a beautiful life must surely be worth all the work and the effort.\n\u0026ldquo;As we weave the tapestries of our lives, we gradually begin to see our designs from a wider angle of years. We may or may not be pleased with what we see. Yet, no design\u0026ndash;not in the living world\u0026ndash;is carved in stone. We have the gift of free will to change our designs as we wish. We are each a thread in the tapestry of our human family. Our outcome is woven of endless possibilities, because we can choose from a universe of endless possibilities. Every person can make a difference. Each thread is a possibility, chosen by the design of divine imagination. Our life-time designs arise from our divine gifts, unique talents, desires, thoughts, choices, and actions. At times, old choices\u0026ndash;old threads\u0026ndash;wear out. We see the past while we live in the present, and we can replace the old\u0026hellip;with new ideas, new choices, and new actions. We can view the future through today\u0026rsquo;s eyes, and time blends all experiences, dark and light, into an awareness of authentic joy. May you live joyfully and abundantly today and throughout every season of life! \u0026quot; -Steve Brunkhorst\n“Time unfolds beauty, wonder, and mystery to reveal the auspicious tapestry of life.” ~ A.D. Posey\n\u0026ldquo;Late Blooms: Inspiration for Seniors\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Making New Friends\u0026rdquo; are available on Amazon.\nhttps://www.amazon.com/author/jeansamaroo\n","permalink":"/posts/tapestry-of-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo make anything of beauty, it takes time, effort, and work.  When I was much younger,  it was harder to see how interconnected life really was and derive all of what that meant.  Somehow, individualism and independence caused me to shy away or misunderstand that every facet or thread in the weave of life matters.  What I didn\u0026rsquo;t know is that it takes a whole lifetime for a tapestry of beauty to unfold where life is concerned.  But I know now.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;We don\u0026rsquo;t accomplish anything in this world alone\u0026hellip; and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of  one\u0026rsquo;s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that create something.\u0026rdquo;  ~ Sandra Day O\u0026rsquo;Connor\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Tapestry of Life"},{"content":"My companion and friend departed this world yesterday. She was not a human - but a cat. Nothing in my life had ever prepared me for this kind of love or loss. I\u0026rsquo;m writing this as a tribute/memorial to her as much as to help myself to deal with my feelings around losing her.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_30\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”Cats come into your house to teach you about affection, they leave to teach you about the loss.”~Jules Verne[/caption]\nWhen I was growing up, we always had guard dogs. They never came into our home and weren\u0026rsquo;t really pets in the true sense of the word. They kept intruders away and always barked whenever someone came to the gate. We lived in a tropical country so there was no need for them to stay inside.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_730\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”Life is better with a Cat. No Complaints and No Demands.”~Robert A.Heinlein[/caption]\nWhen I decided to get a pet in my late fifties, it was a new experience for me. I decided on a cat as this would be easier for me given my age and the fact that walking a dog didn\u0026rsquo;t appeal to me that much. I had been kissed by a cousin\u0026rsquo;s cat and that sweetened me no end. That was how the search began and I found and adopted Cali when she was four years old. Her previous owners called her Cali because she was a Calico cat. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t a clue really about taking care of a pet but thought it would be easy.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4239\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;956\u0026rdquo;] ”It came from nowhere and became my everything.”~Robertson Davis[/caption]\nShe was beautiful and shy. When her previous owner dropped her off and left her, she was unaccustomed to us and her new surroundings. Likewise, we were not used to having a pet. It would be nice to say that it was smooth sailing in the beginning but it wasn\u0026rsquo;t. While it might have been love at first sight for me because of Cali\u0026rsquo;s beauty, I was to learn that it took a lot more for any kind of relationship to develop - never mind a loving, understanding one.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4240\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”In you I found my closest and truest friend.”~Lilian Jackson Braun[/caption]\nLike all other kinds of relationships, time, care, trust, understanding, and love have to be nurtured and developed. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say over time this was exactly what took place. I found myself thinking about Cali when I was out and about to return home. I looked forward to receiving her greeting as soon as I arrived. She was so happy to see me.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4241\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] ”Cat’s eyes have the power to speak great language. You can understand it only if you love them.”~Martin Buber[/caption]\nOver time, I found myself talking to her as though she were my child and I often called her \u0026ldquo;Baby.\u0026rdquo; She became more and more attuned to me and I to her. We even seemed to develop a kind of ritual between us in which our habits and actions were in sync. I came to believe that Cali understood everything I said and when she would look through those beautiful grayish eyes at me, I saw love more often than I saw frustration or anger.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3861\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”The memory of the cat you love becomes a treasure when that cat becomes a memory.”~Rick Riordan[/caption]\nCali didn\u0026rsquo;t warm easily to other people, other animals, or children. She was a sort of loner. I had been told this by her previous owner and friends of mine even told me that she may have been abused. Her previous owner had two little boys and they may have been rough with her but I, personally, don\u0026rsquo;t think she was intentionally abused by them. I have always felt in my mind that she came from a very good family.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2347\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”If you think diamonds are girls true love…you never owned a cat.”~Ray Bradbury[/caption]\nI gave Cali all the love that I could and despite her tantrums and temper at times, we understood each other. I knew she was a very anxious cat and wasn\u0026rsquo;t reacting to people or animals because she wanted to hurt them. She was more afraid that they would hurt her. On a few occasions when we were having lots of people over, I put her away so she would be more comfortable away from all the confusion. I did this as well when some children were coming over as they always wanted to pet her and run behind her which scared her. I was a very \u0026ldquo;protective Mum.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2793\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] ”The only thing wrong with the cats is that they cannot live forever.”~Peter Kreeft[/caption]\nCali was with me for eleven years and she taught me so much about love - the unconditional kind. She brought a gentleness and softness to my disposition over the years. I don\u0026rsquo;t know what the exact day or date is when we developed this \u0026ldquo;special\u0026rdquo; kind of relation that makes it so hard for me to lose her. Some would say, \u0026ldquo;she\u0026rsquo;s just an animal,\u0026rdquo; but she was more than just an animal to me.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2278\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”Cats are the small rays of light who brighten our days for a short time.”~Connie Willis[/caption]\nI have lost close loved ones and have known the pangs of grief which can overwhelm one at the time of loss and throughout life. But I had never experienced having or loving an animal like I loved Cali and I believe she loved me. I have a feeling that if she could have stayed a while longer, she would have.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1475\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”If you think that they don’t have souls then you might not have looked into their eyes long enough.”~Erin Hunter[/caption]\nShe had been sick last year but rallied through and I\u0026rsquo;m glad that we were able to have her for a few months more. This last illness was the one that came to take her though. I was supposed to pick her up on Friday morning at the vet\u0026rsquo;s. At 8:30 a.m. when the vet called and told me that Cali had just died, my heart sank. Although she is an animal, some sort of prayerful thoughts came to my mind such as: \u0026quot; let her rest in peace.\u0026quot;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4242\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ”There are friends. And then there are best friends.”~Alan Devoe[/caption]\nCali had a distinct personality and I\u0026rsquo;m sure other pet owners feel that their own pets have distinct personalities as well. If there is a continuation of some sort for humans after death, perhaps it\u0026rsquo;s the same for animals. If this is the case, I do hope that Cali is thriving wherever she is. I will never forget her and I do hope she will never forget me.\nMama loves you Cal!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4245\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] If I had known that on that day our time was near the end\nI would have done things differently, my forever friend.\nI would have stayed right next to you deep into the night\nbut I thought I’d see you in the early morning light.And so I said “Good night” to you as I walked in through the door\nnever thinking of the time when I’d see you no more.\nBut if I had known that on that day our time was at the end\nI would have done things so differently, my forever friend.\n– Sally Evans (written for Shoo-Fly)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/left-behind/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMy companion and friend departed this world yesterday.   She was not a human - but a cat.  Nothing in my life had ever prepared me for this kind of love or loss.  I\u0026rsquo;m writing this as a tribute/memorial to her as much as to help myself  to deal with my feelings around losing her.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_30\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Left-behind/i-V7gzWD2/0/KrHPt95jWcgMFxBHJvjksSKR9Nf9zdMzvsrjsWMdZ/D/Cali-sleeping-on-quilt-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cali-sleeping-on-quilt-1024x576.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e”Cats come into your house to teach you about affection, they leave to teach you about the loss.”~Jules Verne\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Left Behind"},{"content":"\nNovember 13th is World Kindness Day. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t aware of this until just recently when a friend mentioned it to me. She said she liked my last blog post and could she make a suggestion for another. I said what would that be and she said, \u0026ldquo;you could write one for World Kindness Day.\u0026rdquo; What a wonderful idea to have a day set aside to remind us about practicing kindness.\nNo kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. ~ Amelia Earhart\nKindness feels good. We are moved by the kindness of other people to us and we in turn are moved to do kind things for others. There\u0026rsquo;s a ripple effect to kindness. I\u0026rsquo;m sure that most of us deep within our hearts want to be kind every day. Being human though, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to fall short of how we can factor kindness into our daily lives. So, perhaps setting an intention to be kind is a good place to start.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a meditation called the Lovingkindness Meditation or Metta that has Buddhist roots. In this meditation, one starts by sending good wishes to oneself and then extends that out toward others. The basic phrases used are: MAY I BE SAFE, MAY I BE HAPPY, MAY I BE HEALTHY, MAY I LIVE WITH EASE. Perhaps, some of you are familiar with this or use other types of meditations, prayers, or rituals. Whatever your own form of daily intention or practice is, may I suggest you add: \u0026ldquo;MAY I BE KIND\u0026rdquo; to it. The Dalai Lama has said the best words on kindness that I know. He says: My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.\nDid you know that being kind is good for your health too? David Hamilton, author of \u0026ldquo;I HEART ME tells of its benefits on the heart: \u0026ldquo;Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide in blood vessels, which dilates (expands) the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure, and therefore oxytocin is known as a \u0026ldquo;cardio-protective\u0026rdquo; hormone because it protects the heart (by lowering blood pressure). The key is that acts of kindness can produce oxytocin, and therefore kindness can be said to be cardio-protective.\u0026rdquo; This is a good side-effect of being kind. Of course, the motive behind kindness is not to benefit one\u0026rsquo;s physical heart but to show love and care.\n\u0026ldquo;If you haven\u0026rsquo;t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.\u0026rdquo; ~ Bob Hope\nKindness also has positive effects on mood, can slow the aging process, and has untold benefits for healthy relationships. At home, in the workplace, and out and about with friends or in our communities, we have probably all experienced how good we feel in good relationships. I feel great when somebody smiles, gets up, and offers me their seat on the subway. Many times I have had the opportunity to do the same for others and felt good about this. Even when we show kindness to a stranger or them to us, we are sharing not only kindness but peace, friendliness, and love.\nWhen you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world. ~ Harold Kushner\nResearchers and authors, Allan Luks and Peggy Payne (The Healing Power of Doing Good), have used the term \u0026ldquo;helper\u0026rsquo;s high\u0026rdquo; to express the health benefits of doing good. It seems that the same brain networks that are affected by chemical highs are the same ones that kick in when we practice kindness and compassion.\nI asked my friend, Jane, who is an exemplar of random acts of kindness about her feelings when she is carrying out these deeds of kindness.\nJean: Do you feel that you get \u0026ldquo;helper\u0026rsquo;s high\u0026rdquo; at the time you are executing your random act of kindness?\nJane: Helper\u0026rsquo;s high: I must admit to feeling this . . . it\u0026rsquo;s a combination of excitement, joy, happiness and exhilaration!\nJean: You told me that you recently decided to do a random act of kindness as a tribute to your late father on his birthday. Tell me about it.\nJane: On my dad\u0026rsquo;s birthday several weeks ago, I went to the Salvation Army store in Parkdale and bought the purchases for a woman who looked in need.\nJean: Do you feel the recipient of your act of kindness experienced \u0026ldquo;helper\u0026rsquo;s high\u0026rdquo; in the same way that you did?\nJane: I believe she had the same high as, although she was a non-English speaker, she understood what was going on and gave me a beautiful, toothless smile!\nJean: Do you think that your random act of kindness will have a \u0026ldquo;ripple effect\u0026rdquo; in this person\u0026rsquo;s life?\nJane: I can only hope this had a ripple effect in her and that she went home and told her family and friends about it.\nJean: You could have moped and cried on your Dad\u0026rsquo;s birthday but instead you chose to memorialize him through an act of kindness. I admire that so much in you. Where did you get that idea?\nJane: I got the idea for this because as a child I was painfully shy and rejected by my peers. I determined then that I would always try to look out for those who are unfortunate in life and work to help them.\nJean: You are a wonderful inspiration to me, Jane. Thank you for sharing here and for telling me about \u0026ldquo;World Kindness Day\u0026rdquo; and suggesting a post might be nice.\nTo close this post, I suggest that we all do several acts of kindness for \u0026ldquo;World Kindness Day\u0026rdquo; and spread the ripple effect. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that kindness is contagious in a good way. Once we start the kindness habit, kindness will become second-nature in our lives. Imagine how good we will all feel - in body, mind, soul, and spirit. We might just feel younger too!\n","permalink":"/posts/world-kindness-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/World-kindness-day/i-qhsfDz3/0/L6LJsMTC9jtWCHtJXsC5xK2np2s3n2rBLpkpwknRL/D/DSC03534-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/World-kindness-day/i-qhsfDz3/0/L6LJsMTC9jtWCHtJXsC5xK2np2s3n2rBLpkpwknRL/D/DSC03534-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNovember 13th is World Kindness Day.  I wasn\u0026rsquo;t aware of this until just recently when a friend mentioned it to me.  She said she liked my last blog post and could she make a suggestion for another.  I said what would that be and she said, \u0026ldquo;you could write one for World Kindness Day.\u0026rdquo;  What a wonderful idea to have a day set aside to remind us about practicing kindness.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"World Kindness Day"},{"content":"Do you recall your “best moments” in life? Was it when you fell in love, your first kiss, the birth of your first child or that beautiful sunset that stirred something deep within your heart? It might have been that trip to Bali or some other exotic place that you wished would never end. How about that day when you walked across the stage and received your University degree?\nThose moments that are supposed to leave us breathless and wanting more of them because they were so good. Of course, it could be some or all of those things or none of them. Because we\u0026rsquo;re vastly different people and have vastly different experiences, our answers are sure to reflect the stage of life we\u0026rsquo;re at, our expectations and biases, and the kind of mindset we happen to have. Many other factors come into play as well. I came across an interesting passage in a book on \u0026ldquo;Flow\u0026rdquo; by Mihaly Csiksgentmihalyi in which he says: The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times\u0026hellip;the best moments usually occur when a person\u0026rsquo;s body or mind is stretched to it\u0026rsquo;s limit in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.\nCsiksgentmihalyi is a Hungarian-American psychologist who\u0026rsquo;s written several books and is best known for naming the psychological state called \u0026ldquo;flow.\u0026rdquo; His definition of flow is:\n“A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” My idea of the best moments of life has radically changed over the years. I found what he says very interesting since during my school years, I always longed for the holidays. During my working life, I longed for vacation time. It seems as though it was never in the struggle for achievement and mastery that I found \u0026ldquo;my best moments.\u0026rdquo; My mindset was geared to leisure time being that hallowed time where my best moments would transpire. So his concept about the \u0026ldquo;best moments\u0026rdquo; completely surprised me.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2795\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore[/caption]\nLike the vast majority of people, I thought studying was to help me to get a good job to make a good salary. Money was the focus behind all the hard work. When I did find a job, in fact many jobs, I saw them as taking time away from me - time in which I could participate in other activities I wanted to pursue and enjoy. Money was very important, of course, but I sensed that time was very important too. During my working days, I have always felt that my employers thought that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have anything else to do but their work.\nI recall well the period when I took time instead of money for extra time that I was asked to put in. I felt overwhelmed and overworked, and that I needed time to be able to get some rest and recoup. Money ceased to be as important as my time. I only recently found out that this condition is called Time Poverty.\nThe opposite of this state is Time Affluence. The Harvard Professor, Tal Ben-Shahar who wrote the book called \u0026ldquo;Happier\u0026rdquo; describes both this way.\nTime affluence is the feeling that one has sufficient time to pursue activities that are personally meaningful, to reflect, to engage in leisure. Time poverty is the feeling that one is constantly stressed, rushed, overworked, and behind. All we have to do is look around us and often within ourselves to realize the pervasiveness of time poverty in our culture.\nI\u0026rsquo;m very pleased to know about Time Affluence and to be able to give a name to what I experienced when I took time for work instead of money. It seems to me that Time Affluence is something we should all factor into our lives and be aware of. If we care about ourselves, we have to take the time to take care of ourselves. Those could be some of the best moments of our lives.\n“Taking care of myself doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean \u0026lsquo;me first.\u0026rsquo; It means \u0026lsquo;me, too.” ― L.R. Knost\nAs with all learning and life experience, there is change. What one thought was the norm at one stage becomes less so at another. The research is always changing and new perspectives are being presented for us to evaluate and use if they make sense to our individual situation. This happens too with \u0026ldquo;best moments.\u0026rdquo; Those too can change. Those times when I longed for the holidays and thought that those would be the best moments of my days - were just a few of the best moments.\nAs you get older you realise that nothing lasts forever. It\u0026rsquo;s not depressing, but it does make moments more intense. ~ Victoria Legrand\nThere are many moments one can consider to be one\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;best moments\u0026rdquo; later in life, as I am now. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to wake up in the morning and be able to appreciate all the good there is around me. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful if my knee isn\u0026rsquo;t paining me. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for the sunshine, for another day of life, for family and friends, for the place I live in, and activities to be involved in. I no longer have to concern myself with the pursuits of younger days. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter when the holidays arrive now and they aren\u0026rsquo;t that urgent. Some of my best moments are quiet ones and they contain lots of gratitude.\n“Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich\nNeedless to say, although I have time, it goes quickly. I don\u0026rsquo;t spend it lying on a beach, in front of television, or reading the newspapers - although I do those things from time to time. I attended a line dancing class in my condo this morning given by a professional dancer. He wasn\u0026rsquo;t easy on us but forced us to learn new dance steps and complete two routines that he taught us. We stretched not only our bodies but our minds. We attended of our own accord. Hopefully, we will all become stronger and healthier as a result of this vigorous exercise and have fun every week as well.\n“Time is the single most important resource that we have. Every single minute we lose is never coming back.” ― Tarun Sharma\nAs for the well-known psychologist and author, Csiksgentmihalyi\u0026rsquo;s point is well-taken by me at this stage of my life. The key words for me are \u0026ldquo;voluntary effort.\u0026rdquo; As long as the pursuit we are involved in is coming from within ourselves and challenges us and causes us to expand and grow, no matter the level of difficulty, we will find it worth the extra work. To exemplify this, although I\u0026rsquo;m a senior citizen, I\u0026rsquo;m taking two online courses this Fall and am thoroughly enjoying stretching my mind. I even find myself in a state of \u0026ldquo;flow\u0026rdquo; sometimes - a \u0026ldquo;best moment\u0026rdquo; for me.\nTo end this post, I\u0026rsquo;m going to add the rest of what he said in that passage of his book that I gave only the beginning of earlier. It will serve to explain fully what he really meant and which he calls \u0026ldquo;optimal experience.\u0026rdquo; The title of the book from which this comes is called \u0026ldquo;Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen. For a child, it could be placing with trembling fingers the last block on a tower she has built, higher than any she has built so far; for a swimmer, it could be trying to beat his own record; for a violinist, mastering an intricate musical passage. For each person there are thousands of opportunities, challenges to expand ourselves.”\nHope this post challenges you to think about your \u0026ldquo;best moments\u0026rdquo; in life. They just might not be the ones you thought they were.\n\u0026ldquo;the days that make us happy make us wise.\u0026rdquo; ~ from John Masefield\u0026rsquo;s poem \u0026ldquo;Biography\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/the-best-moments-in-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDo you recall your “best moments” in life?  Was it when you fell in love, your first kiss, the birth of your first child or that beautiful sunset that stirred something deep within your heart?  It might have been that trip to Bali or some other exotic place that you wished would never end.  How about that day when you walked across the stage and received your University degree?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/The-best-moments-in-life/i-nnRCHK6/0/NZLpqXb9dkpBrFXKM8JB7CQxqKTXHjpgPn8tMnHMJ/D/SAM_1764-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/The-best-moments-in-life/i-nnRCHK6/0/NZLpqXb9dkpBrFXKM8JB7CQxqKTXHjpgPn8tMnHMJ/D/SAM_1764-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Best Moments in Life"},{"content":"Today, October 5th, is World Teachers\u0026rsquo; Day and the theme this year is: The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher. I\u0026rsquo;m thankful for all the qualified and unqualified teachers who have been my teachers. In the small, third-world country in which I grew up and was educated, primary school teachers were not \u0026ldquo;qualified.\u0026rdquo; There was a Teacher\u0026rsquo;s College but I\u0026rsquo;m not sure that many teachers went there. Yet, thankfully they taught us and we learned. They just knew how to teach.\nTeaching is the only major occupation…for which we have not developed tools that make an average person capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the naturals, the ones who somehow know how to teach. ~ Peter Drucker\nHere in Canada, we\u0026rsquo;re very fortunate that our students have qualified teachers who have been to Teachers College. There are standards laid out for the profession and we expect a high level of excellence. Some of those standards, are Commitment to Students and Student Learning, Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, Leadership in Learning Communities, and Ongoing Professional Learning. Those are all worthwhile goals and combined with compassion, kindness, and understanding, there exists the ingredients for the making of a \u0026ldquo;great\u0026rdquo; teacher.\nOne looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is a vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. ~ Carl Jung\nI\u0026rsquo;ve had all kinds of teachers in my life - music teachers (private), Sunday School teachers, exercise teachers, flower arranging teachers, and so forth. With due respect to all the qualified teachers out there on this World Teachers\u0026rsquo; Day, most of these \u0026ldquo;unqualified\u0026rdquo; teachers have a special place in my heart. They taught what they were supposed to teach and also showed interest in me as a human being. They didn\u0026rsquo;t go to Teachers College but they taught me many important skills and life lessons that serve me in good stead today.\nWhat makes people smart, curious, alert, observant, competent, confident, resourceful, persistent – in the broadest and best sense, intelligent – is not having access to more and more learning places, resources and specialists, but being able in their lives to do a wide variety of interesting things that matter, things that challenge their ingenuity, skill, and judgement, and that make an obvious difference in their lives and the lives of the people around them. ~ John Holt\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no end to what we\u0026rsquo;re here to learn as human beings. We need to learn what schools are here to teach us but we also need to learn how to live our lives. Education goes way beyond the classroom and finds its way into our everyday lives. What kind of citizens do we become? Are we concerned about the welfare of our planet? Are we concerned for others less fortunate than us? What kind of difference does it make that we are here? What are our contributions in life? This list could go on and on but I think you get the gist of what I\u0026rsquo;m saying.\nCongratulations to all our teachers - those who are qualified and those who don\u0026rsquo;t fit the bill. You\u0026rsquo;re all doing a great job. Just remember that your students all have their own talents, skills, and abilities - just not all of the same ones.\nHere is a list of ten quotes that are some of my favourites on education. Enjoy!\nChildren have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves. ~ Ernest Dimnet\nEach man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered. It is something molded. ~Antoine de Saint Exupery\nTeachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. ~ Chinese Proverb\nA teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron. ~ Horace Mann\nIt is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. ~ Albert Einstein\nIt is in fact a part of the function of education to help us escape, not from our own time — for we are bound by that — but from the intellectual and emotional limitations of our time. ~ T.S. Eliot\nThe art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~ Mark Van Doren\nThe greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, \u0026ldquo;The children are now working as if I did not exist. ~ Maria Montessori\nFear is not a good teacher. The lessons of fear are quickly forgotten. ~ Mary Catherine Bateson\nI am not a teacher, but an awakener. ~ Robert Frost\n","permalink":"/posts/teachers-qualified-and-unqualified/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eToday, October 5th,  is World Teachers\u0026rsquo; Day and the theme this year is:  \u003cem\u003eThe right to education  means the right to a qualified  teacher.\u003c/em\u003e   I\u0026rsquo;m thankful for all the qualified and unqualified teachers who have been my teachers.  In the small, third-world country in which I grew up and was educated, primary school teachers were not \u0026ldquo;qualified.\u0026rdquo;  There was a Teacher\u0026rsquo;s College but I\u0026rsquo;m not sure that many teachers went there.  Yet, thankfully they taught us and we learned. They just knew how to teach.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Teachers - Qualified and Unqualified"},{"content":"\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a new book out that I came across at a Chapters/Indigo bookstore this past week. It\u0026rsquo;s called \u0026ldquo;Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness.\u0026rdquo; The author is Ingrid Fetell Lee who is a designer. She has a design blog called \u0026ldquo;The Aesthetics of Joy.\u0026rdquo;\nThe concept of joy for me has always been that it\u0026rsquo;s something out of reach that I have to find - elusive and precious. But, Ingrid Fetell Lee dispels that idea of joy in her book by showing how we can find joy and create joy in the here and now. The author says \u0026quot; At the heart of this book lies the idea that joy isn\u0026rsquo;t just something we find. It\u0026rsquo;s also something we can make, for ourselves and for those around us.\u0026quot;\nThere are certain design elements that bring joy to everyone - like a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a sculpture, a comfortable piece of furniture, or a favourite quilt. I bought a bunch of gladioli of different colours last Thursday and most were not opened up. I\u0026rsquo;m delighted each day as they open up and I can truly say that I feel joyful with these blooms around me. Their colours and their beauty energize me. I go over to the table where they are and admire them several times a day.\nIngrid Fetell Lee says in her book, \u0026ldquo;A body of research is emerging that demonstrates a clear link between our surroundings and our mental health. For example, studies show that people with sunny workspaces sleep better and laugh more than their peers in dimly lit offices, and that flowers improve not only people\u0026rsquo;s moods but their memory as well. As I delved deeper into these findings, joy seemed to become less amorphous and abstract to me and more tangible and real. It no longer seemed difficult to attain, the result of years of introspection and difficult practice. Instead I began to see the world as a reservoir of positivity that I could turn to at any time.\u0026rdquo;\nWhile we\u0026rsquo;re all aware of the basic research in psychology around these things, the author has divided her book into chapters that cover such interesting elements as: Energy, Abundance, Freedom, Harmony, Play, Surprise, Transcendence, Magic, Celebration, and Renewal. She talks about color and light and how transformational these elements are in bringing joy to our lives.\n\u0026ldquo;Noticing color and light has changed the world around me. Bright hues in the cityscape, found on street signs and in bike lanes, window boxes and graffiti, have become little gifts for me - small infusions of warmth and life. Energy gives you the power to make your own hearth, your own sun.\u0026rdquo;\nAll design elements enhance our lives personally and collectively and can bring us joy. This books covers \u0026ldquo;aesthetics\u0026rdquo; in a fun, enjoyable manner. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to give it all away but just to encourage you to read it for yourself.\nYou may also want to look at her Ted talk: Where Joy Hides and How to Find It.\nhttps://www.ted.com/talks/ingrid_fetell_lee_where_joy_hides_and_how_to_find_it?language=en\u0026amp;utm_campaign=tedspread\u0026amp;utm_medium=referral\u0026amp;utm_source=tedcomshare\nPhoto of my gladioli below.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-aesthetics-of-joy-blog-post/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/The-aesthetics-of-joy-blog-post/i-9dmGPMW/0/Mp3CLDtgck9V8mQJdLdd4qhj38GJt3gNvxX4JcThd/D/20180930_064921-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/The-aesthetics-of-joy-blog-post/i-9dmGPMW/0/Mp3CLDtgck9V8mQJdLdd4qhj38GJt3gNvxX4JcThd/D/20180930_064921-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s a new book out that I came across at a Chapters/Indigo bookstore this past week.  It\u0026rsquo;s called \u0026ldquo;Joyful:  The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness.\u0026rdquo;  The author is Ingrid Fetell Lee who is a designer.  She has a design blog called \u0026ldquo;The Aesthetics of Joy.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/The-aesthetics-of-joy-blog-post/i-JKGjvZp/0/LLPpMkwW6vmsqtSVqkw36qX7ZrhMGgrNXrKT6TW7m/D/DSC03659-2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/The-aesthetics-of-joy-blog-post/i-JKGjvZp/0/LLPpMkwW6vmsqtSVqkw36qX7ZrhMGgrNXrKT6TW7m/D/DSC03659-2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe concept of joy for me has always been that it\u0026rsquo;s something out of reach that I have to find - elusive and precious.  But, Ingrid Fetell Lee dispels that idea of joy in her book by showing how we can find joy and create joy in the here and now.  The author says \u0026quot; \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAt the heart of this book lies the idea that joy isn\u0026rsquo;t just something we find.  It\u0026rsquo;s also something we can make, for ourselves and for those around us.\u0026quot;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Aesthetics of Joy Blog Post"},{"content":"For those of you who aren\u0026rsquo;t aware of this, today, September 21st, is the International Day of Peace or known to some as World Peace Day. It\u0026rsquo;s a day designated by the United Nations for individuals and nations globally to pay attention to matters of peace. In his 100 day count-down message, this is what the Secretary-General had to say: “It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race. This year marks the 70th anniversary of that landmark document.” It only takes a read of the headlines of any daily paper to see that the human race has not lived up to matters of peace or human rights. Today\u0026rsquo;s BBC World News topics include headlines such as: Top U.S Official Denies Plot to Oust Trump, U.S Sanctions Provoke Chinese Anger, British Jihadists Refusing to Leave Syria. Some of our own Toronto paper headlines are as follows:\nJohn Tory declines one-on-one debates with Jennifer Keesmaat Chrystia Freeland talks international security, gender-based violence in Montreal Getting refugee decisions appealed in court ‘the luck of the draw,’ study shows It\u0026rsquo;s easy to talk about peace and to understand the word intellectually but to live it is quite a different matter. I have a hard time with this myself. This reminds me of the GI Joe Fallacy which states that \u0026ldquo;knowing is half the battle.\u0026rdquo; It is really a fallacy because knowledge alone does not bring about change. We humans know about peace and human rights but becoming peaceful and respecting the rights and dignity of every individual requires practice.\n“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt\nThis \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; that we all desire is not some airy-fairy concept. We will all be better off when we can thrive and see our fellow-humans thriving. We have to want the same good things for our human brothers and sisters as we want for ourselves. As long as we continue to live selfish, self-centred lives, we will not be peaceful as individuals or as citizens of this great planet, Earth.\n\u0026ldquo;If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.\u0026rdquo; - Mother Teresa\nI realize that this post started out on a negative note by pointing out that as members of the human race, we haven\u0026rsquo;t had the wherewithal to do \u0026ldquo;peace.\u0026rdquo; While we\u0026rsquo;re very good at using words such as peace, happiness, joy, love, understanding and compassion, we all have to challenge ourselves to practice these traits in creative ways everyday. An International Day of Peace is certainly a good time to start practicing . When we\u0026rsquo;re creating peace every day, our world will be becoming more and more peaceful. Let\u0026rsquo;s challenge each other to live out the word \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; and make it a habit.\nYou were placed on this earth to create not to compete. ~ Robert Anthony\nHere are the words to one of my favourite songs about peace that I hope you will enjoy. Happy World Peace Day!\nLet there be peace on earth And let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth The peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father Brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony.\nLet peace begin with me, Let this be the moment now. With ev\u0026rsquo;ry step I take Let this be my solemn vow; To take each moment and live Each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me.\nLET\u0026rsquo;S STOP COMPETING WITH ONE ANOTHER.\n","permalink":"/posts/did-you-say-peace/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor those of you who aren\u0026rsquo;t aware of this, today, September 21st, is the International Day of Peace or known to some as World Peace Day.   It\u0026rsquo;s a day designated by the United Nations for individuals and nations globally to pay attention to matters of peace.  In his 100 day count-down message, this is what the Secretary-General had to say:  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race. This year marks the 70th anniversary of that landmark document.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Did You Say \"Peace\"?"},{"content":"\nIt may come as a surprise to some that people of all ages wonder about their purpose in life. At every stage of the life cycle, there is this quest for answers to life\u0026rsquo;s eternal questions. Very often I find myself with other seniors or middle-aged people who say I wonder why I\u0026rsquo;m here. What do I need to do now?\nThis happened the other day when I was with some women friends. Somehow in the course of conversing on many different topics, \u0026ldquo;purpose\u0026rdquo; came up. Two people said they weren\u0026rsquo;t sure what their purpose was which is fine. Others said that taking care of children, grandchildren, work, or volunteering, was their purpose in life now. Others yet were confused about how to find purpose. Many times, it feels that we\u0026rsquo;re just thrust into the various experiences and roles we play through family, friends, the educational system, society, and the marketplace. Many look back in life and wonder how much they had to do with knowing what their purpose in life was or should have been.\n“We have taken birth to evolve; but we are so allured by the worldly desires that we forget the real purpose of life.” ― Dada J. P. Vaswani\nWe are all evolving. From my own experience, purpose changes throughout a lifetime. What is a person\u0026rsquo;s purpose in youth may not be so in one\u0026rsquo;s later years. My purpose, for most of my younger life, was to be a student. I sort of fell into this as it was what my parents wanted for me. In fact, it is what society wants for each and every one of us. There are very few societies that do not put a high premium on education. The purpose behind sending us to school has far-reaching effects.\n“We put our children through their paces in school not so that they will learn something, or master something, or meet any standards. No. We give them tools so that they can experience the joy, the passion, of creating. All we are doing is saying, “Here, if you know this, there is more you can make; there is another path you can map; there is another song you can compose.” School—from pre-K to postdoc programs—exists so that we can all build more from within ourselves and with our colleagues.” ― Marc Aronson\nNever once in my life do I ever recall my parents, educators, or friends discuss with me what it meant to live a life of purpose. The big question was always: \u0026ldquo;What do you want to be when you grow up?\u0026rdquo; The answer changed. Sometimes I knew and sometimes I didn\u0026rsquo;t.\nI knew, subconsciously, that what I wanted to be when I was grown up had something to do with the work I would do in the world. People got paid for the work that they did and so would I. The way I saw it then was work as a means to get money. It was only as I grew older that I realized that the question could have been worded differently - more along the lines of: What purposeful life work do you want to pursue when you are older? That might have caused me to think about other reasons for working besides money.\n\u0026ldquo;If you make money, you might not make meaning.\u0026rdquo; ~ Guy Kawasaki\nFinding \u0026ldquo;purpose\u0026rdquo; seems like such an elusive thing when you\u0026rsquo;re struggling to keep up with work, family, society, and heaven knows what else. There are very few people who can get by without working. The reality of life is that not everyone is able to be employed in work that they are truly passionate about - and brings purpose to their lives.\nI am always reminded about Maslow\u0026rsquo;s hierarchy of needs. His theory is that we don\u0026rsquo;t reach to the point of self-actualization unless our basic needs for food, safety, love, and self-esteem are met. For many, putting food on the table is as far as they get on Maslow\u0026rsquo;s pyramid. We are indeed fortunate if we go beyond that to all the stages and enjoy the growth and inner development that self-actualization brings.\nWhat a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization. ~ Abraham Maslow\nHaving said all that, as humans we\u0026rsquo;re always dissatisfied. We make a good salary, but we want a bigger one. We have an ok car but a bigger one will be better. We have a semi-detached house but we want a detached house. Our neighbours go to their cottage every weekend so we should look for a cottage. Somehow, we feel that the more we have, the happier we will be. It takes many years of living to realize that the \u0026ldquo;treasure\u0026rdquo; we\u0026rsquo;re seeking isn\u0026rsquo;t found in being able to acquire more material goods.\n“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson\nPurpose is definitely tied to usefulness. We all have that innate desire to be making a difference in the lives of those around us and in our broader world. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be anything earth-shattering to make us feel useful - holding the door for someone, offering a seat to an elderly person, babysitting for a mother who needs a break, and so forth.\nMy most purposeful moment in life came many years ago when asked to go and play the accordion at West Park Healthcare Centre, Toronto. A trusted relative was a volunteer in charge of a weekly group session. I was new to accordion playing but knew many pieces from my various music books. With much coercion and encouragement from her, I decided to go.\nShe told me to play as the group were being brought in - some in wheelchairs. As I was playing along, a mother came in with her son in a wheelchair. This young man became so excited and animated when he heard the music that I forgot all about being a novice player. In that moment, it seemed that this was the only purpose I had for living. My playing brought happiness and joy to this young man and brought satisfaction to me ten-fold.\nLater on, as the session went on and I played, many volunteers and staff got up and danced. Everyone was enjoying themselves. I\u0026rsquo;m relating this to show that purpose can evolve from the unexpected. I was nervous about playing at first but received the energy to play from the enthusiasm of the group. In all my years of paid work, I never felt as useful as on that day. The patients were so happy.\nDr. Susan Biali, a medical doctor, health and happiness expert, life and health coach, professional speaker, flamenco dancer and author, had this to say about her own life:\n\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;ve found that living my way into purpose has been a process. It\u0026rsquo;s a journey, not a single \u0026ldquo;aha\u0026rdquo; moment. I do sometimes have those, but ironically I will think that a certain \u0026ldquo;aha\u0026rdquo; is going to take me to a certain destination, and I end up in another place entirely. There\u0026rsquo;s one thing I can always bet on, though: the unexpected destination turns out to be far better for me than the original one I might have planned. Ultimately, I do believe God is in charge of it all, and allows both the successes and failures (as well as a certain amount of flailing or missteps that serve to test and teach me). Each stage may not always come in an appealing package, but it\u0026rsquo;s always good for my development and my life.\nSo, for those of us older ones who don\u0026rsquo;t know what our purpose is, it\u0026rsquo;s a process. You may still grow into it. Perhaps, you\u0026rsquo;re already living your purpose but just don\u0026rsquo;t know it. The route is circuitous. It\u0026rsquo;s not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. We\u0026rsquo;re never too old to learn, grow, and live out our purpose or change our purpose along the journey.\n“Those who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.” ~ Bo Bennett\n","permalink":"/posts/purpose-later-on-in-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/Purpose-later-on-in-life/i-7Gw2N2d/0/K9k5rVtzsrjhwNwkpVDggzN6MfppNLFZPm4h5RhSD/D/20180903_163818-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/Purpose-later-on-in-life/i-7Gw2N2d/0/K9k5rVtzsrjhwNwkpVDggzN6MfppNLFZPm4h5RhSD/D/20180903_163818-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt may come as a surprise to some that people of all ages wonder about their purpose in life.  At every stage of the life cycle, there is this quest for answers to life\u0026rsquo;s eternal questions.  Very often I find myself with other seniors or middle-aged people who say I wonder why I\u0026rsquo;m here.  What do I need to do now?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis happened the other day when I was with some women friends.  Somehow in the course of conversing on many different topics, \u0026ldquo;purpose\u0026rdquo; came up.  Two people said they weren\u0026rsquo;t  sure what their purpose was which is fine.   Others said that taking care of children,  grandchildren, work, or volunteering, was their purpose in life now.  Others yet were confused about how to find purpose.  \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Purpose Later On In Life"},{"content":"\nAs you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others. ~ Audrey Hepburn\nAs those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer slowly draw to a close, I\u0026rsquo;ve begun thinking about Fall. It\u0026rsquo;s time to think about doing something useful with my time. This thinking resulted in my procuring an application form to volunteer in a \u0026ldquo;Leading to Reading Program\u0026rdquo; once a week. It\u0026rsquo;s held and sponsored by the Toronto Public Library. It\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful opportunity to help children having difficulty with reading improve their skills.\nVolunteering is not new to me. I\u0026rsquo;ve volunteered at a food bank doing advocacy, taught English at a refugee centre, served lunch in a senior citizen\u0026rsquo;s building, worked with patients in a cancer detection unit in a hospital, and taught at a school for foreign students learning to speak English. Each of these experiences brought joy and happiness to me. They were a good use of my time and resources. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ― Charles Dickens\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4131\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] “I don\u0026rsquo;t want to live in the kind of world where we don\u0026rsquo;t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I cant change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.” ― Charles de Lint[/caption]\nAlthough I\u0026rsquo;m a senior citizen and retired now, I still feel that there are gifts, skills, talents, and abilities that I can put out there in the world. Age is not a factor when it comes to lending a helping hand. My purpose in life is not just to eat, sleep, and have the most fun in life. It\u0026rsquo;s no longer to make money and have the most \u0026ldquo;toys. “There is not one big cosmic meaning for all; there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” ―Anais Nin\nSo many people have helped me along the way of my life so far. I feel blessed and am eternally grateful. Whatever small contribution I can make to give back for all that I have received is a drop in the ocean. We don\u0026rsquo;t get anywhere in life without the support and help of a large number of other people. Despite how self-made we may think we are, this is not the whole truth. We are interdependent. At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.\u0026rdquo; Albert Schweitzer\nAs one ages, there are all kinds of questions that come up. They sound like this: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? These are not easy questions and there are no pat answers. For myself, I have to conclude that I\u0026rsquo;m here to be of service to others. Even as I become more needful of support and help from others as I age, I can be of service to others in whatever small way I am able to. There is still something I can do and some need I can fill. “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2796\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.\u0026rdquo; — Margaret Fuller[/caption]\nAs I prepare and send my application to offer a helping hand to some child or children who need help with reading, I feel myself coming closer to being able to answer those existential questions. Children in the community need help and I\u0026rsquo;m qualified, able, and willing to provide this service. This will result in shared time with another that has the opportunity to enrich both of our lives. This will also bring added meaning to my life as I will be making a contribution to the life of another. I\u0026rsquo;m looking forward to this enriching, rewarding, meaningful opportunity in the Fall. Nothing like being able to offer a helping hand - and heart. \u0026ldquo;I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.\u0026rdquo; - Pablo Casals\nAlso, as far as we know, we only get one shot at this journey of life - we may as well make some of it count. That reminds me of this old saying:\nI shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.\nETIENNE DE GRELLET\nPOSTSCRIPT For those reading this and on the senior end of the spectrum, here is an interesting, hopeful commentary for all of us.\n“Age resistance is a futile kind of life resistance: We can’t live outside time, we begin to age the moment we’re born. But the emerging age-acceptance movement neither decries nor denies the aging process. It recognizes that one can remain vital and present, engaged and curious, indeed continue to grow, until one’s dying breath. Then we need only echo the wish of the British psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott: “May I be alive when I die.” (Anne Karpf is a British-based journalist and sociologist, and the author of “How to Age.”\n","permalink":"/posts/a-helping-hand/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/A-helping-hand/i-Qx4Qffh/0/Kbjh4jnfZNBJRzBsWbsTXwVGnZkfCdtXwNDvrPjcB/D/20180825_102902-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/A-helping-hand/i-Qx4Qffh/0/Kbjh4jnfZNBJRzBsWbsTXwVGnZkfCdtXwNDvrPjcB/D/20180825_102902-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAs you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others. ~ Audrey Hepburn\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer slowly draw to a close, I\u0026rsquo;ve begun thinking about Fall.  It\u0026rsquo;s time to think about doing something useful with my time.  This thinking resulted in my procuring an application form to volunteer in a \u0026ldquo;Leading to Reading Program\u0026rdquo; once a week.  It\u0026rsquo;s held and sponsored by the Toronto Public Library.   It\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful opportunity to help children having difficulty with reading improve their skills.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Helping Hand"},{"content":"Birthdays are celebrations of life when you are present to celebrate and can be actively involved in the celebration. A \u0026ldquo;Celebration of Life\u0026rdquo; for you happens when you\u0026rsquo;re no longer around for the celebration - you\u0026rsquo;re dead. (Jean)\nThankfully, I\u0026rsquo;m around for this year\u0026rsquo;s celebration of my birthday today. I have been actively involved in expressing the way in which I want to spend this birthday. At times, my life\u0026rsquo;s journey has felt like being on a roller-coaster ride and other times like a cruise ship sailing smoothly along.\nLess than two months ago, I was on a cruise and the boat ride was calm and relaxing. You know how it is on a roller-coaster though. Change happens every moment when you\u0026rsquo;re on the ride. I thought the roller-coaster would be a good analogy for the excitement and adrenalin rush, the ups and downs, and the inconsistencies that make up a lifetime. It\u0026rsquo;s not always smooth like the cruise ship I was on.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1791\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. ~ Oprah Winfrey[/caption]\nThrough all the myriad events of life, there have been opportunities for learning and growth. Some growth came easily and some came through the school of hard knocks. But like it or not, the years have done their work on me and I am changed. I\u0026rsquo;ve learned to be grateful for small things where I once felt that striving for big things was important. In fact, every second, minute, hour, of life is all gift and just to be here is a blessing.\n\u0026ldquo;I am gift.\u0026rdquo; All that I am is something that\u0026rsquo;s given, and given freely. Being doesn\u0026rsquo;t cost anything. There\u0026rsquo;s no price tag, no strings attached. ~ Thomas Merton\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3274\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] What could be more beautiful than a dear old lady growing wise with age? Every age can be enchanting, provided you live within it. ~Brigitte Bardot[/caption]\nAt sixty-nine, I\u0026rsquo;m grateful to wake up in the morning, grateful for mostly blue skies, grateful for the nice apartment that I\u0026rsquo;m living in, grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear, grateful that I can walk and talk. I feel grateful for the people in my life, for what I\u0026rsquo;m able to do each day, and I\u0026rsquo;m learning to be grateful for the things I was once able to do but find more difficult to do now. In short, I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for everything. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t take very much to please me - very unlike my earlier self.\nThe most fortunate are those who have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy. ~ Abraham Maslow\nThere\u0026rsquo;s been a lot of talk about mindfulness and living in the now touted in many bestsellers. Who hasn\u0026rsquo;t heard or read \u0026ldquo;The Power of Now\u0026rdquo; by Eckhart Tolle? Well, the truth is that I\u0026rsquo;m learning to be mindful these days and to try to live in the present moment. When I forget, I try to bring myself back to what I ought to be doing in the present moment. It\u0026rsquo;s not easy but being reflective and present has its own reward - greater self-awareness. It\u0026rsquo;s a necessity at this age.\nTo know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment. ~ Eckhart Tolle\nAnother area of change for me has been in coming to the realization that it\u0026rsquo;s not the material things that I have acquired or wished to acquire that brought me happiness. With each new acquisition, I was temporarily happy. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t too long before I was seeking some other \u0026ldquo;toy\u0026rdquo; to fill the void within. I notice now that as I become more generous with my worldly goods, my time, my talents, and my resources, there is more peace and contentment within.\nWe arrive on this planet empty handed, We will all soon leave empty handed. So then, how and in what spirit do we want to spend the time in between? (Nimo)\nOn the question of time, there is the realization at sixty-nine that this is a very limited resource. Most people don\u0026rsquo;t like to hear any talk of death but it is an appointment we all have to keep at some time or the other. I no longer want to pursue wealth, property, education, status, and other acquisitions that I gave my time to in days gone by. What I have now is more than enough. The sum of my life can\u0026rsquo;t be about the things that I possess.\nWealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ~ Epictetus\nBecause we\u0026rsquo;re here for a limited time, we want to celebrate life. I was at the most beautiful \u0026ldquo;Celebration of Life\u0026rdquo; party last Saturday for a cousin we lost to cancer. He didn\u0026rsquo;t want a funeral but a coming-together to celebrate his life. His wife and children organized a gathering of family and friends at which there was food (potluck), music, entertainment, photos and stories about his life shared amongst each other, sadness and joy blended together. This celebration had none of the trimmings and trappings of religion. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t necessary. He had a strong faith and lived it out in his life. What a wonderful way to be remembered. “Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end.” ~ Joanne Harris, Chocolat\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4113\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;960\u0026rdquo;] Flowers graced the food order from this loved one\u0026rsquo;s favourite restaurant (for the Celebration of Life). He was loved even by the people he used to order food from.[/caption]\n“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” – Shannon L. Alder\nOn this sixty-ninth birthday, it\u0026rsquo;s a time to reflect on how inexperienced I once was and just how much I\u0026rsquo;ve learned along the way. This learning hasn\u0026rsquo;t come from books alone but from life experience. I\u0026rsquo;m sure that as long as I am alive and in this world, there are many lessons coming my way. My hope is that I will seek beauty, truth, compassion, and greater self-understanding on this journey. Through this awareness, I hope to foster better relationships with those in the world around me and just as I\u0026rsquo;m blessed by their presence, may they be blessed by mine. After all, we are just walking each other home.\n“There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathless and beautiful.” ~Howard Thurman ","permalink":"/posts/celebrating-life-birth-days-death-days/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBirthdays are celebrations of life when you are present to celebrate and can be actively involved in the celebration.  A \u0026ldquo;Celebration of Life\u0026rdquo; for you happens when you\u0026rsquo;re no longer around for the celebration - you\u0026rsquo;re dead.  (Jean)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankfully, I\u0026rsquo;m around for this year\u0026rsquo;s celebration of my birthday today.  I have been actively involved in expressing the way in which I want to spend this birthday.  At times, my life\u0026rsquo;s journey has felt like being on a  roller-coaster ride and other times like a cruise ship sailing smoothly along.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Celebrating Life - Birth Days \u0026 Death Days"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3671\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] “Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It’s all about the memories.”\n— Buddy Valastro[/caption]\nCanada\u0026rsquo;s 151st Birthday! It\u0026rsquo;s a time for all Canadians to celebrate - indigenous people, immigrants, refugees, and those who consider themselves to be truly Canadian. Canada has come a long way since I first arrived here in 1968 and so have I. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that this country I came to as an immigrant fifty years ago is home. But it is. Countries grow just as people grow and it\u0026rsquo;s been wonderful to experience some of the many changes over the last 50 years.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s interesting that although the name immigrant and refugee create an immediate feeling of \u0026ldquo;lesser than\u0026rdquo; in the minds of some, that in some way we all came from some other place. The First Nations people are the only people who can truly say they were here from the beginning.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Today Canada is the most multi-cultural country in the world, and the home of immigrants of every ethnic and religious group from every country in the world.\nBut less than 500 years ago, the only people living in Canada were the Aboriginal people of Canada. \u0026ldquo;Aboriginal\u0026rdquo; means the original inhabitants, the people who were here first. The words \u0026ldquo;Native\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Indigenous\u0026rdquo; are also used, and mean the same thing.\nToday they all collectively refer to themselves as the First Nations or First Peoples of Canada. However, there are many different cultural groups.[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Indigenous peoples occupied North America for thousands of years before European explorers first arrived on the eastern shores of the continent in the 11th century. These newcomers were Norse explorers and settlers, moving ever-westward from Scandinavia to Iceland and Greenland, and eventually to the island of Newfoundland. There they founded North America\u0026rsquo;s first European colony at L\u0026rsquo;Anse aux Meadows. Although this colony was short-lived, it marked the beginning of European exploration and migration that would radically change the lives of North America\u0026rsquo;s Indigenous peoples.\u0026rdquo; (aadnc-aandc.gc.ca)\nIt takes time to adjust and assimilate into a new country and to learn its ways and mores. It took me a long time. When I was a new immigrant, I didn\u0026rsquo;t think of Canada as \u0026ldquo;home.\u0026rdquo; It took many years for this feeling to take place and for deteriorating conditions in my own country of origin to own Canada as home. Every new immigrant comes with the hope for a good future in Canada and comes with the desire to contribute his or her talents, skills, and abilities to this land. They feel that Canada is a good country to live in.\n\u0026ldquo;We have created a society where individual rights and freedoms, compassion and diversity are core to our citizenship. But underlying that idea of Canada is the promise that we all have a chance to build a better life for ourselves and our children. ~ Justin Trudeau\nMany well-known Canadians were immigrants to this country. I was reading recently that the first prime-minister of Canada was an immigrant. John MacDonald was born in Scotland and came to Canada with his parents in 1820. He was five years old. Many different kinds of families, from many different backgrounds, make up this cultural mosaic. So, when we think of immigrants, it is only right that we see the broad spectrum. Pierre Trudeau, another former Prime Minister said: \u0026ldquo;There is no such thing as a model or ideal Canadian. What could be more absurd than the concept of an \u0026ldquo;all Canadian\u0026rdquo; boy or girl? A society which emphasizes uniformity is one which creates intolerance and hate.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s nice to see Canada\u0026rsquo;s great tolerance and love for people growing more and more each year. I have been witness to this over the fifty years that I have lived here. Through many government programs and the exposure and openness of the people themselves to other cultures, much positive change has taken place. When I arrived here in 1968, there were very few ethnic restaurants, LGBT people were afraid to be open about their sexuality, and I didn\u0026rsquo;t know any refugees. I believe this may have been the experience of many others as well. But, the only constant is change and change has come.\n“Knowing yourself is not so much about introspection and interaction. To know yourself is to realize that you are more than the little self that has been given to you by your history — the pattern that others made — that your true self is, in truth, much larger and includes other people, other cultures, other species even. That life is less about being and more about interbeing. We come to know ourselves, then, through coming to know each other. And the deeper that knowledge, the richer and more creative the world we build together ” -Danny Martin, Director of ICRE (International Communities for the Renewal of the Earth)\nMany people have been brought together by food here in Canada. In Toronto which is my home, there are falafel shops everywhere. Many people of all races stop at Bathurst subway to buy Jamaican beef patties. Curry and roti, samosas, tacos, burritos, and other fine fare can be bought in many places around the city. People of all races are eating each other\u0026rsquo;s food. It is not uncommon to go to a party and find hummus and pita, spring rolls, and tabouli on the buffet table.\nEverybody has eaten these items and if they haven\u0026rsquo;t, they are willing to try them. This is the same for all types of food. Ethnic foods can be bought at almost any supermarket. When I came to Canada, this was not the case. Canada\u0026rsquo;s population has changed its appetite and its buying habits. \u0026ldquo;Mintel research reveals that 73 per cent of Canadian consumers like to experience other cultures through food, while nearly three in five are more open to trying ethnic foods now than they were a few years ago.\u0026rdquo; (foodincanada.com)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_799\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] ~ Indian Food[/caption]\nIn 1968, when I came to Canada I didn\u0026rsquo;t even understand the term \u0026ldquo;gay.\u0026rdquo; This may have been the same for many others. However, today in Canada, I know many persons who are LGBT and I accept them for who they are. They are my friends and I understand and respect them. They are ordinary human beings like myself. They live, eat, sleep, go to work, and have recreational outlets the same as I have. Many others in Canada have become welcoming to this once closeted group of the human race. Canadians have come a long way.\nWe are undoubtedly witnessing a social phenomenon, a \u0026ldquo;sociocultural trend\u0026rdquo; of substance-a unique, historical process of social change. As individuals, we no longer accept the imposition of life choices by our society and its institutions, be it on our relationships as a couple, our sexuality or on any aspect of our lifestyle. These choices now belong to the individual. Individuals convey this legitimacy to themselves and to others around them. Humanism is on the rise; people are applying it to themselves and to others. (crop.ca)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2634\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon[/caption]\nChange has also taken place in acceptance of refugees. I know this is a sore topic for many - especially these days. There was a time in my life when I did not know a single refugee and I actually didn\u0026rsquo;t understand their plight as much as I do now. Today, I have refugee friends and have been to many of their social events. I have been in classes with refugees. I have heard their stories and I understand them. “Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.” — Khaled Hosseini\nRefugees don\u0026rsquo;t usually leave their home to go some other place unless conditions are dire. They fear for their lives and those of their children. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that today there are many individuals and organizations in Canada who understand and do their best to settle refugees when they come here. Another big stride forward for Canadians. Our own current Prime Minister was at the airport to meet a planeload of Syrian refugees in December 2015 and these are some words he shared with staff and volunteers there:\n\u0026ldquo;First of all, thank you for being here. And thank you for the gorgeous smiles I see. This is a wonderful night where we get to show not just a planeload of new Canadians what Canada is all about, we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult situations.\nTalk about being welcoming! Thank you Canada for the changes in you and the changes in myself. On this Canada Day, I have no other place to call \u0026ldquo;home.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m proud to have been a part of the positive changes you\u0026rsquo;ve been experiencing.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4098\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Canada is probably the most free country in the world where a man still has room to breathe, to spread out, to move forward, to move out, an open country with an open frontier. Canada has created harmony and cooperation among ethnic groups, and it must take this experience to the world because there is yet to be such an example of harmony and cooperation among ethnic groups.\n~ Valentyn Moroz[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/calling-canada-home/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3671\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Calling-canada-home/i-JdhGn7p/0/MsvgzrzP2jJfTDmzPF8mKs6Xj3k7LBbMRfkKd9CW3/D/DSC05144-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DSC05144-1024x1021.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e“Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It’s all about the memories.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e— Buddy Valastro\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCanada\u0026rsquo;s 151st Birthday!  It\u0026rsquo;s a time for all Canadians to celebrate - \u003cstrong\u003eindigenous people, immigrants, refugees, and those who consider themselves to be truly Canadian.\u003c/strong\u003e  Canada has come a long way since I first arrived here in 1968 and so have I.  It\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that this country I came to as an immigrant fifty years ago is home.  But it is.  Countries grow just as people grow and it\u0026rsquo;s been wonderful to experience some of the many changes over the last 50 years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Calling Canada Home"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;d like to think of this blogging venture as the \u0026ldquo;little blog that grew\u0026rdquo; in its own time. I loved my brother\u0026rsquo;s blog and his posts. It was on a whim that I wrote my first blog post. This happened after a visit to Niagara Falls where I visited the Butterfly Conservatory. I took many photos and made up a post called \u0026ldquo;Metamorphosis.\u0026rdquo; I shared this post with my brother and told him to link the two - mine and his. Even then, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t really sure what I was asking him to do. He immediately hosted me on his blog under the name I had chosen - Late Blooms. The date was April 22, 2012. This was how it all began.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4082\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] “Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” ― Andy Rooney[/caption]\nWhat a wonderful journey it\u0026rsquo;s been for me. It\u0026rsquo;s an enjoyable pastime for me to take pictures and share my thoughts. When I wrote my first blog post, little did I know how much joy and meaning it would bring to my life. Little did I know too that people on the world-wide web would read these posts. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t trying to achieve any goal or reach any number of reads. The pleasure of doing what I was doing was all mine. But, here I am on June 14, 2018, having had 100,000 reads. I had never envisioned such a day. “The best things in life are unexpected because there were no expectations.” ― Eli Khamarov\nMany people blog with the idea of someday being paid for their blogging. However, this was never my goal. It\u0026rsquo;s simply a hobby for me and even if I share some tips or give some unasked advice along the way, it\u0026rsquo;s with no monetary motive behind it. For those who have shared this journey with me, you\u0026rsquo;ve been able to see all the changes taking place in the blog and in me. When I started out, I was making collages of all of my pictures. I like using images and Late Blooms is in many ways a photo blog with writing. I like looking at pictures and I think other people like pictures too. “Even tiny children looking at a picture book are using their imaginations, gleaning clues from the images to understand what is happening, and perhaps using the throwaway details which the illustrator includes to add their own elements to the story.” — Philip Reeve\nJust like anything in life that we begin, we learn and grow along the way. I like to think that this blogging experience has brought many new adventures along the way for me. I was never a photographer and I began to like taking pictures. I began to see that people all over the world were interested in various topics. This came from looking at who was reading the posts and seeing what countries were represented. One post I did was on my friend who was in a clown program that she enjoyed very much. She showed this post to her college instructor who asked me if it could be put on the website for the \u0026ldquo;Caring Clown Program.\u0026rdquo; In blogging, I\u0026rsquo;ve found that one thing leads to another.\n“People practice the art of adventure when they break the chains of routine and renew their life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints.” Wilfred Peterson\nPerhaps, the most important part of blogging though is sharing experiences, adventures, foods, thoughts, ideas, fancies, and even fantasies with others. Writing about the event or happening at the time is exciting and having this writing to look back at some other time, is doubly exciting. This may be true not just for the writer but for the readers as well. I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed that often a country name comes up and when I look at a certain post someone\u0026rsquo;s read, I notice it\u0026rsquo;s the same one that was read the day before or days before. It\u0026rsquo;s usually the same person. They are revisiting that post for some reason known only to them.\n“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” – Anaïs Nin\nThere are a few close people that I send my posts to as they are written. They are no more than sixteen in number. It\u0026rsquo;s a way to let them know what I\u0026rsquo;m up to and to keep in touch. They also have provided me with ongoing support and feedback about the blog. I want to thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart for being there for me.\nIf I had won $100,000, I would immediately want these people to know. In this same way, I want them to know that Late Blooms has reached its 100,000th read. This is even more special to me than if I had indeed won $100,000.\nTHE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE. (an old song)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2161\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse. ~ Henry Van Dyke[/caption]\nLast, but not least, I want to thank my brother, Ronald Mitra Janki, for facilitating and making it possible for me to even venture into the world of blogging - through his example, encouragement, and love. He\u0026rsquo;s been there from day one and still is in charge of all the the technical details involved in having a blog. We talk about this blog as though it were a child that we both owned. There is nothing about this blog that he fails to show an interest and love for. This means a lot to me.\nHurrah for Late Blooms, thanks to all, and I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say there will be more stories to share.\nThis last image is a digital painting by my brother of \u0026ldquo;Simply Spectacular Designs\u0026rdquo; that is one of my favourites. It\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful blossom blooming - a late bloom, perhaps!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2492\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] [/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/100000-reads-for-late-blooms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;d like to think of this blogging venture as the \u0026ldquo;little blog that grew\u0026rdquo; in its own time.  I loved my brother\u0026rsquo;s blog and his posts.   It was on a whim that I wrote my first blog post.  This happened after a visit to Niagara Falls where I visited the Butterfly Conservatory.  I took many photos and made up a post called \u0026ldquo;Metamorphosis.\u0026rdquo;  I shared this post with my brother and told him to link the two - mine and his.  Even then, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t really sure what I was asking him to do. He immediately hosted me on his blog under the name I had chosen  -  Late Blooms. The date was April 22, 2012.  \u003cstrong\u003eThis was how it all began.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"100,000 Reads for \"Late Blooms\""},{"content":"This post is about the ports our cruise ship stopped at on our Alaskan visit. My two earlier posts were also about this wonderful journey and some of my experiences there. We sailed on the MS Noordam on May 27th, 2018 and returned last Sunday, June 3rd. An amazing trip!\nHAINES, ALASKA\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4040\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] The population of Haines is small - about 2,400 people. I got the feeling that I had gone back in time and that this place was a quiet, peaceful place.[/caption]\nOur first stop where we disembarked was Haines, Alaska. I woke up on the morning of May 30th to see this beautiful little town with mountains of snow and ice in the background and beautiful evergreens nestled among the houses. It was like a picture postcard. I must have been very tired and completely slept through our arrival at 6:30 a.m.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4039\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] The light in Alaska in particular is so beautiful. So beautiful! Such incredible light. — Sebastiao Salgado[/caption]\nThere are 3 churches there, a library, a school that was pointed out to us, bars, and businesses owned by locals. I didn\u0026rsquo;t see any traffic there. We got the free shuttle bus which stopped at various places. We went through the downtown which had no chain stores or names that stood out. We didn\u0026rsquo;t get off at the downtown stop but went on to another stop where we visited some native artists and saw their work. It seems that there are many artists who live there. They were very friendly.\nWe enquired about going to Chilkoot Lake where we thought we might see some bears. However, staff at one of the Tourist Information booths located where we got off the ship told us that the bears might not be out of hibernation yet. Many people from the ship went on a tour to see the bald eagles. We were content to see the bald eagles flying around in the sky and at Glacier Bay. We did a little walking around Haines on our own and were happy to just be in this beautiful little place that was so removed from anything that we experience in Toronto. It\u0026rsquo;s not often that one gets to experience being totally laid back.\nWe learned that some Tlingit dancers were coming at 5 p.m. to perform for us in the area where one gets off the ship and gets transportation, tours, etc. The Tlingits have lived in this area for thousands of years. Learning about the Tlingits and their culture was an \u0026ldquo;extra\u0026rdquo; on the cruise as I hadn\u0026rsquo;t expected this rich cultural experience. The images that follow show some of the symbols on their regalia that have significant meaning with regard to their tribe. We thoroughly enjoyed their performance.\nWe all had to be aboard ship by 8:30 p.m. We were having dinner when the MS Noordam pulled out of Haines. That day in Haines was very special for me.\nJUNEAU, ALASKA\nWe docked in Juneau at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 31, 2018. I woke up very early that morning and it was overcast. It was obvious that we were approaching Juneau. I could see some buildings and realized that the ship was veering closer and closer to land. What really amazed me though were the reflections of the mountains and buildings in the water at that time. I had seen pictures like these taken by other people and loved them. I threw my coat on and headed out with my camera and will share some of these images below with you.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4048\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] These landscapes of water and reflection have become an obsession. - Claude Monet[/caption]\nJuneau is the capital of Alaska and has a population of just over 32,000 people. It\u0026rsquo;s a great place for shopping. There were many fine stores there and some people from the cruise seemed to be very interested in shopping. There were many jewelry stores there, many offering a free gift for going in. Shopping wasn\u0026rsquo;t a priority on our list although we did grab some Alaska sweat shirts and keychains at a store close to the cruise ship to give as gifts.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4052\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Mendenhall Glacier is one of 38 large glaciers that flow from the 1,500 square mile expanse of snow and ice known as the Juneau Icefield. As the glacial ice accumulates seasonally, gravity pulls the ice down valleys. Slowly and steadily the glacier scours bedrock, grinding everything down to powder or transporting huge boulders (erratics) on its 13-mile path to Mendenhall Lake. (from the brochure we picked up at the Visitor Centre)[/caption]\nWe ourselves chose to take a tour to Mendenhall Glacier and go to Mount Roberts by tram. This was a shore excursion we bought through the cruise ship. It was an amazing trip. To get to the glacier, we travelled by bus about 12 miles north of Juneau. We visited the visitor centre where we learned that Mendenhall Glacier was part of the Tongass National Forest. When I say this trip was educational, I really mean it.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4058\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Mendenhall Glacier is in the Tongass National Forest. It is the largest forest in the United States and a temperate rainforest at that.[/caption]\nWhen I visited Australia many years ago, my hosts took me to Fraser Island which was a tropical rain forest. It was one of the highlights of my Australian visit. Little did I know that when I was in Glacier Bay National Park and at Mendenhall Glacier that I was experiencing being in a rain forest again - a temperate one this time. How lucky can one get?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4056\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Picture this: 17 million acres of huge trees, temperate rainforest, jolting fjords, booming waterfalls, steep mountain peaks, fascinating amounts of wildlife, glistening glaciers and some of the rarest types of flora and fauna in the world. Captivated much? We understand, we are too. The Tongass National Forest in the southeast region of Alaska is the largest national forest in the entire United States and lets just say, it’s unlike anywhere else in the world. This place encompasses exactly what your backcountry dreams are made of and your sightseeing fantasies are filled with. If you do one thing while you’re in Alaska, put this at the very tippy-top of your bucket list. (onlyinyourstate.com)[/caption]\nWe thoroughly enjoyed our time at Mendenhall Glacier as we were able to walk about freely here. There were several hiking trails and a waterfall. There\u0026rsquo;s a notice board there that keeps visitors informed of wildlife sightings. The day before we were there a bear and her cub had been seen. We didn\u0026rsquo;t see any wildlife while we were there. We saw a a 15 minute movie \u0026ldquo;Landscape of Change\u0026rdquo; that was very informative and we also heard park rangers speak about the area.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4059\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska[/caption]\nWe learned that Juneau is a city that was built on fishing and gold mining. While it\u0026rsquo;s a very modern and rich city, we found ourselves more intrigued and happy in Alaska when we were in areas of nature and beauty. Mendenhall Glacier and beautiful Mendenhall Lake are not to be missed on a trip to Juneau. At Mendenhall Glacier, there are picture postcard scenes like the one above.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4060\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Tongass National Forest - Juneau, Alaska (from Mt. Roberts)[/caption]\nOur bus picked us up at Mendenhall and dropped us off at the Mt. Roberts tramway which was the next part of our tour in Juneau. It\u0026rsquo;s a 5 minute ride to the 1,800 ft. level with breath-taking views of the Chilkat Mountains, the Gastineau Channel, downtown Juneau, Douglas Island and the highest peaks on Admiralty Island. There\u0026rsquo;s also a Visitor Centre, theatre, gift shop, restaurant, and espresso bar. We also saw a movie about the Tlingit way of life called \u0026ldquo;Seeing Daylight.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4061\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Located on a thin strip of land between sea level and mountains peaks rising to heights of 3,800 feet, Juneau is just 45 miles from end to end, but has over 130 miles of hiking trails winding through it. Out of 3,248 square miles, urban development covers only 264 square miles; ice caps make up 928 square miles, water covers 704 square miles, and rainforest takes up a whopping 1,352 square miles, according to the Southeast Alaska Tourism Council. (newsmax.com)[/caption]\nThere are hiking trails that can be taken from the top of Mount Roberts that offer opportunities for other wonderful sights. Being senior citizens, however, we were content with what we were able to do and see right in the area we were in. It\u0026rsquo;s a fascinating place to visit. There is an area where I saw a bald eagle who had been shot and was blind in one eye. That area up there is for disabled animals found in the wild.\nIn the above image, our cruise ship and another can be seen in the harbour in Juneau. Many cruise ships come into Juneau as it\u0026rsquo;s only possible to get there by see or air. Juneau is rather unusual among U.S. capitals (except Honolulu, Hawaii) in that there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of Alaska or to the rest of North America (although ferry service is available for cars). The absence of a road network is due to the extremely rugged terrain surrounding the city. This in turn makes Juneau a de facto island city in terms of transportation, since all goods coming in and out must go by plane or boat, in spite of the city being located on the Alaskan mainland. Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, with tides averaging 16 feet (5 m), below steep mountains about 3,500 feet (1,100 m) to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) high. (en.wikipedia.org)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4063\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another. ~ John Muir[/caption]\nIn case I missed any important facts, here are some listed under traveljuneau.com\nJuneau is many things: a mountain town, a coastal community and the most scenic capital city in the U.S. A natural wonder, wildlife hotspot and cultural jewel, Juneau is rich in history, art, music and Native heritage. It’s an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, a shopper\u0026rsquo;s trove and a food lover\u0026rsquo;s dream - not just the state capital, but the beating heart of Southeast Alaska.\nCoordinates: 58 N by134 W\nNamed in 1881, after gold prospector Joe Juneau; incorporated in 1900; designated the capital of Alaska in 1906\nArea: 3,255 square miles; of this, only 14 square miles are urban\nPopulation, as of 2014 census: 32,406\nClimate: Pacific Temperate Rainforest\nMain industries: government (state, federal and municipal), tourism, fishing, mining\nKETCHIKAN\nOur last stop before Vancouver was Ketchikan. We had good weather all the way through our cruise until Ketchikan. It was raining and the winds were high. My umbrella broke there. However, we braved the wind and the rain and did what others were doing. Many fellow cruisers were walking around looking at the shops there. I thought that the only shopping was in Juneau but my impression of Ketchikan is that the shopping there is even better.\nBecause it was raining there, we didn\u0026rsquo;t get to do as much as we might have done if the weather had been good. As you can see from the picture, Ketchikan has many buildings and seems to be a thriving place. We saw a shuttle bus as we walked along in the rain and decided to hop on it. We came off at a stop where there was a Totem Pole Museum. We paid $6.00 each to go in. It was a disappointment but we were sheltered from the bad weather while we were in there.\nIn the above image, you can see a road in the middle of the areas with trees on either side. I saw cars coming down there and believe people are living quite high up in the back there.\nIn this image, you can see the stairs that people have to climb to get up to that blue house.\nThis is what alaskainside.com has to say about Ketchikan.\nA scenic town perched along the shores of southeast Alaska’s coastal mountains and surrounded by the protected waterways of the Inside Passage, Ketchikan is a popular cruise destination, as well as a wonderful spot for tourists who want to experience an Alaska vacation filled with wilderness and adventure. Such native cultural influences as the majestic totem poles can be seen on downtown streets, in local parks and museums. Ketchikan’s geographical location, in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, allows for almost 160 inches of rain each year. Rain, the locals will tell you, is why the fishing is unmatched, the trees are so green and the wildlife is abundant.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4069\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Ketchikan City Hall[/caption]\nKechikan is known for it\u0026rsquo;s totem poles and here are a few we saw there.\nKetchikan has over 80 Native American Poles and they are all over the city.\nWe were tempted to go and eat crabs at one of these restaurants near to the cruise ship dock. We didn\u0026rsquo;t see many people eating there though and changed our minds. We saw many sea planes as our cruise ship approached Ketchikan. Apparently many people go on sightseeing tours with these planes. Here is some information I found about this at ncl.com\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4074\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Seaplanes are plentiful in Ketchikan.[/caption]\nDiscover magnificent Misty Fjords National Monument in an impeccably maintained DeHavilland Beaver or Otter, the world\u0026rsquo;s most famous bush planes, with Ketchikan’s 5 Star Medallion Shield carrier. View some of the most spectacular scenery in Alaska from the comfort of your window seat. Enjoy your pilot’s narration with individual headsets on this once in a lifetime experience as you follow your flight route on the provided detailed map and guide. A highlight of your tour will be an exhilarating water landing where you can step out onto the pontoon with your pilot to enjoy the fresh mountain air, eagle calls, and breathtaking scenery.\nWhat an Alaskan journey this has been. I wanted to finish this post before the week was up. Everything is still fresh in my mind and I\u0026rsquo;m still excited about the journey past. I would do this trip again for all the beauty I saw and all the learning I experienced. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for the opportunity I had to do this.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4075\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Our cruise started in Seward and I took this image in the building we were dropped off at for the cruise.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4076\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Goodbye Noordam, goodbye Alaska![/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/alaskan-cruise-ports-of-call/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis post is about the ports our cruise ship stopped at on our Alaskan visit.  My two earlier posts were also about this wonderful journey and some of my experiences there.  We sailed on the MS Noordam on May 27th, 2018 and returned last Sunday, June 3rd.  An amazing trip!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHAINES, ALASKA\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4040\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Alaskan-cruise-ports-of-call/i-NbmjNTH/0/LhQ8f6BhvkDf27bjMbJFV9rvppWZCZtLsnJQttL5V/D/IMG_3536-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IMG_3536-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe population of Haines is small - about 2,400 people. I got the feeling that I had gone back in time and that this place was a quiet, peaceful place.\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Alaskan Cruise - Ports of Call"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;The mountains are calling and I must go.\u0026rdquo; ~ John Muir\nGlacier Bay National Park was one of the highlights of our Alaska visit. It\u0026rsquo;s designated a World Heritage Site. We were able to see tidewater glaciers, get close up to inlets carved by the ice, and just bask in the silence and the peace of this wilderness experience. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to become camera-happy here and take the same or similar views over and over again.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4021\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3648\u0026rdquo;] The Huna Tlingit, native tribes of Alaska, occupied Glacier Bay long before the advance of the last glacier that forced them to leave their homes.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4022\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3648\u0026rdquo;] As the massive glacier known as the Grand Pacific surged towards the homes of the Huna Tlingit at the edge of the shores of Glacier Bay, the people quickly turned in the only direction they could for safety – they turned to the waters of Icy Strait. The people quickly rounded up their families \u0026amp; began to head towards their main mode of transportation in this world surrounded by water, their dugout spruce canoes resting at the shoreline above the high tide mark. These canoes were finely crafted by the people to go long distances in rough Alaska waters – it would be these sturdy boats that would lead them to safety, escaping the crushing power of the Grand Pacific Glacier galloping across their homelands. (https://icystraitpoint.wordpress.com/page/2/[/caption]\nWe did not see another cruise ship while we were there. Besides a smaller boat, it seemed like we had the place to ourselves. It was an exciting day that we and our fellow cruisers had looked forward to. Glacier Bay Park Rangers came onboard the ship early in the morning. At 9:15 a.m. there was a talk by one of the rangers \u0026ldquo;Encounter: The Wonders of Glacier Bay.\u0026rdquo; It was a heartfelt and inspiring presentation about his journey to loving nature and becoming a Ranger at Glacier Bay. He asked us to think about what \u0026ldquo;wilderness\u0026rdquo; meant to us as we cruised through the park.\nAt 10:00 a.m., there was another talk presented by the Native Voices of Glacier Bay called \u0026ldquo;Encounter: Alaska Native Culture.\u0026rdquo; This was very well presented and told more about the Huna Tlingit people and their relationship to Glacier Bay. \u0026ldquo;But for the Huna Tlingit, Glacier Bay is a place not just of new discoveries, but of reconnection with the lifeways, knowledge, and ancestors of the past. It is a land that sustained them with a rich abundance of fish, wildlife, and plants, but more importantly a place that continues to sustain them through stories, songs, dances, and ongoing traditional practices. Although most Huna Tlingit today live across Icy Strait in the modern village of Hoonah, Glacier Bay remains their spiritual homeland. Their ancient stories and place names speak eloquently of the history of their beloved bay.\u0026rdquo; (nps.gov)\nThe Huna Tlingit people are a very proud people and everything that I heard and experienced about them and their culture throughout our Glacier Bay day reinforced this.\nWe were very fortunate to have a group of Huna Tlingit dancers perform for us before we left Haines, Alaska (the stop after Glacier Bay). Music and dance is a very important part of all cultures and no less in theirs. From very young children to their senior folk, they were happy to share this part of their culture with us. It was a wonderful experience.\nAt 10:45 a.m. a scenic commentary was provided by one of the Glacier Bay Park Rangers pointing out the sights and giving information along the way. This went on throughout the rest of the day as we cruised through Glacier Bay. We arrived at Margerie Glacier at around noon, at Jaw Point around 1:45 p.m. and Lamplugh Glacier at about 2:45 p.m. I spent some time on the enclosed observation area and later on wandered out on the open deck area. It was an awesome experience to be present with the glaciers and the beauty of nature. This was the closest I\u0026rsquo;ve ever come to being in the wilderness.\n\u0026ldquo;The Wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park is forged from dynamic change in the wake of powerful seismic forces and dramatic glacial movements. Glaciers have sculpted this landscape, from the sharp brows of its mountain peaks to the deep troughs of its fjords. Even the land itself is rising as the colossal weight of the ice eases off of it. Here, it is almost as if the span of time has been condensed and then neatly unfurled across this landscape. It is a place renowned and protected for its diversity, constant change, and opportunity for study.\u0026rdquo; (wilderness.net)\nI didn\u0026rsquo;t expect to learn so much about the Huna Tlingit or about glaciers as I did on this trip. I\u0026rsquo;m sure that for everyone it was a wonderful experience overall and one in which they learned a lot. The personnel on the ship and the park rangers organized this day to be a memorable one for those of us who made this journey.\nSome of the last pictures that I will add to this post were taken from the inside observation area of the ship. You will notice light there coming from lamps on various tables close by. Hope you enjoy the photos anyways.\nI did say there was a lot of learning taking place on the Alaska trip and it hasn\u0026rsquo;t stopped yet. Here are some interesting facts about Glacier Bay National Park from sites.google.com\nInteresting Facts A. Interesting Facts Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is located in Alaska on the Pacific coast. In the northwest, the park borders on the Gulf of Alaska. In the south, the Icy Strait and Cross Sound surround the park. To the East is the Canadian province of British Columbia. · The park is bigger than the state of Connecticut, but it contains less than one percent of Alaska’s land mass. · The Alaska-Canada border crosses right through the tallest peak in the park at the top of Mount Fairweather. · Glacier Bay is the largest protected marine sanctuary in the world. · Glacier Bay tides can change as much as 25 feet from high to low tide. · During the Pleistocene era—the Great Ice Age—a 5000 foot thick sheet of ice covered the area of southern Alaska. · The most recent advance of the ice sheet occurred between 500 and 200 years ago. · Glacial ice acts like a prism when sunlight hit it, and separating the light by its wave length. The tightly packed crystals under the surface of glaciers often appear blue. · The ice in parts of Glacier Bay National Park is so thick and heavy it has pushed the earth’s crust deeper into the mantle. As the ice melts, parts of the earth in this area rise more than 1 inch per year. · Glacier Bay National Park has the only glacier in the continental US that flows directly into the Pacific Ocean. · The glacial ice breaking off and “calving” into Glacier Bay is on average 200 years old. · Since they were first discovered in 1796, the glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park are retreating faster than anywhere in the world. I would love to return to Alaska some other time. As a lover of Nature and places that are \u0026ldquo;unspoilt,\u0026rdquo; this trip was the closest I ever came to having a wilderness experience. According to John Muir, the well-known naturalist,\u0026ldquo;To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world.\u0026rdquo; I couldn\u0026rsquo;t agree more.\n","permalink":"/posts/cruising-in-glacier-bay-alaska/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The mountains are calling and I must go.\u0026rdquo; ~ John Muir\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Cruising-in-glacier-bay-alaska/i-S4R84KW/0/NJ4N6CL3LVGZbVDNpXpXpztjwMt6sb36ZbpFGbsp6/D/IMG_3526-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Cruising-in-glacier-bay-alaska/i-S4R84KW/0/NJ4N6CL3LVGZbVDNpXpXpztjwMt6sb36ZbpFGbsp6/D/IMG_3526-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlacier Bay National Park was one of the highlights of our Alaska visit.  It\u0026rsquo;s designated a World Heritage Site.  We were able to see tidewater glaciers, get close up to inlets carved by the ice, and just bask in the silence and the peace of this wilderness experience.  It\u0026rsquo;s easy to become camera-happy here and take the same or similar views over and over again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cruising in Glacier Bay, Alaska"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4000\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] Our first view of Alaska as we approached Anchorage. Taken on the aircraft.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3998\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3648\u0026rdquo;] “You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person.” ― Alec Waugh[/caption]\nAs a first-time visitor to Alaska, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that it was love at first sight. I had seen pictures of Alaska that showed its natural, rugged beauty. Nothing had prepared me for how unspoilt it really is though. My husband and I began our Alaska adventure on May 27th travelling on Holland America\u0026rsquo;s \u0026quot; MS Noordam.\u0026quot;\nThe Noordam (seen above) is an older member of Holland America\u0026rsquo;s fleet and was launched in 2006. Its age didn\u0026rsquo;t daunt me, however, as I knew Holland America to have a good reputation for their cruises. Comparing the price with other cruises for this time of year, they had attractive deals. It was a very fine ship and the friendly, attentive staff, made the journey pleasant and memorable.\nFor this cruise, we took a verandah room. At all times, when we were in the room, we were able to see what was happening outside. Our little verandah had chairs and a small table. Fresh fruit was provided for us in our room at all times. On our first day at sea, I attended a flower arranging demonstration and the flowers you see in the glass are left-overs from that workshop. Crew members gave that demo. There are beautiful flower arrangements all over the ship.\nWe had breakfast delivered to our room every morning so that we didn\u0026rsquo;t have to rush to the dining-room or the Lido buffet on the 9th floor. We found this more relaxing for us. We chose what we wanted from a menu every night and chose the time we wanted it delivered. Back home, we miss having room service for breakfast.\nA trip to Alaska is about natural beauty and unspoilt land. There are mountains, glaciers, trees, wildlife, and the sea, at every turn one makes. In Captain Henk Draper\u0026rsquo;s welcome, he stated: \u0026ldquo;Our goal is to help you experience new lands, ways of life and cultures, making your journey more engaging, vivid and meaningful.\u0026rdquo; Our journey encompassed all those things and it was especially meaningful to learn about the Tlingits (Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest).\nWe flew to Anchorage, Alaska via Vancouver. On arrival in Anchorage, we took a bus to Seward for the cruise ship. The journey was around 3 hours and our driver was also our tour guide. He gave us invaluable information along the way. We saw spectacular scenery and learned that the highway from Anchorage to Seward is designated a National Forest Scenic Byway.\nEven from the bus, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist taking pictures. There was one stop along the way. We traveled along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet, and the base of the Chugach Mountains. We saw everything from mud flats to saltwater bays, glaciers, and alpine valleys. We even saw moose. Many people were fishing too for small fish which our guide told us were like smelts. Salmon fishing happens later on in the season.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4001\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] Taken on the bus from Anchorage to Seward.[/caption]\nOn arrival in Seward, everything went quickly and smoothly for our embarkation on the MS Noordam. We were delighted with our little cabin and with all the information they had left there for us. We went up for the Mandatory Passenger Emergency Muster Drill which was about to take place. After that, we headed to the Lido Deck to eat as we were very hungry. We liked all that we saw and knew that it would take us time to get to know the ship and find our way around easily. We didn\u0026rsquo;t attend any shipboard activities that night but instead headed straight for bed, tired from a full day of travel.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4005\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] Main Staircase on the MS Noordam.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4006\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1242\u0026rdquo;] Sculptures all over the MS Noordam.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4007\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] More Sculptures around the Cruise Ship.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4008\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] Beautiful Art Work throughout Ship.[/caption]\nThere is an Art Gallery on the ship and the art work changes throughout the cruise. Art auctions are held there. It\u0026rsquo;s a nice place to visit. Daily events include Digital Workshops, Spa Events, Bridge \u0026amp; other games, movies, musical events, Afternoon Tea, various talks on Alaska, wine tasting, and even an AmericanTest Kitchen. We went for the preparing salmon two ways presentation. It was fun. There is something for everyone on a cruise ship. Afternoon tea was a very fine affair. Of course, there are your regular everyday places like the gym, spa, library, games room, pool, hot tubs, photo studio, stores, restaurants, bars, and even a casino. Mass is held every day.\nThere is fine dining that is included in the price of the cruise but there are also restaurants where you pay for your meal. Many tours are offered by the ship for various interesting off-ship excursions. You book and pay for those separately. Days spent in a port of call are very busy as there\u0026rsquo;s so much to do and see in the various locations.\nOn the last night at dinner, the chefs came out for a round of applause from the guests. A few of them can be seen standing on the stairs in this image.\nThis is Yanjar who seated us at dinner every night and who we liked very much. The staff on the ship are mainly Indonesians. There were some Filipinos and other Asians as well.\nThe food was great and the desserts were extraordinary.\nHere are a few more sceneries from Alaska to bring this post to a close. I hope to share other Alaska moments later on.\n","permalink":"/posts/visiting-alaska/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4000\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Visiting-alaska/i-5g9JGc2/0/K6Hs5J89PJHX54fC7hH4st7Nv627vmWw9v5HqMTgG/D/DSC05975-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Visiting-alaska/i-5g9JGc2/0/K6Hs5J89PJHX54fC7hH4st7Nv627vmWw9v5HqMTgG/D/DSC05975-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e          \u003cstrong\u003eOur first view of Alaska as we approached Anchorage. Taken on the aircraft.\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3998\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3648\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Visiting-alaska/i-hb7cXn6/0/Ldq7HTjBWH94TLBGJ9qqFNHqT4KKfdfnKm87GfjxC/D/SAM_1702-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Visiting-alaska/i-hb7cXn6/0/Ldq7HTjBWH94TLBGJ9qqFNHqT4KKfdfnKm87GfjxC/D/SAM_1702-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e        \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person.” ― Alec Waugh\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a first-time visitor to Alaska, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that it was love at first sight.   I had seen pictures of Alaska that showed its natural, rugged beauty.  Nothing had prepared me for how unspoilt it really is though.  My husband and I began our Alaska adventure on May 27th travelling on Holland America\u0026rsquo;s \u0026quot; MS Noordam.\u0026quot;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Visiting Alaska"},{"content":"“It is spring time now! While the world looks for a new war to fight, you look for a cherry blossom to watch! Let the stupid seek the violence; you seek the elegance!” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan Many people flocked to High Park this last week to revel in the beauty of this year\u0026rsquo;s spectacle of cherry blossoms. I\u0026rsquo;m sure war or anything close to it was far away from the minds of these nature lovers. They were moved physically to get there and moved within themselves by the beauty they felt there. Nature\u0026rsquo;s beauty has the power to hold us captive by just being present to it. However, some weren\u0026rsquo;t happy to just see this beauty. Through the magic of photography, they wanted to take some of it away. I was one of those present.\nPhotography is a medium, a language, through which I might come to experience directly, live more closely with, the interaction between myself and nature. ~ Paul Caponigro The blossoms of Springtime bring us the joy of new life. After a long winter, we are hungry for each and every sign of life around us. Every little shoot we see in the soil brings us joy. While winter and all the seasons have their own beauty, the cherry blossoms of spring have to be my favourite. By the droves of people I saw at the park, it must also be the favourite of many others.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3975\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3648\u0026rdquo;] Look at the cherry blossoms! Their color and scent fall with them, Are gone forever, Yet mindless The spring comes again.\n~ Ikkyu[/caption]\nHigh Park\u0026rsquo;s cherry blossom trees were a gift to Canada by Japan\u0026rsquo;s Ambassador. In 1959, two thousand sakura trees were given. Among the many visitors to High Park are many Japanese people. In Japan, when the blossoms are in bloom, they have picnics under the trees, take photos, and take part in all kinds of revelry. This is called Sakura Hanami. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that we can be a part of this Japanese tradition right here in Toronto.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2736\u0026rdquo;] A couple in Japanese dress (High Park)[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3977\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1552\u0026rdquo;] This couple may be newly weds taking pictures with the cherry blossoms. They had a photographer along with them.[/caption]\nThe significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It\u0026rsquo;s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. ~ Homaro Cantu\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3978\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3648\u0026rdquo;] Due to their short bloom time, Sakura blossoms are a metaphor for life itself: beautiful yet fleeting. You’ll realize when you’re as old as me to hang on to the good times because they won’t last forever. ~ Shannon Mullen[/caption]\nWhile we admire and enjoy the cherry blossoms in Spring, it\u0026rsquo;s interesting that we can take away a valuable lesson about life from viewing them. Their beauty and their time is limited. This is the same with human beauty and our human life span. The last two above quotes speak to this lesson.\nMy last thought on the lesson of the cherry blossoms (Sakura) comes from a song I used to hear sung as a younger person and still remember the words to. Here it is and hope you enjoyed my cherry blossom photos!\nEnjoy yourself, it\u0026rsquo;s later than you think Enjoy yourself, while you\u0026rsquo;re still in the pink The years go by, as quickly as you wink Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it\u0026rsquo;s later than you think\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3981\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2736\u0026rdquo;] “O that I had sleeve enough to cover the wide sky! No wind should then take the flowers that blossom in spring.” (The Tale of Genji)[/caption]\nAnother visual treat of the cherry blossoms can be found below. Ronald Janki, of Simply Spectacular Designs, put this together. Enjoy!\n","permalink":"/posts/high-parks-cherry-blossoms-sakura/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"it-is-spring-time-now-while-the-world-looks-for-a-new-war-to-fight-you-look-for-a-cherry-blossom-to-watch-let-the-stupid-seek-the-violence-you-seek-the-elegance-\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“It is spring time now! While the world looks for a new war to fight, you look for a cherry blossom to watch! Let the stupid seek the violence; you seek the elegance!” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/High-parks-cherry-blossoms-sakura/i-C9zhPQh/0/MSQVL5wKFJFm62H85D2Tp2bvT6PVtG6zd922pTSCS/D/SAM_1418-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/High-parks-cherry-blossoms-sakura/i-C9zhPQh/0/MSQVL5wKFJFm62H85D2Tp2bvT6PVtG6zd922pTSCS/D/SAM_1418-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people flocked to High Park this last week to revel in the beauty of this year\u0026rsquo;s spectacle of cherry blossoms.  I\u0026rsquo;m sure war or anything close to it was far away from the minds of these nature lovers.  They were moved physically to get there and moved within themselves by the beauty they felt there.  Nature\u0026rsquo;s beauty has the power to hold us captive by just being present to it.  However, some weren\u0026rsquo;t happy to just see this beauty.  Through the magic of photography, they wanted to take some of it away.  I was one of those present.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"HIGH PARK'S CHERRY BLOSSOMS (SAKURA)"},{"content":" Previously published in Medium on May 5/2018\n“There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross I like what Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has to say about mistakes, coincidences, and the events of our lives. As one who’s beat myself up over and over again with regard to the mistakes I’ve made, it’s very freeing. However, it’s a process. We don’t start out with the wisdom to view the mishaps, tragedies, and events we wish never happened, as blessings.\n“You need to be content with small steps. That’s all life is. Small steps that you take every day so when you look back down the road it all adds up and you know you covered some distance.” ~ Katie Kacvinsky, Awaken\nWe all know about those small steps we took when we entered kindergarten and how long it took to get to high-school and college. Life has often been compared to a school and if we adhere to this viewpoint, we’re all learners here. We pass through all the stages and phases of our lives — childhood years, adolescence, young adulthood, middle-age, and later life in learning mode. Some of life’s learning is hard. It would be nice if life was all sunshine and roses and we didn’t have to learn through the untoward events of our lives.\n“There are some things you can’t learn at any university, except for one, the University of Life… the only college where everyone is a permanent student.” ~ E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly\nDifficult, uncomfortable life experiences, bring us sadness, pain, and often loss. Prime examples of this are sickness and death. We would rather not have them but they are inevitable. How do we bring ourselves to the place of learning from these events? Perhaps, it’s even harder to find the blessing.\n“Each bruise is a lesson. Each lesson makes us better.” Syrio Forel, a Game of Thrones character.\nHowever, we have the words of many people who have been willing to share openly about the lessons they have learned from illness, tragedy, and heartache and how they have been changed. Mark Nepo, the best-selling author of “The Book of Awakening” wrote a book called “Surviving Has Made Me Crazy.” This is a part of the book description in which Mark describes his journey:\nIt has been eighteen years since I was first diagnosed with cancer and I have never been the same. In some ways, I am still stunned to be here. And but for a hiccup of God, I could be dead and one of those I’ve loved and lost along the way might be writing this to you. So, this is not a book on how to get past illness. I’ve never gotten past it. Rather, it has turned me inside out. More humbly, this is a blanket of twigs and berries gathered on my way through the long forest. They are the few things that haven’t gone bad. And no matter how little there seems to be, I now know, it is enough. There is plenty for everyone. If the twigs can light a fire and the berries feed you, something will have passed between us…\nMark Nepo is one of those people who is an inspiration to the rest of us. Not all cancer survivors have the gift of writing as well as he does and are able to express feelings like him. In any of his written work, when he talks about his cancer journey, it’s not in some airy-fairy way. He’s acquired a great deal of wisdom along the way and transcended his suffering. He didn’t ask for cancer but he’s come through it and lived to bless others through his writing and speaking.\nThe American Cancer Society shares stories of cancer survivors and this is what Chrissy Dunn had to say about surviving her pancreatic cancer: “Every day is beautiful and I’ve learned to look at things as blessings that I used to just take for granted. The shoes I put on my feet, the hot water when I take a bath — every single aspect of my life is a blessing.” The word blessing is actually used here and this person doesn’t take life for granted.\nPrince Harry lost his mother Princess Diana when he was twelve years old. This tragic loss affected him adversely for most of his life but in an interview with Newsweek, he said: “My mother died when I was very young. I didn’t want to be in the position I was in, but I eventually pulled my head out of the sand, started listening to people and decided to use my role for good. I am now fired up and energized and love charity stuff, meeting people and making them laugh,” he says. “I sometimes still feel I am living in a goldfish bowl, but I now manage it better. I still have a naughty streak too, which I enjoy and is how I relate to those individuals who have got themselves into trouble. Losing a loved one is very difficult, even for a prince. But despite this tragedy, he has chosen to move on. As a high profile person, he has chosen to use his role for good and be a blessing to many others.\nThe most remarkable story of survival is that of Holocaust Survivor, Viktor Frankl, who authored “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Despite all that he endured during that time and the loss of most of his family, he saw that we have a choice as to how we react in times of crisis, loss, and pain. This is what he observed: “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms — to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circumstances — to choose one’s own way.”\nI, like many others, have my own painful story. I didn’t want this story but it was thrust upon me. With these kinds of stories, there’s often a “wrestling” period before a “settling” period. Even when we don’t understand the why of our particular story, let alone the blessing, we take those baby steps each day. We get up and keep going — doing what little we can. Finally, there comes a day when we can feel the pain, face it, and move on. We make a choice to choose our own way — blessing rather than curse. We change our attitude and are forever changed. That hard place was a place of learning.\n“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place”― Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You ","permalink":"/posts/learning-in-hard-places/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e            Previously published in Medium on May 5/2018\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*gXq5ieOvDk4R6WdwQtddtA.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"there-are-no-mistakes-no-coincidences-all-events-are-blessings-given-to-us-to-learn-from--elisabeth-kubler-ross\"\u003e“There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI like what Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has to say about mistakes, coincidences, and the events of our lives. As one who’s beat myself up over and over again with regard to the mistakes I’ve made, it’s very freeing. However, it’s a process. We don’t start out with the wisdom to view the mishaps, tragedies, and events we wish never happened, as blessings.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Learning in Hard Places"},{"content":"We don’t just fight for survival, we fight for meaning and self-worth. (Dan Pedersen)\nI was struck by the above quote found in mail I received in my inbox today from Medium. The title of the post was \u0026ldquo;Why We Fight\u0026rdquo; and came from the Personal Growth area of Medium. As one who is constantly baffled and confused about the whole question of life\u0026rsquo;s meaning, this got me thinking. I believe I\u0026rsquo;ve changed my views and thinking around this topic many times during my life. Since I\u0026rsquo;m a learning, growing human being, I believe that\u0026rsquo;s perfectly alright.\n“Wisdom is merely the movement from fighting life to embracing it.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru\n\u0026ldquo;Why We Fight\u0026rdquo; seems such an appropriate title for what we humans tend to be involved in most of our days. Making a living for a great percentage of the population involves a great amount of striving and fighting. Many of us know about getting up early in the morning, getting ready for work, rushing to get there, and putting in a full day\u0026rsquo;s work. We talk of \u0026ldquo;fighting the traffic\u0026rdquo; to get where we\u0026rsquo;re going. Then, we \u0026ldquo;fight the traffic\u0026rdquo; to get home at the end of the day. Some of us end up fighting traffic tickets or speeding tickets.\n\u0026ldquo;To survive it is often necessary to fight and to fight you have to dirty yourself.\u0026rdquo; ~ George Orwell\nOn the bright side, it\u0026rsquo;s good to know that all this \u0026ldquo;fighting\u0026rdquo; is for something precious - \u0026ldquo;meaning and self-worth.\u0026rdquo; It seems to me that all of us, whether we are conscious of it or not, want to feel that our lives have meaning. We want to feel worthy in our own eyes and if we\u0026rsquo;re so blessed, share this gift with others. After all, there are skills, talents, and abilities that each of us have that we can share with others. When we share our gifts, we desire to see loving eyes looking back at us, perhaps in appreciation.\n“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” ―Pablo Casals\nI like what Pablo Casals says about \u0026ldquo;the capacity to care\u0026rdquo; as being essential for a life with meaning. I\u0026rsquo;m sure that if a poll was taken though that each person would have a different take on what gives their own life meaning. So many factors are at work here. We are all male or female, different nationalities, have varying economic circumstances, genetic predispositions, personalities, and the like. What is meaningful to a person from one culture may not mean anything to a person from another. What of the choices we make in life and the cards we\u0026rsquo;re dealt? Maybe meaning cannot be pinned down.\n“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” ~ Joseph Campbell\nI\u0026rsquo;ve heard many mothers say that their meaning in life comes from having family and children of their own. I\u0026rsquo;ve heard working people say that their meaning in life comes from their work. Many in leadership roles see their role as giving meaning to their life and to those who are following them. Basically, they are all talking about having found a purpose in their life. What they do for themselves and for others, day by day, is what makes living worthwhile.\n“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_466\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5242\u0026rdquo;] Lake Louise - Canada[/caption]\nPersonally, while I\u0026rsquo;m still exploring this topic, I have found that \u0026ldquo;meaning and self-worth\u0026rdquo; can come in many different ways and in very different places. At home, it can come from family, at work, it can come from being productive and serving others, at a sports event, it can come from having fun watching the game along with others, and so forth.\nI\u0026rsquo;m positive it\u0026rsquo;s something we all desire but we are the ones who give the meaning to the relationships and objects in our lives. It\u0026rsquo;s not something we have to go looking for and there\u0026rsquo;s no fighting involved here. Let\u0026rsquo;s just embrace life.\n“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~ Joseph Campbell\n","permalink":"/posts/what-about-meaning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe don’t just fight for survival, we fight for meaning and self-worth.  (Dan Pedersen)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/What-about-meaning/i-9q3gVxd/0/NPvLDFHtpNfnZLpZN8LFRrxxnLhBjFJB9bKhcNdtn/D/Lladro-Male-Angel-Figurine-Top-10-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Lladro-Male-Angel-Figurine-Top-10-1024x576.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was struck by the above quote found in mail I received in my inbox today from Medium.  The title of the post was \u0026ldquo;Why We Fight\u0026rdquo;  and came from the Personal Growth area of Medium.   As one who is constantly baffled and confused about the whole question of life\u0026rsquo;s meaning, this got me thinking.  I believe I\u0026rsquo;ve changed my views and thinking around this topic many times during my life.  Since I\u0026rsquo;m a learning, growing human being, I believe that\u0026rsquo;s perfectly alright.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What about Meaning?"},{"content":"\nI was reading an entry from \u0026ldquo;The Book of Awakening,\u0026rdquo; by Mark Nepo one morning recently and came across the word Ubuntu. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t one I had heard before and was fascinated to discover its meaning.\nUbunt_u-I am because you are , you are because I am\u0026hellip;_ (A Deep African Way of Being)\nIn only the way that Mark Nepo can, his short entry on this topic moved me to want to find out more about this philosophy. Ubuntu has its origins in Africa. It comes from the Nguni Bantu phrase \u0026ldquo;Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu\u0026rdquo;, which roughly translated means \u0026ldquo;humanity towards others.\u0026rdquo; Most religions, cultures, countries and peoples throughout the ages have always advocated for oneness, brotherhood, interconnectedness, and respect among peoples - human decency.\nI\u0026rsquo;m happy to add \u0026ldquo;Ubuntu\u0026rdquo; to the long repertoire of words to describe the concept of community and sharing that it engenders. We\u0026rsquo;re all familiar with the \u0026ldquo;no man is an island\u0026rdquo; phrase which John Donne, an English author, penned. That was his way of expressing our need for each other. Another adage goes like this: \u0026ldquo;Two heads are better than one.\u0026rdquo; This also conjures up in one\u0026rsquo;s mind the idea of sharing, caring, and relating to another.\nPerhaps, the well-known teaching called the Golden Rule that says: “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you” (Christianity) is synonymous with Ubuntu\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;humanity towards others.\u0026rdquo;\nDesmond Tutu, South African theologian, and Nobel prize winner describes Ubuntu this way: “A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”\nI like how Desmond Tutu addresses the concept of our perceived individuality. It\u0026rsquo;s very easy to get caught up in how individual we are and to take great pride in that. I know it\u0026rsquo;s very easy for me. It\u0026rsquo;s true that we are individuals but we are not alone in this world. Ubuntu is the antithesis of individuality.\nEven Prime Ministers are into Ubuntu philosophy. Former President Bill Clinton embraces Ubuntu in his work with the Clinton Foundation which does philanthropic work. He says this: “So Ubuntu — for us it means that the world is too small, our wisdom too limited, our time here too short, to waste any more of it in winning fleeting victories at other people’s expense. We have to now find a way to triumph together.” At a Labour Party Conference in the UK in 2006, he told the Labour delegates that society and collaboration is important because of Ubuntu. “If we were the most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most wealthy, the most powerful person — and then found all of a sudden that we were alone on the planet, it wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans,” he said.\nI hope you\u0026rsquo;re getting a better picture here of how Ubuntu works and why it\u0026rsquo;s important for all of us to know about it. Any philosophy, teaching, adage, proverb, or wise saying, that promotes brotherhood and peace, is in my opinion worth knowing about. Deep in every human heart is the need and cry for peace and good relationship with one other. We just don\u0026rsquo;t seem to know how to achieve it.\nUbuntu also works in business. Last, but not least, I found an article under virgin.com \u0026ldquo;How the Ubuntu Philosophy Can Have a Positive Impact on Your Business.\u0026rdquo; This was very informative and if you have the time, it\u0026rsquo;s a good read about how Ubuntu works in the world of business as well. Here\u0026rsquo;s a small excerpt from the article:\nThe next step for business worldwide is to embrace what I call \u0026lsquo;Ubuntupreneurship\u0026rsquo;. I see it as a hybrid of social entrepreneurship and capitalism 3.0 – what Richard Branson called business as a force for good. Ultimately, nature will lead us back to the core of living, which is the Ubuntu way of life. A life lived in reverence of one’s true self and that of others. We can already see it happening, simply by observing the way the world is embracing healthy living.\nGetting to know one another better can only lead to better understanding and hopefully to a shared humanity. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that I stumbled upon Ubuntu philosophy through one of my favourite authors, Mark Nepo. It enriches my life to know about it. Hope it does the same for you.\nNOTE: All information and photos internet based.\nThe \u0026ldquo;Book of Awakening\u0026rdquo; - Pg. 239 (July 22) - Entry on Ubuntu\n","permalink":"/posts/ubuntu-philosophy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Ubuntu-philosophy/i-Px7gGdm/0/K3sR2thzSDtfT2HG4PZ8t9RgnXMWj2JvnJfF3XrVN/D/6f657fe7ad8506b5875e91d20d6d21ec-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2018/Ubuntu-philosophy/i-Px7gGdm/0/K3sR2thzSDtfT2HG4PZ8t9RgnXMWj2JvnJfF3XrVN/D/6f657fe7ad8506b5875e91d20d6d21ec-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was reading an entry from \u0026ldquo;The Book of Awakening,\u0026rdquo;  by Mark Nepo one morning recently and came across the word Ubuntu.  It wasn\u0026rsquo;t one I had heard before and was fascinated to discover its meaning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUbunt_u-I am because you are , you are because I am\u0026hellip;_\u003c/strong\u003e  (A Deep African Way of Being)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn only the way that Mark Nepo can, his short  entry on this topic moved me to want to find out more about this philosophy.  Ubuntu has its origins in Africa.  It comes from the Nguni Bantu phrase \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e, which roughly translated means \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;humanity towards others.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e   Most religions, cultures, countries and peoples throughout the ages have always advocated for oneness, brotherhood, interconnectedness, and respect among peoples - human decency.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ubuntu Philosophy"},{"content":"“A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you.” ~ Rumi\nThere was a time in my life when I didn\u0026rsquo;t enjoy being alone. As a child, I always wanted to have playmates. Later on, as an adolescent, I wanted to have friends, go places, and be part of several activities that were going on. It seems that at every stage of my younger life I felt lonely if I wasn\u0026rsquo;t in the company of other people. It seemed as though I was afraid of alone time.\n“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.” ~ Orson Welles\nAs an older person now, I want to think that although I wanted to be with others, I was an introvert at heart. There were hours that I spent reading all by myself and, as far as I recall, enjoyed that time very much. Over the years, I\u0026rsquo;ve come to understand that being alone constitutes solitude and does not necessarily mean being lonely. It\u0026rsquo;s nice to have friends and enjoy companionship but it\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful blessing to enjoy one\u0026rsquo;s time alone.\n“Don’t think of introversion as something that needs to be cured…Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you’re supposed to.” ~ Susan Cain\nLoneliness is a real problem in our world. It would not be fair to gloss over the real problem of loneliness that many people feel in everyday life. I myself have felt the pangs of loneliness on different occasions and times in my life. Lucky is the person who has never experienced loneliness even once in life. Loneliness is a state that we abhor because we feel isolated from others. We suffer alone and feel that nobody understands us.\nNo one really wants to admit they are lonely, and it is never really addressed very much between friends and family. But I have felt lonely many times in my life. ~ Bill Murray\nThe strange thing is that even when we\u0026rsquo;re with others, we can be lonely. Many of us have acquaintances who pass as friends but we feel lonely in these relationships. They are superficial. Meaningful, heart-to-heart relationships are few and far between. If a person is able to have even one true friend that they are able to relate to and share in a meaningful way with, they are very fortunate indeed.\n\u0026ldquo;I am lonely, yet not everybody will do. I don’t know why, some people fill the gaps and others emphasize my loneliness.\u0026rdquo; ― Anais Nin\nNot all of us suffer from the kind of loneliness that is debilitating. Those of us who like being alone embrace our solitude. Solitude is a state of being that an individual chooses and enjoys. It is very unlike loneliness. In \u0026ldquo;Walden,\u0026rdquo; Thoreau described solitude this way: “I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”\nIt\u0026rsquo;s good to know oneself as Thoreau did. Thoreau\u0026rsquo;s life of solitude was a bit extreme but there are differing degrees and kinds of solitude. Some people enjoy their hours of solitude but also enjoy spending time with others. Some people need solitude for their creative pursuits. Ester Buchholz, psychologist, psychoanalyst, and author of \u0026ldquo;The Call of Solitude\u0026rdquo; says: “Solitude is required for the unconscious to process and unravel problems. Others inspire us, information feeds us, practice improves our performance, but we need quiet time to figure things out, to emerge with new discoveries, to unearth original answers.”\nI find myself enjoying and embracing my solitude more and more these days. During times of quiet, it\u0026rsquo;s easier to get art projects, writing, and other creative activities done. It can also be a time for reflection and meditation. To become more comfortable with solitude and to embrace it more, taking long walks in Nature helps. It\u0026rsquo;s also good to unplug from all social media from time to time to ensure times for quiet within. We hear the din of other voices all the time but we seldom have the time to listen to what our own hearts are telling us.\n“Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.” -Oprah\nGood luck with embracing moments of solitude to replenish and refresh yourself. You will be happier that you did.\n(My brother, Ronald Janki\u0026rsquo;s digital painting)\n","permalink":"/posts/embracing-solitude/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you.” ~ \u003cstrong\u003eRumi\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Embracing-solitude/i-DBP3JM4/0/Lp8XwBvtRqmmPbRRVJsPTFknKWrhVkQKdDJkzQwgQ/D/DSC01552-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was a time in my life when I didn\u0026rsquo;t enjoy being alone.  As a child, I always wanted to have playmates.  Later on, as an adolescent, I wanted to have friends, go places, and be part of several activities that were going on.  It seems that at every stage of my younger life I felt lonely if I wasn\u0026rsquo;t in the company of other people.  It seemed as though I was afraid of alone time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Embracing Solitude"},{"content":" Image taken in Chapters/Indigo Bookstore, Toronto\nIt seems that everyone I meet is always “hustling.” I myself was part of this hustle and bustle for many years. Life hasn’t changed much. I had thought that with all the new technological advances, people would have more time to spend on other pursuits. But, much of what I read in books and see in the news and even stories on Medium are about goal setting, working harder and longer hours, productivity, and achieving success.\nOf course, to a certain extent, it’s good to set goals, work hard, be productive, and achieve as much success for yourself as you can. But, I’m just wondering if this is what is the reason for living. Or is there some nobler purpose? Was Anais Nin right when she said: “Good things happen to those who hustle.”\nAt the age of sixty-eight and with all the hustlin’ a thing of the past, I have a few thoughts on this. The Protestant Work Ethic still rules most of our lives, whether we are Protestant or not. Hard work and discipline are drilled into us as the cornerstone for our success and upward mobility early in life. Max Weber wrote in “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” about the importance of “vigorous discipline” and the selection of “vocation as a duty and virtue.” (valuesandcapitalism.com) For many of us, we know no other way of being. “Many people worry so much about managing their careers, but rarely spend half that much energy managing their lives. I want to make my life, not just my job, the best it can be. The rest will work itself out.” ~ Reese Witherspoon\nMost of us have to work hard to make a living for ourselves and our families but we sense a nagging discontent deep within. There is little or no time for ourselves. Everywhere, there’s the cry that “I don’t have time.” What is it that people do not have time for? It’s certainly not about having more time to spend longer and longer hours at work. Maybe it’s about getting to know ourselves and being able to share all the other gifts we have with others. “Finding your passion isn’t just about careers and money. It’s about finding your authentic self. The one you’ve buried beneath other people’s needs.” ~ Kristin Hannah, Distant Shores\nIn my own working life, the Protestant work ethic (especially the hard work and discipline parts) and pleasing the boss were my weaknesses. I realized much later in my working life that my employers were just concerned about getting the job done. They didn’t care two hoots about my fulfillment or my needs. Those were things that I might have paid more attention to if I had known better. “Our higher needs include making full use of our gifts, finding and fulfilling our calling, being loved and cherished just for ourselves, and being in relationships that honor all of these. Such needs are fulfilled in an atmosphere of the five A’s by which love is shown: attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing.” ~ David Richo\nTo find out “who we really are” and to “be ourselves” in the world is a lifelong task. It’s not an easy one. Many people are more than willing to tell us how to live, how to think, and how to feel. I don’t feel that just “hustlin” to make money is what this life is all about. I’m not against hard work or money. We need those things. What I do feel is that those are not the only things we should be pursuing in this time we’re given to live. Just as we learn slowly but surely how to set boundaries in other areas of our lives, it is imperative that we learn how to set boundaries at work. This will give us time for “being.”\nJust as our fingerprints are one-of-a-kind, so is our identity. Each of us is a once-only articulation of what humans can be. We are rare, unmatched, mysterious. This is why the quality of openness is so crucial to our self-discovery. We cannot know ourselves by who we think we are, who others take us to be, or what our driver’s license may say. We are fields of potential, some now actualized, most not yet.” ~ David Richo\nPreviously published on Medium, March 26/2018\n","permalink":"/posts/hustlin-or-being/","summary":"\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1000/1*WFvKHlbXKsnDWqtJlFIaPA.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage taken in Chapters/Indigo Bookstore, Toronto\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt seems that everyone I meet is always “hustling.” I myself was part of this hustle and bustle for many years. Life hasn’t changed much. I had thought that with all the new technological advances, people would have more time to spend on other pursuits. But, much of what I read in books and see in the news and even stories on Medium are about goal setting, working harder and longer hours, productivity, and achieving success.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hustlin' or Being?"},{"content":" I took this image in a Chapters/Indigo bookstore in Toronto, Canada\nNormally we do not like to think about death. We would rather think about life. Why reflect on death? When you start preparing for death you soon realize that you must look into your life now… and come to face the truth of your self. Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche I took this image Over the last little while, I’ve had the opportunity to be with people who seem to be actively doing a different kind of work — preparing for death. This isn’t because I’m working in a home for the aged or in a hospital doing hospice work, or anything of this nature. These encounters are with people I know who are freely sharing their thoughts and feelings with me around what I call their “work.” They are talking about their lives now in relation to the time they will no longer be here. They are doing what I call “death work.”\nThey share when we are visiting together. It’s not morbid or scary in any way. It just surprises me that they feel comfortable enough with me to share some very deep feelings. I notice that they want to be able to exercise some kind of choice and control around events or happenings in their own lives at this time. They don’t want to lose everything all at once. “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt\nIt may surprise you to know that this preparation goes beyond wills, personal care, financial issues, and type of funeral, disposition of the body, and so forth. Those matters are all in place and loved ones have been made aware of those kinds of details. The conversations they want to have are about their own contributions in life (things already completed) and about those matters that they want to attend to in order to go peacefully when their time comes. Sometimes they are overcome with sadness and cry. They like to talk about their family members who they are going to miss and how much they mean to them. They want to be remembered for who they were and not what they had. “A meaningful life is not being rich, being popular, or being perfect. It’s about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others.” ~ Unknown\nAnother image of lilacs that I took\nSome people are very concerned with time and want to accomplish many things if they have the strength and the energy. In one instance, a person has said to me that she wants to go to visit her mother’s grave in another country. She didn’t go when her mother died but wants to go now. Such a journey would be very taxing for her as it would require over eleven hours of air travel. She might not survive the journey. I told her that I thought that she wasn’t ready to go at the time her Mum died but is ready now. “Life is short and the older you get, the more you feel it. Indeed, the shorter it is. People lose their capacity to walk, run, travel, think, and experience life. I realise how important it is to use the time I have.” ~ Viggo Mortensen\nThose who are terminal and expected to go very quickly exude a kind of clarity and calmness. One friend who is terminal and hasn’t got the energy to go out wants to die in her own condo. The only medication she’s on are painkillers. All health personnel, caregivers, friends, and relatives go in to see her — all arranged by her family. She feels very lonely and loves to have visitors. She likes to share stories about her life, her children, and grandchildren. This story-telling is the way she gives meaning to her life and her story: “all sorrows can be borne if you put them in a story or tell a story about them.” ~ Isak Dine\nNobody wants to be a burden to their children or other family members. They prefer to have strangers they are paying do things for them rather than their nearest and dearest. They have a very high regard for the time and busy lives of their own loved ones. At least, this is what I’m hearing.\nAnother image that I took\nOne of my friends told me that she doesn’t want her daughter to have to come and shop for her. She said she was going to ask the caregiver who comes in on Saturdays for three hours to buy some things for her at the supermarket. In the case of this individual whose days are numbered, it’s unlikely that her daughter feels her mother to be a burden. She’s probably grateful for whatever she is able to do for her and for every precious moment she can spend with her. “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.” ~ Australian Aboriginal Proverb\nThroughout these conversations on what is a not-oft discussed topic usually, there is no sense at any time that the individuals are fearful of dying. The process of dying doesn’t seem to rattle them in any way. I’m not sure whether this is because they have come to terms with this or they haven’t thought about it. Perhaps, they have reached the stage of acceptance. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~ Lao Tzu\nMost of their fears and concerns are for others and have to do with their care at a time when they are unable to do for themselves. They do not exhibit selfish behaviour. Their thoughts and feelings are loving. There is no religious talk which surprises me. “There are four questions of value in life… What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love. [from Don Juan DeMarco (1994)] JOHNNY DEPP\nA creation of mine\nThe one precious attribute we have to offer each other in living and dying is LOVE.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-final-work-of-a-lifetime/","summary":"\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*FkmB67MECQv_z56vqDLMYw.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI took this image in a Chapters/Indigo bookstore in Toronto, Canada\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"normally-we-do-not-like-to-think-about-death-we-would-rather-think-about-life-why-reflect-on-death-when-you-start-preparing-for-death-you-soon-realize-that-you-must-look-into-your-life-now-and-come-to-face-the-truth-of-your-self-death-is-like-a-mirror-in-which-the-true-meaning-of-life-is-reflected--sogyalrinpoche\"\u003eNormally we do not like to think about death. We would rather think about life. Why reflect on death? When you start preparing for death you soon realize that you must look into your life now… and come to face the truth of your self. Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected. ~ Sogyal Rinpoche\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/600/1*U16QgJP2uXYfcFwR-EHuKA.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Final Work of a Lifetime"},{"content":"Growth is the only evidence of life. John Henry Newman\nI watched a Masterclass online for the first time last night. It was given by Robin Sharma who is an author, coach, motivational speaker, and leadership expert to many big companies. I clicked on Conscious Life News at around 6:30 p.m. in my mail and learned about this online class there. It was the last day to watch for free and I became interested because it said: \u0026ldquo;Robin Sharma says that the #1 purpose of life is to GROW!\u0026rdquo; I saw there were only two sessions left and I decided to watch the 9 p.m. which was the last one.\nIt is my personal belief that we are here to become the best version of ourselves that we can and that this state of being can only come through constant growth. I had the feeling that Robin and I had a lot in common. As the masterclass began and I watched, I realized that whatever growth I have experienced in life and will experience hadn\u0026rsquo;t come through goal setting. It came through the school of hard knocks and situations that no longer fit the \u0026ldquo;me\u0026rdquo; I was becoming or had become. It also came about through situations I wanted to change. “An authentic and genuine life grows like a sturdy tree. And like a tree, it grows slowly. Every time you make a different and better decision, it grows a little. Every time you choose to do the right thing, even when nobody would find out otherwise, it grows a little. Every time you act with compassion, relinquish your right to strike back, take a courageous stand, admit fault or accept responsibility, it grows a little.” ~ Steve Goodier\nRobin Sharma\u0026rsquo;s sees growth as a goal and I see growth as inevitable in life. That is because I am sixty-eight and have had many life experiences and growth opportunities. This growth and opportunity has come to me through living. If I were younger and about to climb the corporate ladder, Robin\u0026rsquo;s teaching would be something that would appeal to me. He has excellent tools for growing and I learned a lot from the Masterclass. He comes across as a genuinely good human being. I have to admit that a lot of what was said, I already knew. “It’s very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you’d always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It’s growth. It’s more than the negative that you’re going to die, it’s also the positive that you understand you’re going to die, and that you live a better life because of it.” ~ Mitch Albom\nAs I\u0026rsquo;ve been traversing this life, I have been constantly learning. Many of the beliefs that I held when I was younger had to be thrown out as I became aware of actualities. E.g. I always believed the fairy tales that ended with: \u0026ldquo;And they lived happily after.\u0026rdquo; Usually the prince would somehow rescue the young girl and they would walk off into the bliss of everlasting love.\nI believed in a fairy-tale kind of love until people near and dear to me starting divorcing and remarrying. Some people I know remarried three times. This experiential kind of learning cannot but help one to see that people do not all live \u0026ldquo;happily ever after.\u0026rdquo; The fact is that it is possible to love many people in a romantic sense more than one time in the course of a lifetime. I had to grow into a different belief. “If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.” ~Les Brown\nThere is the kind of growth by default and the kind that is conscious. It may be that a person is conscious of their dissatisfaction with their living and working life. They decide to take a course in a different subject and upgrade their skills over the course of a year. After completion of the course, they are able to acquire a different position at a higher salary. With this higher salary, they are able to move from a bachelor apartment to a one-bedroom. This gives them a better lifestyle and at the same time their self-confidence grows. They decide to take more courses and upgrade their skills further. In this scenario, growth takes place in many areas of this one person\u0026rsquo;s life. “The key to growth is the production of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” Lao Tzu\nIn lots of other areas of life, there is a conscious movement towards growth. Many people are consciously seeking spiritual growth these days. They don\u0026rsquo;t seem to be looking to follow any particular religious group as most of them already belong to one. I notice they are more focused on getting in touch with the \u0026ldquo;Higher Self\u0026rdquo; within. As Amrit Ray says: “Spirituality is not adopting more beliefs and assumptions but uncovering the best in you.”\nFor myself**,** I feel that I\u0026rsquo;ve been experiencing what might be called spiritual growth in more ways than one. I\u0026rsquo;ve been coming to feel the Oneness and interconnectedness of all things more and more over the last five years. I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed too that I feel that I don\u0026rsquo;t need very much by way of material things. I feel that food, clothing, and shelter are enough. Where other people are concerned, I feel that where I was once judgmental, I am becoming more understanding. The feeling that the most important thing is to have a peaceful mind causes me to \u0026ldquo;let go\u0026rdquo; when a situation may be getting difficult. There are a few others but those give some idea of what I consider a smidgen of growth.\nIf anyone would have told me that Robin Sharma\u0026rsquo;s masterclass would have caused me to write a post on growth, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have believed them. We are all growing in so many different ways throughout a lifetime and as long as we\u0026rsquo;re on the journey, growth never ends. We are all works in progress. Since the last area of growth I spoke about was spiritual growth, this Martin Luther quote is a good one to end with. “This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.”\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3642\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;3168\u0026rdquo;] “Growth isn\u0026rsquo;t a mindset, it\u0026rsquo;s an ever changing set of heuristic experiments. Sometimes you soar, sometimes you stumble through.” ― Mischaela Elkins[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/are-you-growing/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth is the only evidence of life. John Henry Newman\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/Are-you-growing/i-TRfMjvG/0/NCRtVxkPr3KrpsCCDN73bqGJDHW9nCkWW8NX2dKrq/D/DSC04829-2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI watched a Masterclass online for the first time last night.  It was given by Robin Sharma who is an author, coach, motivational speaker, and leadership expert to many big companies.  I clicked on Conscious Life News at around 6:30 p.m. in my mail and learned about this online class there.  It was the last day to watch for free and I became interested because it said: \u0026ldquo;Robin Sharma says that the #1 purpose of life is to GROW!\u0026rdquo;  I saw there were only two sessions left and I decided to watch the 9 p.m. which was the last one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Are you Growing?"},{"content":" Dear Women Friends Worldwide:\nI hope you’re having a wonderful day pressing ahead with your activities and activism. This year’s campaign theme is “Press for Progress” and it’s just fantastic to be pressing ahead with gender parity and other issues that affect all women world-wide. In most countries, in areas like education and health, we are on par with men. However, in the world of work women continue to be underemployed and work for lower wages than a man doing the same job. We all know that economic equality is worth fighting for not only for ourselves but for our families and the economy of our countries as well.\nWe women are true fighters and we ought to be proud of the great strides we’ve made in small communities and continue to make on the world stage. Our rights as members of the human race is important to us and worth fighting for. As Hilary Clinton said at the UN World Conference on Women In Beijing in 1995, “If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.”\nThe countries of Serbia, Singapore, Peru, New Zealand, and Iceland swore in women as their Prime Ministers in 2017. However, International Women’s Day isn’t just about women in high places. The UN theme for IWD is: “The Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives.” Women living in rural areas work very hard at jobs like tilling soil and planting seeds that feed nations and feed themselves and their families. These women themselves own no land and have no economic power. These inequalities have to be addressed.\nWhether you are celebrating or protesting, or doing a bit of both, remember we are all pressing on so that we can all be free. “Women are not inherently passive or peaceful. We’re not inherently anything but human.” ~Robin Morgan.\nHappy International Women’s Day!\n","permalink":"/posts/a-day-for-women/","summary":"\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*jYRbkLbfGRBJnraOpSteGw.jpeg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- raw HTML omitted --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Women Friends Worldwide:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope you’re having a wonderful day pressing ahead with your activities and activism. This year’s campaign theme is “Press for Progress” and it’s just fantastic to be pressing ahead with gender parity and other issues that affect all women world-wide. In most countries, in areas like education and health, we are on par with men. However, in the world of work women continue to be underemployed and work for lower wages than a man doing the same job. We all know that economic equality is worth fighting for not only for ourselves but for our families and the economy of our countries as well.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Day for Women"},{"content":"As 2018 began and all the good wishes abounded for a Happy New Year, I was filled with anticipation and joy for this new beginning. There\u0026rsquo;s something about a brand new start that brings a hopefulness to one\u0026rsquo;s soul and spirit. One never knows what\u0026rsquo;s in store but hopes it will be good. In fact, the collage below is usually the one I put on my Facebook page on New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve. When one is in good or reasonably good health and can participate in their own life and the lives of those around them, the New Year is a time of hope. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering \u0026lsquo;it will be happier\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip; ALFRED LORD TENNYSON\nAs with this journey of life though, there were a number of people I know who were not filled with that kind of anticipation. Sickness had crept into their lives and left them fearful. They didn\u0026rsquo;t know if they would live very long into the new year because they knew their lives were closing rather than beginning. They weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones who were uncomfortable around what was happening to them. Their families were even more confused and fearful. \u0026ldquo;It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.\u0026rdquo; —J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3899\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1000\u0026rdquo;] “Every man dies. Not every man really lives.” — William Wallace[/caption]\nGrief is one of those emotions that is very difficult to deal with for everyone. I have felt the deep poignancy of grief many times and at different phases of my life. At those times, it seemed that I would be forever broken. However, time was kind and brought healing. I do remember my loved ones every day but without the rawness and gut-wrenching feelings of the earlier years after they were gone.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2569\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] One more day, one more time\nOne more sunset, maybe I\u0026rsquo;d be satisfied\nBut then again, I know what it would do\nLeave me wishing still for one more day with you\nOne more day\n(Diamond Rio)[/caption]\nTwo of the people I mentioned who were gravely ill died - one in early January and the other last week. I observed that my feelings at this stage of life as I felt the grief both for myself and their families, was different. I am now sixty-eight. A certain acceptance of the fact that they were ill and recovery was not going to happen, caused me to petition for them differently. They both were, I believe, ready to die. I prayed they would die peacefully, that their relationships would be healed, that they would experience forgiveness for mistakes they had made and that they would be ready when the time came. “If (or rather when) you move to death, you’ll learn its language through the educational process known as total immersion. (7)” ― Sandra M. Gilbert, Death\u0026rsquo;s Door: Modern Dying and the Ways We Grieve\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2047\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5250\u0026rdquo;] I wished there were a place for gracious dying,\nA high place with a distant view.\nWhere we could gather for a celebration of life\nand death and friendship, old and new.\nI\u0026rsquo;d like a place where there would be good music,\nGood food and wine - and laughter, games and fun - And quiet talk with friends and good discussion\nOf what will happen when this life is done.\n- Helen Ansley -[/caption]\nIn the case of one family whose loved one had leukaemia, they seemed to have been preparing for death long before it was imminent. My reason for writing this post is to relay how I think a family\u0026rsquo;s reaction to their loved one\u0026rsquo;s sickness and death might be a better experience for both parties. This is not expert advice but based on my own experience over the years and my observations now.\n1. Find out as much as you can about your loved one\u0026rsquo;s illness. Knowing the facts can allay one\u0026rsquo;s fears greatly. E.g. there is acute leukaemia and chronic leukaemia. Acute leukaemia is more aggressive than chronic leukaemia which develops slowly. If a family knows that their loved one has chronic leukaemia, which was the case here, they know their loved one will die but that death is not imminent. All parties could have suffered less grief in this family if they had taken the time to do the research.\n2. The person who is very sick or just dying of old age wants to live until they die. They want to see the people around them laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and enjoying life. They want to be part of this in as much as they can. Let each meeting (especially if you\u0026rsquo;re making a special visit to see them) be a celebration. Order pizza, chinese food, or whatever the person likes, have a few drinks, and end the time together with their favourite cake and ice-cream. Don\u0026rsquo;t wait to celebrate when they are in the coffin at the church and you go downstairs for sandwiches and tea after. They are not with you at that time.\n3. If your loved one opens up a conversation about being afraid to die, how they will miss you, or about any other aspect of the dying process, see this as a precious opportunity to share with them. Many times, relatives are afraid of these kinds of conversations. Your relative will not open up to you about this unless they are very close and comfortable with you. Feel honoured.\n4. Even if your loved one is using a cane, walker, or other assistive device, they are very much alive. If your loved one is disabled in any other way due to their illness or impending death, they too are very much alive. Accept them the way they have become at this stage of their life and try to be patient with their slowness, weakness, clumsiness, or any another quirk or foible. They can still enjoy (with your help and support) being alive, being with you, being with others, and activities they are able to attend or participate in. Try to make life as comfortable for them as you can. This too is a phase of their life.\n5. Get all the help you can for tasks that need to be done for sick or dying loved ones. They don\u0026rsquo;t want to see you knocking yourself out to take care of them. If you are financially in a position to pay for Personal Support Workers, hire those. If they have money that is unused, take that money and pay for all the services and help they may need. They need to be well cared for while they are living. Their money is of no use to them when they are gone. Your time should be spent enjoying them, nurturing them in whatever way they need to be nurtured, and giving them your undivided attention. Your time with them needs to be quality time. E.g. if they want to look at old photos, share those with them, or if they want to go for a walk inside or outside, get a wheelchair and push them. Whatever their fancy is, indulge them. You will not regret this later.\n6. Don\u0026rsquo;t get burnt-out yourself. Get adequate rest and sleep. Eat properly. If you get paid help for them, you take time to do something nice for yourself while they are being cared for. You will be refreshed and rejuvenated from having some time-off and taking care of yourself. Your loved one wants you to be healthy, happy, and well. You also want to be well for yourself and other family members you may be caring for. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually.\n7. When the time of death arrives for your loved one, you will experience the loss acutely. If the time prior to death was pain-filled and difficult for them, you may be relieved that their suffering is over. No matter what their circumstances were, you will feel the loss. Accept all the help others offer you at this time. Continue to take good care of yourself - body, mind, and spirit. If you need to get some help with your own chores and responsibilities for a while, do it. The money you pay will be well worth it. You may even need to have a time off from work if you feel overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. Always keep in mind that your loved one who has gone never ever wanted you to be unhappy. They always wanted health and happiness for you.\n8. Be patient with yourself as you grieve. Some days will be good and some days will be bad. Surround yourself with positive people. Join one of the Bereavement Groups offered by funeral homes. These usually run for a few weeks and you meet other people who are going through the same feelings as you are. Don\u0026rsquo;t compare your experience with that of others. Some people accept that death is inevitable but still miss their loved one terribly. Some people see death as the \u0026ldquo;grim reaper\u0026rdquo; and they experience the loss of their loved one in a completely different way. People with strong faith backgrounds believe their loved one is safe and those who don\u0026rsquo;t believe anything have a more pessimistic outlook. Remember that the grief process is different for everyone. Try to remember that everyone gets to experience death - sometime. Your loved one\u0026rsquo;s experience came earlier than yours.\nIt is my hope that some of what I\u0026rsquo;ve shared here will be meaningful to you. I\u0026rsquo;m always actively involved in my own learning and growth process around different issues and death is just one of them. In bringing this post to a close, I\u0026rsquo;d like to share a poem I came across the other day. It\u0026rsquo;s a reminder about what really matters as we live and since those of us reading this are still in the land of the living, it is for all of us.\nWHAT WILL MATTER by Michael Josephson\nReady or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won\u0026rsquo;t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won\u0026rsquo;t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.\nSo what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?\nWhat will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance.\nWhat will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.\nWhat will matter is not your competence but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you\u0026rsquo;re gone. What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.\nLiving a life that matters doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen by accident.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.\nChoose to live a life that matters.\n","permalink":"/posts/learning-about-life-through-death-observing-grief/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs 2018 began and all the good wishes abounded for a Happy New Year, I was filled with anticipation and joy for this new beginning.  There\u0026rsquo;s something about a brand new start that brings a hopefulness to one\u0026rsquo;s soul and spirit.  One never knows what\u0026rsquo;s in store but hopes it will be good.   In fact, the collage below is usually the one I put on my Facebook page on New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve. When one is in good or reasonably good health and can participate in their own life and the lives of those around them, the New Year is a time of hope. \u003cstrong\u003eHope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering \u0026lsquo;it will be happier\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;  ALFRED LORD TENNYSON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Learning about Life through Death/Observing Grief"},{"content":"In my youthful days, I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to miss out on fun things that were happening if I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to. In those days though, everything was more word of mouth. It seems that today the younger folk learn what\u0026rsquo;s going on through social media. If you\u0026rsquo;re not \u0026ldquo;connected,\u0026rdquo; there something wrong with you. I am on Facebook so I too am aware of happenings with friends through this medium. It\u0026rsquo;s nice to see what one\u0026rsquo;s friends are up to. \u0026ldquo;Engage, Enlighten, Encourage and especially\u0026hellip;just be yourself! Social media is a community effort, everyone is an asset. (Susan Cooper) Having said that, there\u0026rsquo;s an up side and a down side to social media.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a whole way of communicating now that people are texting each other a lot. I\u0026rsquo;m not aware of all the new short-cuts linguistically that people are using. One such meme is FOMO. That, I\u0026rsquo;ve just recently learned, means FEAR OF MISSING OUT.\nI have to admit that these days it\u0026rsquo;s alright for me to miss out on things. But, for the young, missing out creates a huge problem. I decided to check out FOMO and its meaning and this is what I found: Anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media. ‘I realized I was a lifelong sufferer of FOMO’ (English Oxford Living Dictionaries) To be suffering from FOMO - what a thing! Is this what social media can do to people? Since the first definition was from a reputable dictionary, I decided to see what another source had to say. I checked FOMO on slang.org and this is their definition: Fear of missing out means, worried about missing a fun time or missing being with everybody. The example given using FOMO is as follows: Danny went to the party, the study session, and the track meet cuz of his fomo.\nIt is said that one thing leads to another and FOMO brought to memory something my father used to say to my older brothers: \u0026ldquo;you can\u0026rsquo;t burn the candle at both ends.\u0026rdquo; This was when they wanted to participate in too many events not to his liking and wisdom. He wanted them to pay more attention to their school work. They didn\u0026rsquo;t want to miss out.\nI knew when he told them this, he was very serious. He often recited a poem to them too. I was much younger and this made an impression on me. The poem went like this:\nMy candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends\u0026ndash; It gives a lovely light. I just checked the authorship of this and it was Edna St. Vincent Millay who wrote it. It refers to putting too much on one\u0026rsquo;s plate. Metaphorically speaking, it means that you\u0026rsquo;re dealing with too much. It could be too many projects, too many parties, or even too much work. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to get burnt-out this way.\nPerhaps, FOMO and burning the candle at both ends are similar states. Both have to do with wanting to participate in everything - not wanting to miss out. Edna St. Vincent Millay says, \u0026ldquo;it will not last the night.\u0026rdquo; Burn-out will occur. Involvement in all the activities can be \u0026ldquo;fun\u0026rdquo; though - \u0026ldquo;it gives a lovely light.\u0026rdquo;\nAren\u0026rsquo;t all these acronyms, slang words, memes, idioms, sayings, etc. fun? The main differences I see with FOMO and burning the candle at both ends lies in the fact that FOMO individuals do the checking of the events via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, etc.). This is modern-day behaviour. In the olden days without social media, parents were more involved in the comings and goings of their children and they knew and told their children when they were \u0026ldquo;burning the candle at both ends.\u0026rdquo; This fear of missing out has always existed irregardless of how it\u0026rsquo;s been described across the spectrum of generations.\nThere has always been peer pressure but social media seems to make it worse. While peer pressure was just experienced mainly by adolescents, it seems that in these days of social media, it occurs at every age. Parties, entertaining, travel, sports events, and other pursuits are only part of a life. It is a waste of time to be jealous of what we see others doing. We may very well be doing other things that would seem quite glamorous to them. Those Facebook pictures sure do look good though!\nIn reality, people all experience ups and downs, highs and lows. We see all the wonderful events and happenings of others and may feel that our lives are not \u0026ldquo;as good\u0026rdquo; compared to theirs. We may feel that we\u0026rsquo;re missing out. However, the tendency is to put only our best faces and stories on Facebook, etc. \u0026ldquo;On social media people tend to show off, and post their most attractive picture, and moments that are most likely to give everyone else FOMO (Fear of Missing out). They rarely share the moments when they feel down, or when things have gone wrong and they need support.\u0026rdquo; (Helen Fielding)\nPeople are still people and some may be suffering from FOMO and others \u0026ldquo;burning the candle at both ends.\u0026rdquo; The medium has changed but not the message. There is only so much we are able to do. We can\u0026rsquo;t attend everything. People are not looking out for us as much as we may think they are. They may not be missing us either. If we\u0026rsquo;re involved in too many things and not focused, some areas of our lives are going to be affected. There is a price to pay with both FOMO and burning the candle at both ends.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been very interesting to find out about FOMO and its use linguistically and culturally. if you don\u0026rsquo;t know about FOMO, hope this enlightens you. Of course, if you\u0026rsquo;re from an older generation, you already know what it means to \u0026ldquo;burn the candle at both ends.\u0026rdquo;\nI hope that social media impacts your life in a positive way and that you don\u0026rsquo;t become a FOMO sufferer.\nHere is a wonderful quote by Brene Brown on FOMO that is a good way to end this post.\n","permalink":"/posts/missing-out-fomo/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn my youthful days, I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to miss out on fun things that were happening if I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to.  In those days though, everything was more word of mouth.  It seems that today the younger folk learn what\u0026rsquo;s going on through social media.  If you\u0026rsquo;re not \u0026ldquo;connected,\u0026rdquo; there something wrong with you.  I am on Facebook so I too am aware of happenings with friends through this medium.  It\u0026rsquo;s nice to see what one\u0026rsquo;s friends are up to.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Engage, Enlighten, Encourage and especially\u0026hellip;just be yourself!  Social media is a community effort, everyone is an asset.  (Susan Cooper)\u003c/strong\u003e   Having said that, there\u0026rsquo;s an up side and a down side to social media.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Missing Out/ (FOMO)"},{"content":"One of life\u0026rsquo;s greatest treasures is seeing a beautiful sunset. Some of us have morning views of the sunrise and others of the going down of the sun at the end of the day. We are lucky to have a beautiful, almost clear, western exposure from our condo which gives us the privilege of seeing the most spectacular sunsets. As a nature-lover, I feel humbled and exhilarated by the gifts of Nature that are so abundant in this world of ours. The odd sunset was something I saw by and by, here and there. However, in this location, I see a sunset almost every evening. When the sun has set, no candle can replace it. (George R.R. Martin)\n_If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God. (G.K. Chesterton)_The sun rises and sets all over the world from day to day. What beautiful colours and glows embrace our sight when we are raptly taken in by a sunset. In a way, the \u0026ldquo;artist\u0026rdquo; in us comes out when we see the evening sunset. Painters paint sunsets, sun lovers comb the beach for sunsets, photographers take pictures of it. I don\u0026rsquo;t know of anyone who doesn\u0026rsquo;t relish a gorgeous sunset and doesn\u0026rsquo;t pause, even for a short while, to be bathed in its majesty and glory.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3869\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] Feelings aroused by the touch of someone’s hand, the sound of music, the smell of a flower, a beautiful sunset, a work of art, love, laughter, hope and faith – all work on both the unconscious and the conscious aspects of the self, and they have physiological consequences as well.\n(Bernie Siegel)[/caption]\nAlong with it\u0026rsquo;s beauty, there\u0026rsquo;s a powerful hope and warmth that the energy of the sun gives us. The hope in our heart after a mesmerizing sunset is about seeing the sunrise the next morning. All of this for free, and freely given. The day, water, sun, moon, night - I do not have to purchase these things with money. (Plautus)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3870\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4000\u0026rdquo;] O, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth. (Roman Payne)[/caption]\nTo be changed and transformed by a beautiful sunset at the end of the day is the greatest bliss. I\u0026rsquo;m glad to have come to enjoy and stop everything for a sunset. The sky puts out all sorts of brilliant colours and the setting sun is always changing against the skyline. I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen two sunsets that are alike. One single sunset is a light show in and of itself. To be with the sunset in the evening sky is a most beautiful meditation. Sunsets are my escape into the reality I want to continuously live. (Rachel Roy)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3872\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.\n(Ralph Waldo Emerson)[/caption]\nThere are so many sunsets that I would want to share with you but we would be soon out of space and time, for a post such as this. However, I hope you have a little bit of the feeling that I have when I am with the sunset. There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.” (Victor Hugo, Les Miserables) I feel that there\u0026rsquo;s something in the sunset that touches and changes my soul. It brings positive changes within me along with a sense of serenity and peace. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing that makes me feel happier at the end of the day than to sit with the sunset.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3871\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting. (Richard Paul Evans)[/caption]\nThe last sunset photo I\u0026rsquo;m sharing with you isn\u0026rsquo;t from the High Park Condo Balcony. It\u0026rsquo;s an image that I took on a boat cruise on Lake Ontario. The sunset that evening was reflected in the water.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3876\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] Evening is a time of real experimentation. You never kind of want to look the same way. (Donna Karan)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/sunsets-galore/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne of life\u0026rsquo;s greatest treasures is seeing a beautiful sunset.  Some of us have morning views of the sunrise and others of the going down of the sun at the end of the day.  We are lucky to have a beautiful, almost clear, western exposure from our condo which gives us the privilege of seeing the most spectacular sunsets. As a nature-lover, I feel humbled and exhilarated by the gifts of Nature that are so abundant in this world of ours.  The odd sunset was something I saw by and by, here and there.  However, in this location, I see a sunset almost every evening. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen the sun has set, no candle can replace it. (George R.R. Martin)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunsets Galore"},{"content":"We expect too much at Christmas. It\u0026rsquo;s got to be magical. It\u0026rsquo;s got to go right. Feasting. Fun. The perfect present. All that anticipation. Take it easy. Love\u0026rsquo;s the thing. The rest is tinsel. (Pam Brown)\nAll the preparations have started for the big day - December 25th. Christmas is one of those times that we imbue with special meaning and significance. We want everything to be just right, perhaps, even perfect. I was thinking about this and trying to understand how we got ourselves into this mode of thinking. More important, though, is how can we get ourselves out?\n1. Remember the reason for the celebration. For Christians, it\u0026rsquo;s the birthday of Jesus. Try to keep in mind that the birth of Jesus was a humble affair - born in a stable to refugee parents. Mary and Joseph had very little. It would have been wonderful for them to have had parents, friends, and loved ones around and a nice comfortable hotel room. What of having lots of toys for Baby Jesus? They had none of these things and if we\u0026rsquo;re to go by all the pictures we see, they were happy with their precious baby and all the live animals around them. \u0026ldquo;Part of the purpose for telling the story of Christmas is to remind us that Christmas doesn\u0026rsquo;t come from a store. Indeed, however delightful we feel about it, even as children, each year it \u0026lsquo;means a little bit more.\u0026rsquo; And no matter how many times we read the biblical account of that evening in Bethlehem, we always come away with a thought—or two—we haven’t had before\u0026hellip;. I, like you, need to remember the very plain scene, even the poverty, of a night devoid of tinsel or wrapping or goods of this world. Only when we see that sacred, unadorned child of our devotion—the Babe of Bethlehem—will we know why\u0026hellip; the giving of gifts is so appropriate.\u0026rdquo; (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)\n2. Don\u0026rsquo;t aim for perfection because it doesn\u0026rsquo;t exist. The Christmas tree doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be perfect. In fact, Christmas trees come in different shapes and sizes. As long as you and your family are around the Christmas tree happy to be with one another, that\u0026rsquo;s all that matters. The gifts are never perfect. In fact, we often choose the wrong gifts for people. Aunty Marie may not need another scarf or Uncle David another tie. What they see is the love behind the giving and so does everyone else. For the children on your Christmas list, here is a life hack that is good to remember:\n3. Feasting can be about preparing less food and eating healthier. Your friends and relatives want to spend time with you. If you decide to have ten dishes instead of twenty, they will not really notice. Several salads, a rice, pasta, or potato dish, and one meat dish will be plenty and healthy for everybody. As for sweets, try making a fruit cobbler and a fruit salad. Keep cookies and cake to a minimum. Your heart will thank you for this. \u0026ldquo;Consuming too much added sugar — in regular soda, cakes, cookies and candy — increases your risk of death from heart disease, according to a new study, the largest of its type.\u0026rdquo; (usatoday.com) Too many sweets will make us put on weight too. We certainly don\u0026rsquo;t want to go into 2018 this way.\n4. Do away with magical thinking. Christmas can be lots of fun without being magical. Christmas lights, tinsel, and decorations are beautiful and make our homes and cities sparkle at Christmas. However, the real \u0026ldquo;magic\u0026rdquo; is to be found in your heart and mine. If Christmas brings out some quality of sharing, and caring, that doesn\u0026rsquo;t usually happen throughout the year, that is it\u0026rsquo;s magic. There are elderly people who would welcome a visit at Christmas, refugees newly arrived who you can include at a Christmas get-together, or some family member or friend you could invite to a concert. There is no shortage of ways in which some \u0026ldquo;magical moments\u0026rdquo; can grace your Christmas and mine. Here is a list I found on Pinterest that might give some good ideas.\n5. Take it Easy. This one is especially for me. If all the preparations for Christmas make us stressed out, miserable, and exhausted, is this a joyous, happy time, for us or those around us? Definitely not. You may be asking how is anyone to take it easy when there\u0026rsquo;s decorating, Christmas shopping, baking, parties, church, and everything in-between to attend to. The only way to take it easy is to prioritize and delegate.\nChristmas is a family time and that means that everyone in the family has to share in getting ready for Christmas. \u0026ldquo;A scientific poll today confirms what women have suspected all along - that when it comes to Christmas, men are taking it easy and leaving the stress and the shopping to their partners.\u0026rdquo; (standard.co.uk) It\u0026rsquo;s high time that the men do their fair share in a family. Don\u0026rsquo;t be afraid to ask for help. This way, you can take it easy too.\nChristmas is all about love and behind all the doing is love. In all the doing for others at Christmas, we have to remember to do what\u0026rsquo;s right for ourselves too. This isn\u0026rsquo;t being selfish. In fact, it can be the most loving thing we can do for ourselves. If you need to take it easy, just do it. I came across a wonderful quote on taking it easy. While it wasn\u0026rsquo;t about taking it easy at Christmas, perhaps we could give ourselves this kind of gift this Christmas. In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing could feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still. — Pico Iyer From: The Art of Stillness\nI\u0026rsquo;m going to try for a little stillness and peace this Christmas and hope you do too. Merry Christmas!\n","permalink":"/posts/simplifying-christmas-5-tips/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe expect too much at Christmas. It\u0026rsquo;s got to be magical. It\u0026rsquo;s got to go right. Feasting. Fun. The perfect present. All that anticipation. Take it easy. Love\u0026rsquo;s the thing. The rest is tinsel. (Pam Brown)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/Simplifying-christmas-5-tips/i-9r7fkc6/0/KRDM7S9nz9x2VJBvhvmHn2wJJLL5PVppMsFHCpPNR/D/DSC02448-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the preparations have started for the big day - December 25th.   Christmas is one of those times that we imbue with special meaning and significance.   We want everything to be just right, perhaps, even perfect.   I was thinking about this and trying to understand how we got ourselves into this mode of thinking.  More important, though, is how can we get ourselves out?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Simplifying Christmas - 5 Tips"},{"content":"\nI suddenly realized that today is the 1st of December. My thoughts, of course, turned to the reality of the fact that Christmas is coming soon and the need for getting ready. No matter what faith or tradition we are raised in, everyone seems to get caught up in the Season — even if it’s just being present at an office or school party. I felt like writing a Christmas acrostic to get me caught up in the language of Christmas. “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”― Hamilton Wright Mable\nChimney watching by little boys and girls\nHoping for ham, hazelnuts, holidays, and hefty toys\nReason for rejoicing, Jesus\u0026rsquo; birth\nInterested in Santa, sleigh rides, sleigh bells, and skiing\nStars sparkling in the night sky, services at church, and Silent Night\nThankful for the turkey, tangelos, TV shows, tarts and teacake\nMulticoloured Christmas lights and decorations, moonlight, and music\nAdvent, angels, arriving guests, heavenly aromas from the oven\nSeason\u0026rsquo;s Greetings, snowflakes, stockings, stable birth, swans a swimming\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1525\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas. ~Pope John XXIII[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/decembers-here-tis-the-season-to-be-merry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Recently-Updated43-1024x640.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suddenly realized that today is the 1st of December. My thoughts, of course, turned to the reality of the fact that Christmas is coming soon and the need for getting ready. No matter what faith or tradition we are raised in, everyone seems to get caught up in the Season — even if it’s just being present at an office or school party. I felt like writing a Christmas acrostic to get me caught up in the language of Christmas. “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”― Hamilton Wright Mable\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December's Here: Tis the Season to be Merry"},{"content":"\n\u0026ldquo;The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.\u0026rdquo; (Socrates)\nFor most of my life, I\u0026rsquo;ve had an insatiable craving for more and more and more of everything. I craved for more chocolate, more ice-cream, more shoes, more clothing - you name it and I wanted it. That was when I was a young girl and my needs and wants were at that level. These things made me feel good and, naturally, I wanted more of them. I equated the taste and feeling of having certain things with happiness. That was my meagre understanding of the word. Of course, this was a false belief. But, it took a lot more time, maturity, and experience to realize that nothing outside of myself would bring me happiness - at least not for long. “Happiness is never found in materialistic things; it exists in things that cannot be physically possessed. Therefore, happiness is priceless. It can never be purchased.” (Ellen J. Barrier)\nAs time went on, my wants and cravings became bigger. As I have grown older, I have come to realize that it took an enormous amount of energy and stamina to satisfy cravings for more, bigger and better. Furthermore, the bigger house, the higher position, the affluent crowd, did not bring happiness, peace of mind, and contentment. Wanting more brought more stress, more unhappiness, and more worry. It was not the prescription for a life of freedom. \u0026quot;It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.\u0026quot; (Bertrand Russell)\nYet, the concept of being content with what I had or even the idea of having less never occurred to me. Conditioning and advertising were probably responsible for this mind-set. I became prey to what was in those glossy magazines, and flashing across my television screen. It was easy to succumb to the temptations around me rather than pay attention to my inner voice.\nThe inner voice was always quietly saying: \u0026ldquo;You have lots of things, much more than you need or use. Get rid of those things you don\u0026rsquo;t use or don\u0026rsquo;t even know you have. You will feel freer and your spirit will be lighter. You will have time for the things that really matter to you. What other people have is right for them but it may not be right for you.\u0026rdquo; Did I listen? No. For many years I just bought more and wanted more of what I admired that other people had. \u0026ldquo;We call it keeping up with the Joneses. They buy a boat and we buy a bigger one. They get a new TV and we get a big screen. They start a business and we start planning our articles of incorporation and the first stock release. And while we\u0026rsquo;re so busy keeping up, we ignore our soul, the inner voice, that\u0026rsquo;s telling us that it really wants to teach children to read. While it helps to identify with each other, we\u0026rsquo;re not the same. So why compare ourselves on the basis of material things? Are you walking a path with heart in your own life, regardless of what others have?\u0026rdquo; (Melody Beattie)\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been a long journey of 68 years to realize that nothing outside of me that I buy or possess will bring me to a magical state of happiness. In fact, the more I buy and possess, the more I have to worry about. I realize that it\u0026rsquo;s the simple pleasures that cause my heart to sing - like a beautiful sunset, the visit of a Bluejay on the balcony, having tea with a friend I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen for a long time, painting a picture or learning something new. It\u0026rsquo;s the meaningful, worthwhile experiences that enrich my life and those around me that cause me to feel joy. I will forget all the things I bought and acquired and craved for but the moments in which I connected with my best self are the times I will always remember and be happy for. “A happy life is one which is in accordance with its own nature.” ( Seneca) At this stage of life, I don\u0026rsquo;t need very much at all. It takes very little to make me happy. I didn\u0026rsquo;t come with anything and I can take nothing out with me. I don\u0026rsquo;t want or crave for anything that anybody has. How I wish I had been this content before. Abraham Maslow said: The most fortunate are those who have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy.\nMaslow was right - it\u0026rsquo;s all about the basics. This is no secret.\n","permalink":"/posts/is-happiness-a-secret/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/IMG_1083-1-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The secret of happiness,  you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.\u0026rdquo;  (Socrates)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor most of my life, I\u0026rsquo;ve had an insatiable craving for more and more and more of everything.  I craved for more chocolate, more ice-cream, more shoes, more clothing - you name it and I wanted it.  That was when I was a young girl and my needs and wants were at that level.   These things made me feel good and, naturally, I wanted more of them.  I equated the taste and feeling of having certain things with happiness.  That was my meagre understanding of the word.  Of course, this was a false belief.  But, it took a lot more time, maturity, and experience to realize that nothing outside of myself would bring me happiness - at least not for long.   \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Happiness is never found in materialistic things; it exists in things that cannot be physically possessed. Therefore, happiness is priceless. It can never be purchased.” (Ellen J. Barrier)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Is Happiness a Secret?"},{"content":"I have lots to be grateful for each day. This post is a special one to express my gratitude to my brother, Ronald Janki, for updating Late Blooms for me. I received a text from him a few days ago saying that he had been doing some \u0026ldquo;big changes\u0026rdquo; on the site and for me to take a look. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. We hadn\u0026rsquo;t had any discussion about this which makes it especially meaningful to me. The changes are awesome! From the very beginning of my blogging adventure, he\u0026rsquo;s the one who has enabled, encouraged, and promoted this site. This adventure has brought much joy and meaning to my days and I am truly thankful. \u0026ldquo;God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say \u0026rsquo;thank you?\u0026rdquo; (William Arthur Ward)My own experience of being grateful in life has taught me that the more grateful I am, the more good comes to me. I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed that people who do nice things for others are often genuinely caring and kind people whose hearts are in the right place. They are not seeking anything for themselves. Their own joy comes from making others happy and promoting their well-being. This is certainly the case with my brother. \u0026ldquo;At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.\u0026rdquo; (Albert Schweitzer)\nWhen I started blogging, my illustrations were photos I had taken. Sometimes, there was only one image. At that time, I was heavily into collaging. I was happy with my posts even if they were very short entries. One of the big changes is that Late Blooms now has a video of me doing some art work. To be exact, it\u0026rsquo;s acrylic pouring using a swipe technique. It is called \u0026ldquo;Creative Secrets.\u0026rdquo; Look how far I\u0026rsquo;ve come!\nThe video was made by this very brother of mine and it was not planned. He happened to come by my home one day to pick something up and I was very excited to show him what I could create and he started to capture these images. With his videographic skill and expertise, he made this video of me. What a wonderful \u0026ldquo;agent\u0026rdquo; I have who has his own brand of creativity. How can one be so lucky? \u0026ldquo;If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share. (W. Clement Stone)It\u0026rsquo;s also a wonderful delight to share that since starting Late Blooms, I became more and more interested in and had more time to involve myself in \u0026ldquo;artsy, craftsy\u0026rdquo; activities. This has resulted in some of my posts being about my own art work and crafts and has given me the opportunity to share these with other people. At the same time, my brother has been pursuing his love for videography, photography, writing, and digital painting and I\u0026rsquo;m happy to be sharing some of his paintings with you throughout this post. He\u0026rsquo;s a very versatile artist as you can see. \u0026ldquo;If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.\u0026rdquo; ( Robert Quillen)Last but not least, the new addition made today to Late Blooms is the addition of a Contact Form for those of you who may be interested in getting in touch. I see this inclusion as a wonderful addition to the blog and greatly appreciate it. I\u0026rsquo;m also grateful for all 91,924 reads from all of you out there. This is truly beyond any of my wildest dreams. I am especially thankful to my brother for being the special person he is in my life and for affording me the opportunity to have such a magnificent blog. \u0026ldquo;The best things that have ever happened to me have not been the result of anything I have done. Some might say that is luck. I call them blessings and in some cases miracles.\u0026rdquo; ( Tom Krause)\nI\u0026rsquo;m also delighted to be sharing two of my brother\u0026rsquo;s favourite creations with you below - one is a video and the other a recent painting. The video shows the work of Chihuly. \u0026ldquo;Dale Chihuly, an American sculptor, has mastered the alluring, translucent and transparent qualities of ice, water, glass and neon, to create works of art that transform the viewer experience.\u0026rdquo; An exhibition of his work was held here in Toronto from Summer 2016-January 2017. Enjoy!\n\u0026ldquo;MAGICAL GLASS\u0026rdquo;: Royal Ontario Museum. https://vimeo.com/238005295\n(Sunset Bird)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3807\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;960\u0026rdquo;] Sunset Bird[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/feeling-grateful/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have lots to be grateful for each day.  This post is a special one to express my gratitude to my brother, Ronald Janki, for updating Late Blooms for me.  I received a text from him a few days ago saying that he had been doing some \u0026ldquo;big changes\u0026rdquo; on the site and for me to take a look.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised.  We hadn\u0026rsquo;t had any discussion about this which makes it especially meaningful to me.  The changes are awesome!   From the very beginning of my blogging adventure, he\u0026rsquo;s the one who has enabled, encouraged, and promoted this site.  This adventure has brought much joy and meaning to my days and I am truly thankful.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say \u0026rsquo;thank you?\u0026rdquo; (William Arthur Ward)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/paintings-ronald-janki-33-1024x617.jpg\"\u003eMy own experience of being grateful in life has taught me that the more grateful I am, the more good comes to me.   I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed that people who do nice things for others are often genuinely caring and kind people whose hearts are in the right place.  They are not seeking anything for themselves.  Their own joy comes from making others happy and promoting their well-being. This is certainly the case with my brother.   \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.\u0026rdquo; (Albert Schweitzer)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Feeling Grateful"},{"content":"\nThis story is for all the parents and grandparents out there with children and grandchildren young enough to be trick-or treating. It might be a fun way to remind them to have an enjoyable Halloween and a safe one too.\nTommy and Tara were becoming more and more excited as they got ready for Halloween. Tommy was getting dressed up as a pirate and Tara was going to be a ballet dancer. They had gone shopping with Daddy and Mummy in the mall and had found just the right costumes that they liked. As they left the mall, Tommy turned to Daddy and Mummy and said: \u0026ldquo;Thank you for buying this pirate costume for me. I always wanted to be a pirate.\u0026rdquo; Daddy and Mummy were happy that Tommy said \u0026ldquo;thank you.\u0026rdquo; Mummy said: You will look great in your costume, Tommy, and you will be a beautiful ballet dancer, Tara. Halloween will be lots of fun.\nAs they passed the ice-cream shop in the Food Court, there was a huge poster hanging in front and Tommy and Tara stopped to look at it. It was the pumpkin princess. Mummy asked: \u0026ldquo;Did Miss Jones or Mr. Marks tell you about the pumpkin princess?\u0026rdquo; Those were their teachers. Tommy was in the fifth grade and Tara was in Grade one. Just then, Daddy surprised them by buying ice-cream cones for everyone - vanilla for Mummy, chocolate for Tara, pistachio for Tommy, and Cheesecake for himself. Daddy said: \u0026ldquo;We can sit on this bench right here and eat our cones.\u0026rdquo; The bench was right across from the poster. Both children and Mummy thanked Daddy for the cones and licked away at their favourite flavours.\nMummy went on to tell the children about the pumpkin princess. She said: \u0026ldquo;Amber is her name and she wanted to be a princess for Halloween. She told her Mummy that she wanted to be a working princess. \u0026ldquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t want to be like the princesses in fairy tales who don\u0026rsquo;t seem to have anything to do.\u0026rdquo; Her mother asked her what kind of work she wanted to do. Amber said: \u0026ldquo;I want to be a Pumpkin Princess and Ambassador of Safety for Halloween. Mummy thought this was a great idea.\nTara asked: \u0026ldquo;Mummy, what is an ambassador?\u0026rdquo; Mummy told Tara that an ambassador is someone who wants to help others by promoting something. She told Tara that Amber wanted to teach boys and girls what were some of the ways they could have lots of fun at Halloween and keep safe too. \u0026ldquo;Mummy, she\u0026rsquo;s a good princess. I like her pumpkin hat,\u0026rdquo; Amber said. Tommy chirped in \u0026ldquo;an extra pair of eyes and an extra mouth. Strange!\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s part of her costume,\u0026rdquo; Mummy said. \u0026ldquo;The extra pair of eyes shows that seeing is a very important part of being safe at Halloween. She has six hints for seeing at Halloween.\nAlways go trick-or-treating with Mummy, Daddy, or a grown-up you know. Stay close to them. Stay far away from a lit pumpkin in an entrance or on a porch. Wear face make-up instead of a mask. If you happen to be wearing a mask, you have to walk very carefully and make sure that your mask does not cover your eyes. Ask Mummy or Daddy to make sure your costume is the right length so that you don\u0026rsquo;t trip in the dark. Wear something that glows in the dark or ask Daddy or Mummy to put some reflective tape on your costume. You want others to be able to see you at all times. No bumps in the dark! Ask your parents if you can carry a flashlight and they can get one for themselves at the same time. \u0026ldquo;The extra mouth is not for eating extra treats,\u0026rdquo; Mummy said. The extra mouth is for speaking up. The pumpkin princess has five hints about communication at Halloween.\nAlways say \u0026ldquo;thank you\u0026quot;when someone gives you a treat. Say \u0026ldquo;thank you\u0026rdquo; when someone admires your costume. Never go inside someone\u0026rsquo;s home or car for a treat. Say \u0026ldquo;no thank you\u0026rdquo; politely and go to Mummy, Daddy, or your trusted grown-up. Mummy and Daddy will check all your treats when you go home as some treats may contain items you are allergic to. If a friend you\u0026rsquo;re with offers you an opened treat while you\u0026rsquo;re trick-or-treating, say \u0026ldquo;no thank you, I\u0026rsquo;m having my treat when I go home. After your treats have been checked at home, your parents will let you have a few before bedtime. Too much sugar all at once is unhealthy. Listen to your parents. Thank them for taking you out and for all they did for you to have a safe and fun-filled Halloween. ENJOY THIS HALLOWEEN AND BE SAFE. I WILL SEE YOU AROUND WHEN I\u0026rsquo;M THE PUMPKIN PRINCESS - AMBASSADOR OF SAFETY, NEXT TIME HALLOWEEN COMES AROUND.\nTommy and Tara were happy to hear the story about the Pumpkin Princess, Amber. They told Mummy that they were going to tell all their friends about her and her wonderful work.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-pumpkin-princess-ambassador-of-safety/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DSC05884-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis story is for all the parents and grandparents out there with children and grandchildren young enough to be trick-or treating.  It might be a fun way to remind them to have an enjoyable Halloween and a safe one too.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTommy and Tara were becoming more and more excited as they got ready for Halloween. Tommy was getting dressed up as a pirate and Tara was going to be a ballet dancer. They had gone shopping with Daddy and Mummy in the mall and had found just the right costumes that they liked.  As they left the mall, Tommy turned to Daddy and Mummy and said:  \u0026ldquo;Thank you for buying this pirate costume for me.  I always wanted to be a pirate.\u0026rdquo;  Daddy and Mummy were happy that Tommy said \u0026ldquo;thank you.\u0026rdquo;  Mummy said:  You will look great in your costume, Tommy, and you will be a beautiful ballet dancer, Tara.  Halloween will be lots of fun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Pumpkin Princess - Ambassador of Safety"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3719\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Quilt of Belonging is a stunning, collaborative textile art project that shows there is a place for all in the fabric of society. This rich tapestry is 120 feet (36 metres) long and 10.5 (3.5 metres) high. Its 263 blocks portray the rich cultural legacies of all the First Peoples in Canada and every nation of the world.[/caption]\nBeautiful quilts are a joy to behold. I\u0026rsquo;ve always admired those Mennonite Quilts in the Waterloo//St. Jacobs area on my visits there. My plan was to buy one and and wrap myself in its beauty and warmth during the winter. To take all these small, colourful pieces of fabric and stitch them together to make something big, complete, and useful is akin to putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. Imagine having that vision of the end product and working day by day until it\u0026rsquo;s completed. Each hand-made quilt is truly a labour of love. Quilting is on my \u0026ldquo;to do\u0026rdquo; list as something to learn.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3731\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Our lives are like quilts bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.[/caption]\nThis post is about a special kind of quilt - a \u0026ldquo;Quilt of Belonging.\u0026rdquo; This is one to wrap oneself around in a different way. On my visit to the CNE this year, I was privileged and mesmerized to see this story quilt. I could have spent hours looking at each piece and taking pictures. It is one which speaks to the heart of every living person. It speaks to our need as humans for that sense of feeling that we belong - as humans, members of different countries and groups, as well as within society as a whole. “When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright and not something you have to earn, anything is possible.” (Brene Brown)\nThis project is the brainchild of artist Esther Bryan who is of Slovakian origin. She and her parents returned to Slovakia in 1995 in an effort to find family and the home her father had left behind. He had come to Canada in 1952. She came to some powerful insights there about the \u0026ldquo;stories\u0026rdquo; that are brimming within each one of us. \u0026ldquo;The dream of making this artwork was born as she recognized that everyone has a story to tell, each culture has a unique beauty and that the experiences and values of our past inform who we are today. In this textile mosaic, each person can experience a sense of belonging and find a place in the overall design - there is \u0026ldquo;A Place for All.\u0026rdquo; Together they record human history in textile, illustrating the beauty, complexity and sheer size of the human story.\u0026rdquo; As I looked at this quilt hanging there in the International Building at the CNE, I was deeply touched by how powerful this message of belonging was to me. To see all Canada\u0026rsquo;s First Nations represented there as well as countries all over the world made me feel that universal kinship we have one with the other. I realized that the \u0026ldquo;story\u0026rdquo; this quilt was telling was something we all need to hear over and over again - we\u0026rsquo;re all family, we all belong, and we\u0026rsquo;re better together. When the stories we hear or witness through the media are divisive, it\u0026rsquo;s good to have a story quilt like this to ground us and bring us back to who we really are. \u0026ldquo;We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.\u0026rdquo; (Kofi Annan)\nTo bring this post to an end, I am sharing a quote from one of my favourite authors about belonging. Belonging doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be \u0026ldquo;clingy\u0026rdquo; but can be mind transforming and life transforming. \u0026ldquo;The hunger to belong is not merely a desire to be attached to something. It is rather sensing that great transformation and discovery become possible when belonging is sheltered and true.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\nI hope that this \u0026ldquo;Quilt of Belonging\u0026rdquo; touches your heart and transforms you in some way as it did me and may we always feel that sense of belonging and shelter as we journey through life.\nNOTE: All the images were taken by me. Some of the information provided in this post came from brochures I picked up at the Exhibition and from the internet. Because the quilt was so beautiful, I want to share all the photos I took with you (below). There are also YouTube videos on the quilt you may like to watch if you are interested. Just look under Quilt of Belonging.\n","permalink":"/posts/quilt-of-belonging/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3719\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DSC05614-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuilt of Belonging is a stunning, collaborative textile art project that shows there is a place for all in the fabric of society. This rich tapestry is 120 feet (36 metres) long and 10.5 (3.5 metres) high. Its 263 blocks portray the rich cultural legacies of all the First Peoples in Canada and every nation of the world.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeautiful quilts are a joy to behold. I\u0026rsquo;ve always admired those Mennonite Quilts in the Waterloo//St. Jacobs area on my visits there.  My plan was to buy one and and wrap myself in its beauty and warmth during the winter.  To take all these small, colourful pieces of fabric and stitch them together to make something big, complete, and useful is akin to putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together.  Imagine having that vision of the end product and working day by day until it\u0026rsquo;s completed.  Each hand-made quilt is truly a labour of love.  Quilting is on my \u0026ldquo;to do\u0026rdquo; list as something to learn.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quilt of Belonging"},{"content":"Do you know that International Friendship Day is August 6th? This is a wonderful time to reflect on the important role that friendship plays in our lives. We need our friends just as much as they need us. When I thank one of my dear friends for anything, and I voice how special her friendship is to me, she always says: \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a mutual fan club.\u0026rdquo; We both appreciate each other.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3703\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Friends Are Flowers In The Garden Of Life\n( Anonymous)[/caption]\nSome of you may not even have heard of International Friendship Day so here is a little background information. Friendship Day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendship by sending each other cards, but by 1940 the market had dried up, and eventually it died out completely. However, in 1998 Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations (believe it or not!), and in April 2011 the United Nations officially recognised 30th July as International Friendship Day; although most countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August!\u0026quot; (daysoftheyear.com) In this busy world we find ourselves living in, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to take our friends for granted. Maybe on this International Friendship Day, you could call an old friend you haven\u0026rsquo;t seen for a long time or better yet meet for a coffee and chat. There are myriads of ways to acknowledge friendship and only you know what is the best way for you and your friend.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3704\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.\u0026rdquo;\n― Elie Wiesel[/caption]\nSome of us are fortunate to be blessed with many friends and some of us with a few or maybe just one friend. Whether we have many or just a few, they are an important part of who we are and who we become. In a way, they make us or break us.\nWho are these people we call our friends? Who are our true friends? What does friendship entail? Does friendship require history? Do we ever outgrow our friendships?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3705\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Animals are such agreeable friends ― they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.\u0026rdquo; ― George Eliot[/caption]\nFor me, my friends are those people I am happy to see and be with. I enjoy their company and find it easy to talk with them. I can share \u0026ldquo;secrets\u0026rdquo; with them and they can do the same with me. I trust that what I share with them is safe. I respect them and they respect me. We have one or more things in common that we enjoy doing together. I am there for them and they are there for me - in good and in bad times. We have a kind of \u0026ldquo;soul connection\u0026rdquo; that is difficult to explain. Henry David Thoreau sums it up well when he says: \u0026ldquo;The language of friendship is not words but meanings. It is an intelligence above language.\u0026rdquo;\nWhat of true friends? After you\u0026rsquo;ve lived to be my age, you know that true friends and true loves are few and far between. Lucky is the person who has experienced one true friendship and one true love. A true friend for me is someone who appreciates my good qualities, knows all my faults and failings, and makes allowances for those. I don\u0026rsquo;t have to wear masks with this person. They can see me as I really am, warts and all. \u0026ldquo;T****rue friendship can afford true knowledge. It does not depend on darkness and ignorance.\u0026rdquo; (Henry David Thoreau) [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2958\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “being articulate is not a facility of language but a fidelity to vision. And so we are all articulate when finding the courage to say what we see.”\n― Mark Nepo[/caption]\nThe question of whether friendship requires history came about because I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up twice with old high school friends recently. Some of us hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen each other for decades. We were happy to see each other and we shared food, laughter, and stories. We talked about how we became friends, about our nuns and teachers, and about our lives now as well. We even gossiped a little about some of our more \u0026ldquo;colourful\u0026rdquo; classmates. There was a lot of catching up to do but It was easy to connect because we shared a certain history. It was amazing too for me to hear things about myself that I didn\u0026rsquo;t even know. \u0026ldquo;The best mirror is an old friend.\u0026rdquo; (Peter Nivio Zarlenga)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3706\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let\u0026rsquo;s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.\n(Charles R Swindoll)[/caption]\nWhether our friends are old friends or new ones doesn\u0026rsquo;t really matter. We are friends because we can share together. Over the course of a lifetime, friends come and go as we come and go in what our lives are calling us to experience and live out. We have school friends, work friends, church friends, gym club friends and friends for other activities. The list is endless. There are times we see our friends and times we don\u0026rsquo;t. But whenever we have the opportunity to meet up again, it always fills us with joy.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3708\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Breaking with old friends is one of the most painful of the changes in all that piling up of a multitude of small distasteful changes that constitutes growing older. (John Dos Passos)\n[/caption]\nAs we age, we lose friends. Some pass on and others can\u0026rsquo;t do what they used to do before. Friendship takes on a more universal face and we tend to be more reflective about our lives. I love seeing my old friends and cherish them but my friends now tend to be those I can keep up with. Sometimes there isn\u0026rsquo;t the energy to do things so more understanding and compassion are required when our friends are seniors. The realization that all people age differently is something we are called to recognize. If we outgrow our friendships, this is how it usually happens.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3709\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.\n(Kahlil Gibran)[/caption]\nBut life being what it is, I\u0026rsquo;m sure we can all agree that our friendships are important to us and have helped us to learn and grow as people. In many cases, friends are like family. Cherish your friendships and have a very Happy International Friendship Day. \u0026ldquo;Best things in life: Friends that are like family, and family, which are like friends.\u0026rdquo; (Anonymous)\n","permalink":"/posts/friendship/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDo you know that International Friendship Day is August 6th? This is a wonderful time to reflect on the important role that friendship plays in our lives.  We need our friends just as much as they need us.  When I thank one of my dear friends for anything, and I voice how special her friendship is to me, she always says:  \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a mutual fan club.\u0026rdquo;  We both appreciate each other.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friendship"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3699\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Water supports all our endeavors, from the simple task of making paint flow, to sustaining life. It is the common denominator that all humanity shares. (Sharon Crosbie)[/caption]\nJuly is World Watercolor Month. I read this in a magazine at Indigo sometime in June and it inspired me to buy some watercolours. At the very end of this post, I will give the History of World Watercolour Month as I found it on the internet. There was a secondary motivation coming into play to get down to this project of trying to watercolour. My friend and former neighbour of many years, who is an accomplished artist, invited me to go to Tuscany for a week in September to paint. She went last year with a group and is herself one of the organizers this year. While this was very appealing, it occured to me that I could have Tuscany right here in Toronto. Why wait for a week in Tuscany to paint?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3687\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Someone was sitting in front of a sunflower, watching the sunflower, a cup of sun, and so I tried it too. It was wonderful; I felt the whole universe in the sunflower. That was my experience. Sunflower meditation. A wonderful confidence appeared. You can see the whole universe in a flower. (Shunryu Suzuki)[/caption]\nAs someone dabbling in watercolour for the first time, it\u0026rsquo;s a medium that brings playfulness and freeness to one\u0026rsquo;s soul and spirit - not to mention one\u0026rsquo;s hands. It\u0026rsquo;s so much fun to not just see the colours but to actually do something with them. From the cradle to the grave, we are always involved in acts of creating. Whether we bake a simple cake or grow flowers in a garden, colour a picture or do a watercolour painting, we are expressing ourselves in some way. I\u0026rsquo;ve always been fascinated with the dream-catchers I see in stores and below you can see my watercolour dream-catcher. I called it \u0026ldquo;Boho Dreams.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3679\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together. Jack Kerouac[/caption]\nMy next watercolour painting came about because I wanted to paint something with clouds and sun imagery - the idea of a new day is dawning over a tepee village. I called this \u0026ldquo;Welcome Morning, Welcome Sun.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3683\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”\n― Roman Payne[/caption]\nBright colours always give my spirit a lift and so too do butterflies and flowers. As you can see in this painting, both are combined here. I really wanted the colours of the paint to blend here and for the paint to drip down and this is an experiment with doing just that. I called this \u0026ldquo;A Splash of Colour.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3684\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Just living is not enough,\u0026quot; said the butterfly, \u0026ldquo;one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.\u0026rdquo;\n-Hans Christian Andersen[/caption]\nMy father\u0026rsquo;s poem \u0026ldquo;Oh Beauteous Rose\u0026rdquo; was the inspiration for this painting. It was also a time to try out using my watercolour pencils - that\u0026rsquo;s how I got all the colour around the edge of the circle.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3685\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Just remember, during the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, that there\u0026rsquo;s a seed that with the sun\u0026rsquo;s love in the spring becomes a rose.\u0026rdquo;\n~ Leanne Rhimes[/caption]\nMasks are fascinating in more than one way. There are the masks we all wear that we don\u0026rsquo;t see and there are the masks that we wear as costume or for fun. In this painting, I was trying out many techniques at the same time. I blended the background paper and was pleased with the outcome. My fascination with mandalas brought about my wanting to create my own mandala. I wanted to try some Eastern printing and what you see there happens to be Javanese. The printing in the right-hand corner means \u0026ldquo;Peace,\u0026rdquo; I believe. I used a very thin brush. This rendition is really a hodgepodge of different techniques on the same canvas. It\u0026rsquo;s mainly watercolour but could also be called mixed media because I used some gold metallic paint to decorate the mask.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3686\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The mask is torn off, while the reality remains. (Titus Lucretius Carus (c.94-55 BC, Roman poet)[/caption]\nWhile the challenge in the magazine I read for World Watercolor Month was one watercolour picture a day, I did a lot less than that. However, it\u0026rsquo;s a start and I\u0026rsquo;m looking forward to doing lots more exploratory painting and honing new skills. I had once said to myself that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t paint and voiced it many times. “If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” (Vincent van Gogh) I\u0026rsquo;m listening to van Gogh.\nAs promised, here is the information from the internet about World Watercolor Month.\nHistory of World Watercolor Month World Watercolor Month was founded by Charlie O’Shields, creator of Doodlewash®. He realized after looking at the yearly calendar that of all the forms of art that had a day or month dedicated to them, watercolor was just plain left out!\nThrough his efforts, July was established as World Watercolor Month once and for all! Watercolor painting has a history stretching back to pre-history, with the earliest examples gracing the cave walls where ancient man used to live. Since that time art has played an important role in our society, bringing us together, inspiring us, and lifting our hearts during our darkest days.\nIt has also played an important part in education, serving to help bring equality to areas and topics typically impacted by socioeconomic boundaries. How odd is it then that art classes are one of the first sacrifices when budget cuts come along for our educational institutions?\nDoodlewash turned its efforts to combating this trend by partnering with The Dreaming Zebra Foundation to provide awareness to those young men and women who may otherwise not be able to develop their artistic creativity. Even better Dreaming Zebra has created a whole new type of recycling, art \u0026amp; music supply recycling! They gather up gently used art and music supplies and return them to people in need.\n","permalink":"/posts/world-watercolor-month/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3699\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"Water supports all our endeavors, from the simple task of making paint flow, to sustaining life. It is the common denominator that all humanity shares. (Sharon Crosbie)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Fish-watercolour-1024x750.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater supports all our endeavors, from the simple task of making paint flow, to sustaining life. It is the common denominator that all humanity shares. (Sharon Crosbie)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJuly is World Watercolor Month. I read this in a magazine at Indigo sometime in June and it inspired me to buy some watercolours.  At the very end of this post, I will give the History of World Watercolour Month as I found it on the internet.  There was a secondary motivation coming into play to get down to this project of trying to watercolour.  My friend and former neighbour of many years, who is an accomplished artist, invited me to go to Tuscany for a week in September to paint.  She went last year with a group and is herself one of the organizers this year.  While this was very appealing, it occured to me that I could have Tuscany right here in Toronto.  Why wait for a week in Tuscany to paint?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"World Watercolor Month"},{"content":"Canada\u0026rsquo;s 150 Birthday is on July 1st which is this Saturday. In this Sesquicentennial year for Canada, I find myself thinking back to the time in 1968 when I first arrived here. That was forty-nine years ago. I will be having a semicentennial year in 2018. Fifty years have flown - some years more swiftly and more pleasantly than others. Over the years, I have seen and experienced many changes in this great country and there have been changes taking place deep within me as well. I\u0026rsquo;m excited to be here to join in the celebrations for Canada\u0026rsquo;s 150th Birthday. Bring on the cake, champagne, and, of course, the fireworks. Let\u0026rsquo;s celebrate!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3671\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It’s all about the memories.”\n— Buddy Valastro[/caption]\nI knew very little about Canada before I came here. One thing I knew for sure was that it was very cold. Nothing has changed in this respect. My brother was attending university here so I also knew that Canada had fine universities. I had met a few Canadians in ministry at the church we attended when I was growing up and they were very kind and good people. Meeting these fine Canadians gave me the feeling that most Canadians would be decent human beings. I was pleased to find this to be true on my arrival here. There are always exceptions to the general rule in any group of people or culture but, by and large, they are the exception. Generally speaking, Canadians are very kind and very tolerant of strangers. Long before I had evolved to ideas of inclusiveness of various groups in the general population, my Canadian friends had embraced them. My self-righteous self is vanishing more and more as I age and evolve and that pleases me no end.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3669\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Canadians understand that diversity is our strength. We know that Canada has succeeded—culturally, politically, economically—because of our diversity, not in spite of it. (Justin Trudeau)[/caption]\nAs any immigrant to a new country, there was a lot to learn about this country and how to find my own place here. In many ways, a new immigrant has to reinvent themselves. For many years, I went \u0026ldquo;home\u0026rdquo; to the country I was born in to visit family and friends. In those early years of finding my way around and the place that I would fit into in this society, my mentality was that of the perpetual immigrant - an \u0026ldquo;outsider.\u0026rdquo; Canada had not yet embraced the multiculturalism that is part and parcel of its society now. Yet today, the evolution that was taking place within my own self to be \u0026ldquo;Canadian\u0026rdquo; was taking place within Canadian society to be more multicultural and inclusive.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3666\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] In a world darkened by ethnic conflicts that tear nations apart, Canada stands as a model of how people of different cultures can live and work together in peace, prosperity, and mutual respect.\n(Bill Clinton)[/caption]\nThe Canada I live in today is far different from the Canada I came to 49 years ago. People of all races, cultures, backgrounds, and persuasions live together in peaceful, harmonious ways. We eat each other\u0026rsquo;s food, attend each other\u0026rsquo;s parties and places of worship, and are happy to learn from each other. I was very proud that Canada welcomed 25,000 Syrian refugees in 2016. Many of these people were privately sponsored by churches and groups of individuals. Canada remains a very welcoming country.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2554\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] There is no such thing as a model or ideal Canadian. What could be more absurd than the concept of an \u0026ldquo;all Canadian\u0026rdquo; boy or girl? A society which emphasizes uniformity is one which creates intolerance and hate.\n(Pierre Trudeau)[/caption]\nLest all of what I have said prior sounds like a fairy-tale, I ought to add that there are shootings and stabbings that occur here, domestic violence, rape, burglaries, and, yes - covert systemic prejudice. Groups like LBGTQ, Black Lives Matter, First Nations, and other civil rights organizations continue to have to press ahead for respect. recognition, and a good future within this great nation for its members. Despite all the adversities mentioned above, some of which are due to social conditions, and some to plain human weakness and depravity, Canada is the place I call home now. This didn\u0026rsquo;t happen overnight but was a process. \u0026ldquo;This land is your land, this land is my land. From Bonavista to the Vancouver Island. From the Arctic Circle to the Great Lake waters. This land was made for you and me.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3667\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] In only a century and a quarter since Confederation, Canadians have shaped out of the North American wilderness one of the most privileged societies on the face of the earth. Ranking among the seven most prosperous nations in the world, Canada is rich not only in the abundance of our resources and the magnificence of our land, but also in the diversity and the character of our people. We have long been known as one of the most tolerant, progressive, innovative, caring and peaceful societies in existence.\nGeorge Radwanski and Julia Luttrell\nThe Will of a Nation: Awakening the Canadian Spirit[/caption]\nThe Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (Charles and Camilla) are visiting Canada for this 150th Birthday Celebration. Many big events are planned in Ottawa, the nation\u0026rsquo;s capital. We here in Toronto have our own line-up of events to celebrate this sesquicentennial year. As a Canadian citizen whose proud to call Canada home, I\u0026rsquo;m looking forward to the events taking place around my area. On Canada Day, I\u0026rsquo;m going to High Park for the big celebration there and in the night taking in the fireworks on my balcony. This will be a spectacular light show coming at me from all directions. It should be fun! While Canada is not perfect, the values and ideals it upholds are admirable.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3670\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\nWe have it all. We have great diversity of people, we have a wonderful land, and we have great possibilities. So all those things combined there\u0026rsquo;s nowhere else I\u0026rsquo;d rather be. (Bob Rae - Then Ontario Premier)[/caption]\nHappy 150th Canada!\n","permalink":"/posts/canadas-150th-birthday-an-immigrant-looks-back/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCanada\u0026rsquo;s 150 Birthday is on July 1st which is this Saturday.  In this Sesquicentennial year for Canada, I find myself thinking back to the time in 1968 when I first arrived here.  That was forty-nine years ago.  I will be having a semicentennial year in 2018.  Fifty years have flown - some years more swiftly and more pleasantly than others.  Over the years, I have seen and experienced many changes in this great country and there have been changes taking place deep within me as well.  I\u0026rsquo;m excited to be here to join in the celebrations for Canada\u0026rsquo;s 150th Birthday.  Bring on the cake, champagne, and, of course, the fireworks.  Let\u0026rsquo;s celebrate!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Canada's 150th Birthday - An Immigrant Looks Back"},{"content":"“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” (Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free) Resilience is one of those words that I don\u0026rsquo;t quite understand, especially in relation to myself. When I\u0026rsquo;ve seen it in other people or heard other people describe resilience, it\u0026rsquo;s always been in the face of some terrible situation or happening that has taken place or is presently happening in a person\u0026rsquo;s life. The person speaking usually says of the person experiencing this event or situation that: \u0026ldquo;he/she is resilient and can get through this\u0026rdquo; or some similar cliche. Two phone calls I had this past week have given me reason to think about how resilient we are all called to be in this life.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3652\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignright\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Plato[/caption]\nI\u0026rsquo;ve always been afraid of the \u0026ldquo;Big C\u0026rdquo; since I lost my own mother to cancer. A certain dread still shakes me to the core when someone is diagnosed with this illness or succumbs to it. The first phone call was about a new diagnosis of lung cancer and the second call later in the week was about a person who has been doing battle with leukaemia for many years. In the second instance, the person had to be rushed to the hospital severely ill and palliative care is being arranged. Both people have a special place in my heart.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3653\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] My private measure of success is daily. If this were to be the last day of my life would I be content with it? To live in a harmonious balance of commitments and pleasures is what I strive for. (Jane Rule, American novelist, critic)[/caption]\nIn an article I read \u0026ldquo;Can We Stop Calling Cancer the \u0026ldquo;Big C\u0026rdquo;? William Dale, MD, PhD, a geriatrician at the University of Chicago, said that if the war imagery is dropped, then the focus can be on the person with cancer, with the disease accepted as part of that person, rather than being seen as an invading enemy.\u0026rdquo; This means that I have to change my attitude about cancer and that\u0026rsquo;s easier said than done. I have always seen it as a battle. I believe that the person with the disease is trying to be as \u0026ldquo;resilient\u0026rdquo; as it is in their power to be and so are their loved ones.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3655\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cancer is so limited\u0026hellip;\nIt cannot cripple love.\nIt cannot shatter hope.\nIt cannot corrode faith.\nIt cannot eat away peace.\nIt cannot destroy confidence.\nIt cannot kill friendship.\nIt cannot shut out memories.\nIt cannot silence courage.\nIt cannot reduce eternal life.\nIt cannot quench the Spirit.\nAuthor: Dr. Robert L. Lynn[/caption]\nThis post, as you can probably tell, is a way of working through my own feelings about the news of the last week. After all, cancer doesn\u0026rsquo;t just affect the person with the disease but takes its toll on family, friends, and caregivers. In William Dale\u0026rsquo;s statement (above), the word accepted is there - \u0026ldquo;disease accepted,\u0026rdquo; and, perhaps, just perhaps, acceptance is what leads to greater peace. I\u0026rsquo;m not sure about this but I\u0026rsquo;m willing to give it a try. After all, in difficult experiences and situations, we all need to muster strength from within. This kind of \u0026ldquo;resilience\u0026rdquo; is vital for the person with cancer and those affected by that person\u0026rsquo;s disease. There\u0026rsquo;s so much I still have to learn about \u0026ldquo;resilience.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3656\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it\u0026rsquo;s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you\u0026rsquo;ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that\u0026rsquo;s good.\u0026rdquo; Elizabeth Edwards[/caption]\nI\u0026rsquo;m wishing and hoping for good outcomes for my friend and family member - quality time and pain-free living - and much resilience. To bring this post to an end, here are the words of a cancer survivor: “I have found that the human spirit is much more resilient than I had imagined. I have found that friends appear, unasked and undemanding, just when they are needed most –the love of friends is incredibly reaffirming.” Bill, prostate cancer survivor ~ From What Helped Me Get Through.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3657\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Resilience\nIt\u0026rsquo;s like being thrown into a dance,\nwithout even knowing the steps.\nIt is your one and only chance,\nso you curse all of your missteps.\nYour heart beats out of your chest.\nAs your resilience is put to the test.\nCopyright © Angel Garcia[/caption]\nNOTE\nAll the photos in this post were taken this afternoon in a pop-up store in Holt Renfrew\u0026rsquo;s. Toronto. As I went by, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist the sight of the flowers, turned back, and took them with my iPhone.\n","permalink":"/posts/resilience/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"life-doesnt-get-easier-or-more-forgiving-we-get-stronger-and-more-resilient-steve-maraboli-life-the-truth-and-being-free\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResilience is one of those words that I don\u0026rsquo;t quite understand, especially in relation to myself.  When I\u0026rsquo;ve seen it in other people or heard other people describe resilience, it\u0026rsquo;s always been in the face of some terrible situation or happening that has taken place or is presently happening in a person\u0026rsquo;s life.  The person speaking usually says of the person experiencing this event or situation that:  \u0026ldquo;he/she is resilient and can get through this\u0026rdquo; or some similar cliche.  Two phone calls I had this past week have given me reason to think about how resilient we are all called to be in this life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Resilience"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3607\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “The lilac branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is - to bloom. (“A Story About The Most Important Thing”)”\n― Yevgeny Zamyatin[/caption]\nSpring is that glorious time of year when every leaf, flower, shrub, and grass is a welcome sight. I like to think of it as the magic of spring. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter how beautiful and glorious last year\u0026rsquo;s spring and summer were, we relish the present year\u0026rsquo;s spring with abandon. “Every spring is the only spring — a perpetual astonishment.” - Ellis Peters.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3571\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone. It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose. It doesn’t have to. It is different. And there’s room in the garden for every flower. You didn’t have to struggle to make your face different than anyone else’s on earth. It just is. You are unique because you were created that way. Look at little children in kindergarten. They’re all different without trying to be. As long as they’re unselfconsciously being themselves, they can’t help but shine. It’s only later, when children are taught to compete, to strive to be better than others, that their natural light becomes distorted.”\n― Marianne Williamson[/caption]\nYesterday was my day to take a conscious/mindful walk and be immersed in the beauty of the natural world in my own little neck of the woods. There is no beauty like Nature. I also took my camera along to capture some of this beauty for later on. One of my favourite authors, John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue, had this to say about beauty: Beauty isn’t all about just nice, loveliness like. Beauty is about more rounded substantial becoming. So I think beauty in that sense is about an emerging fullness, a greater sense of grace and elegance, a deeper sense of depth, and also a kind of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life\u0026quot;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3596\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;O the green things growing, the green things growing,\nThe faint sweet smell of the green things growing!\nI should like to live, whether I smile or grieve,\nJust to watch the happy life of my green things growing.\u0026rdquo;\n- Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, Green Things Growing[/caption]\nAt this stage of life, I feel like those words of John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue ring true for me. At a younger time of life, I enjoyed the season of spring but I didn\u0026rsquo;t take the time to enjoy it\u0026rsquo;s beauty in a mindful way. The beauty of spring was just taken for granted. It\u0026rsquo;s beauty was just there. Yet, I do feel now that something deep within myself connects me with what is beautiful in every blade of grass, every blossom, and every flower - indeed every sign of spring. There is a feeling of \u0026ldquo;fullness\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;connection\u0026rdquo; (O\u0026rsquo;Donohue\u0026rsquo;s words) with the beauty I see and truly my life is unfolding day by day.\nI hope this doesn\u0026rsquo;t sound too ethereal because this connectedness and recognition are very important facets to the depth of this beauty. I don\u0026rsquo;t know whether other people of my age or stage of life have this feeling but I\u0026rsquo;m happy to have this kind of experience and share it. Perhaps, it\u0026rsquo;s about having more time now and taking the time for the admiration and appreciation of Spring\u0026rsquo;s beauty. Perhaps, it is the realization deep down that the Springtimes I will see are getting shorter. Whatever it is, I am really savouring every moment. I also have some more images (below) to share with you from my lovely Spring walk in High Park. Enjoy!\n[gallery size=\u0026ldquo;large\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3638,3640,3639,3642,3633,3641,3637,3629,3634,3618,3604,3602,3605,3586,3580,3579,3636,3590,3559,3564,3550,3548\u0026rdquo;]\n\u0026ldquo;The beauty of nature insists on taking its time. Everything is prepared. Nothing is rushed. The rhythm of emergence is a gradual slow beat always inching its way forward; change remains faithful to itself until the new unfolds in the full confidence of true arrival. Because nothing is abrupt, the beginning of spring nearly always catches us unawares. It is there before we see it; and then we can look nowhere without seeing it.\u0026rdquo;\nJohn O\u0026rsquo;Donohue (from To Bless the Space Between Us)\n","permalink":"/posts/spring-blooms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3607\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"“The lilac branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is - to bloom. (“A Story About The Most Important Thing”)” ― Yevgeny Zamyatin\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/DSC04810-1-768x1024.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“The lilac branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is - to bloom. (“A Story About The Most Important Thing”)”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e― Yevgeny Zamyatin\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpring is that glorious time of year when every leaf, flower, shrub, and grass is a welcome sight.  I like to think of it as the magic of spring.  It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter how beautiful and glorious last year\u0026rsquo;s spring and summer were, we relish the present year\u0026rsquo;s spring  with abandon.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Every spring is the only spring — a perpetual astonishment.” - Ellis Peters.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring Blooms"},{"content":"\nA day just for mothers! The person who thought up this day did so the year her mother died. (1905) She campaigned for three years for this recognition of Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day and in 1908 it came into being in the United States. It\u0026rsquo;s usually celebrated the second Sunday in May. Here are the Wiki facts: \u0026ldquo;The modern holiday of Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew\u0026rsquo;s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. \u0026hellip; Her campaign to make \u0026ldquo;Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo; a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Having this holiday helps families to bond and so I think it\u0026rsquo;s a great idea despite all the commercialism that surrounds the day.\nMother\u0026rsquo;s Day is about loving the mother we have or had and appreciating what was done for us that was good. It isn\u0026rsquo;t about perfect mothers or perfect upbringing. I\u0026rsquo;m sure that as mothers are all different that there are as many different ways to make mother happy on her special day. The focus is on giving tangible gifts as well as the gift of time - spending time with mother. This is, perhaps, the most important thing to a mother. After giving so much of her time for her children, she appreciates the time they spend with her. On Facebook recently, I came across this interesting piece of writing straight from the heart of an anonymous mother that several mothers shared. I believe it rings true for many of us. Every year ( well, maybe not every year) my children ask me the same question. After thinking about it, I decided I\u0026rsquo;d give them my real answer: What do I want for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day? I want you. I want you to keep coming around, I want you to bring your kids around, I want you to ask me questions, ask my advice, tell me your problems, ask for my opinion, ask for my help. I want you to come over and rant about your problems, rant about life, whatever. Tell me about your job, your worries, your kids, your fur babies. I want you to continue sharing your life with me. Come over and laugh with me, or laugh at me, I don\u0026rsquo;t care. Hearing you laugh is music to me. I spent the better part of my life raising you the best way I knew how. Now, give me time to sit back and admire my work. Raid my refrigerator, help yourself, I really don\u0026rsquo;t mind. In fact, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t want it any other way. I want you to spend your money making a better life for you and the one you\u0026rsquo;re with. I have the things I need. I want to see you happy and healthy. When you ask me what I want for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day, I say \u0026ldquo;nothing\u0026rdquo; because you\u0026rsquo;ve already been giving me my gift all year. I want you. If you feel the same way, feel free to copy and paste\u0026hellip; I did! Time and memories mean more than any material item I could ever receive. Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day isn\u0026rsquo;s all moonlight and roses. Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day can be bitter/sweet for many - especially for those who have lost a mother. These mothers are also remembered on Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day. I often take flowers to my mother\u0026rsquo;s grave and the cemetery is usually filled with other people doing the same thing on that day. We do this more for ourselves, I believe, than for our mothers. We know they aren\u0026rsquo;t in the cemetery - but it is our way of honouring their memory.\nThere is also the mother who has lost a child and for whom this day is a reminder of that loss. Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day is also a day to be sensitive to what other people are going through. My parents grave is across from the children\u0026rsquo;s burial site and I see many mothers there when I go. They go to take flowers, teddy bears, toys, and the like, for their children. There are also older mothers who have lost adult children and still carry that grief in their heart. They too celebrate Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day - in a different way.\nWhat of the mother who is forgotten by her children? Her Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day is spent longing for them. I hope nobody reading this is in that category. However, if you are, try to think of the happy times you spent with your children and go out and treat yourself and have a happy day nurturing and celebrating yourself. Please don\u0026rsquo;t do what the verse below says.\nFor myself, I will not have my child near on Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day. He will probably call since he lives far away. But, for me, the greatest happiness on Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day is to know that he\u0026rsquo;s happy, healthy, and well. That is so on every Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day. At this stage of life, I don\u0026rsquo;t need anything. His happiness is my happiness.\nThis post, I know doesn\u0026rsquo;t cover all the mothers out there - stepmoms, grandmothers, foster mothers, etc. However, to each and every mother out there, a very \u0026ldquo;Happy Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo; Enjoy your day and go with the flow. \u0026ldquo;The sooner we face the reality that we raise children in order that they might grow up and leave us to explore vast opportunities all over the world, and not worry about what their mother will do without them, the happier and healthier we will all be.\u0026rdquo; (Alexandra Stoddard from her book \u0026ldquo;The Shared Wisdom of Mothers and Daughters)\n","permalink":"/posts/mothers-day-different-ways/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Basket of Flowers\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/Mothers-day-different-ways/i-xPCMpKd/0/NNSdW3c3NPXqd7HZ3TbpssJqk4j2gRNZH4WQLSV9h/D/flowers-by-mothers-day-images-of-mothers-day-flowers-infodik-pictures-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA day just for mothers!  The person who thought up this day did so the year her mother died. (1905)  She campaigned for three years for this recognition of Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day and in 1908 it came into being in the United States. It\u0026rsquo;s usually celebrated the second Sunday in May.  Here are the Wiki facts: \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe modern holiday of Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew\u0026rsquo;s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. \u0026hellip; Her campaign to make \u0026ldquo;Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo; a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  Having this holiday helps families to bond and so I think it\u0026rsquo;s a great idea despite all the commercialism that surrounds the day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mother's Day Different Ways"},{"content":"This post about Quilling is in response to a question I had on Facebook \u0026ldquo;What\u0026rsquo;s involved?\u0026rdquo; You need strips of paper in different colours, a quilling tool (with purple handle in photo below) and glue. A pair of scissors would be handy - although you could easily tear off the paper. My own experience with quilling is very new. In the condo where I live, we had a Sunday afternoon craft workshop recently and all of us in attendance were introduced to the art of paper quilling. Paper quilling has been around for a long time. \u0026ldquo;The art of quilling dates as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries when the French and Italian nuns and monks would decorate reliquaries, holy pictures, and frames with quilled pieces.\u0026rdquo; (Paper Quilling for the first Time) It\u0026rsquo;s very easy to do and fun. After that introduction to quilling, it was something that I wanted to explore. I found myself online looking for quilling supplies and ordered a beginner\u0026rsquo;s quilling supply kit. Since then I\u0026rsquo;ve been having lots of fun.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3514\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)[/caption]\nOur teacher supplied us with the basic shapes we needed to learn in order to do quilling and we all had a go at making those. As you can see below, we started with a simple coil and ended up with a flower. All our materials and supplies were provided. Our teacher that day was a retired teacher so we were in good hands. By the way, she wasn\u0026rsquo;t a quilling teacher. We were all having fun as we sipped tea, ate chocolates, and created together.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3513\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t say any other way\u0026ndash;things I had no words for.\nGeorgia O\u0026rsquo;Keeffe[/caption]\nAfter making as many of the shapes as we could, our wonderful teacher wanted us to make a card that we could take away with us. We were all eager to do this and you can see my first project below. There were many beautiful books on quilling that she suggested we look at for ideas. On the first page of the book I perused, an example was given of how two colours could be used in a flower design. I followed the instruction given and ended up with a pink and white flower. The instruction was simple - glue two different coloured strips together and then twirl them with the tool. By the way, apparently you can use a pencil, chop stick or toothpick if you don\u0026rsquo;t have the quilling tool. One of the ladies who I met after the workshop was not as ambitious as I was in going out and ordering supplies. She told me she\u0026rsquo;s using a pencil and toothpick. It\u0026rsquo;s not necessary to buy paper either as you can use a paper shredder which will give you strips.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3512\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “You can\u0026rsquo;t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”\n― Maya Angelou[/caption]\nIn the photo below, you can see that there are different techniques to quilling. Husking is the one I used in the image below. As with all things, there is always a basic level one can stay at or explore all there is to know and experience in any given thing. After doing the basic card, I was ready to try a bigger project. I borrowed books from the library and looked at a few videos on YouTube and was ready to embark on my \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; project.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3505\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we\u0026rsquo;re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. (Walt Disney)[/caption]\nIn the image below, I tried joining three colours together.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3509\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.” – Walt Disney[/caption]\nI\u0026rsquo;m so proud of my butterfly. It reminds me of the freedom I have now that I\u0026rsquo;m retired and at this stage of life to do things that I never had the time to do or imagined would be fun to do. You too can make a quilled butterfly your very own way. This is just one way to do a butterfly but there are other methods as well. Quilling is a wonderful activity to do with your grandchildren if you have the time and learn the basics.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3507\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Just living is not enough,\u0026quot; said the butterfly, \u0026ldquo;one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.\u0026rdquo;\n-Hans Christian Andersen[/caption]\nBelow, you can see my completed project, which was lots of fun and was a means of creatively expressing myself. I don\u0026rsquo;t know whether you call it Art or Craft or both but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t really matter. If you are interested in Quilling, you are sure to have lots of fun too. I\u0026rsquo;m already looking forward to starting my next quilling project. Wishing you good luck in your quilling adventures!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3510\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney[/caption]\nQuick\nUnique\nIntricate\nLeisurely\nLikable\nImaginative\nNon-violent\nGratifying\nHope you like my Quilling Acrostic Poem too.\n","permalink":"/posts/quilling-fun/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis post about Quilling is in response to a question I had on Facebook \u0026ldquo;What\u0026rsquo;s involved?\u0026rdquo; You need strips of paper in different colours, a quilling tool (with purple handle in photo below) and glue.  A pair of scissors would be handy - although you could easily tear off the paper.  My own experience with quilling is very new.  In the condo where I live, we had a Sunday afternoon craft workshop recently and all of us in attendance were introduced to the art of paper quilling.  Paper quilling has been around for a long time.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The art of quilling dates as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries when the French and Italian nuns and monks would decorate reliquaries, holy pictures, and frames with quilled pieces.\u0026rdquo; (Paper Quilling for the first Time)\u003c/strong\u003e  It\u0026rsquo;s very easy to do and fun.  After that introduction to quilling, it was something that I wanted to explore.  I found myself online looking for quilling supplies and ordered a beginner\u0026rsquo;s quilling supply kit.  Since then I\u0026rsquo;ve been having lots of fun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Quilling Fun"},{"content":"Another International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day is upon us and I see signs all around me that women are becoming bolder these days about what they are willing to put up with - e.g. the big January 21st Women\u0026rsquo;s March in Washington and cities around the world to protest Donald Trump\u0026rsquo;s presidency. As The Globe and Mail’s Ian Brown writes, \u0026ldquo;the battle of the hats between red ‘Make America Great Again’ ball-caps, worn by Trump’s supporters, and the knitted pink so-called ‘pussyhats’ worn by protesters at women’s marches, is one of the most telling and unexpected sideshows to have emerged in the bitter political contest between Trump and women all over the world.\u0026rdquo; Don\u0026rsquo;t be fooled by those pink \u0026ldquo;pussyhats.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3212\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;190\u0026rdquo;] “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained” – Marie Curie[/caption]\nInternational Women\u0026rsquo;s Day isn\u0026rsquo;t a day to give women flowers and gifts. It\u0026rsquo;s a day for women and for men to celebrate the changes that have already taken place in women\u0026rsquo;s lives - like the right to vote. It is also a day to plan and implement the changes necessary to bring women to the stage where they have the same rights, respect,dignity and equality with men that they so rightly deserve. It\u0026rsquo;s a day to recognize that women are bold for change and for the men in their lives to stand boldly alongside them to make the necessary changes happen. \u0026ldquo;Sometimes we must put our bodies where our beliefs are.\u0026rdquo; Gloria Steinem, a well-known feminist, told the crowd in Washington in January. She was right. Remember Rosa Parks who refused to give her seat up on a bus was what initiated the civil rights movement in the U.S.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2506\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”\n(Simone de Beauvoir)[/caption]\nWomen have always been good at expressing themselves. Let\u0026rsquo;s take a look at what women have to say about change and boldness around change. Here are seventeen of the best quotes I could find by women in different walks of life to reinforce this year\u0026rsquo;s theme for International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\n“Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.” (Maya Angelou)\n“We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea.” (Joy Bell C.)\n\u0026ldquo;The human race is like a bird and it needs both wings to be able to fly. And, at the moment, one of is wings is clipped an we\u0026rsquo;re never going to be able to fly as high.\u0026rdquo; (Emma Watson)\n“Next time you hear a girl called bossy, take a deep breath and say, ‘That girl’s not bossy. She has executive leadership skills.’” (Norah O\u0026rsquo;Donnell)\nI\u0026rsquo;m not the woman President of Harvard. I\u0026rsquo;m the President of Harvard. (Drew Gilpin Faust)\n\u0026ldquo;Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.\u0026rdquo; (Susan B. Anthony)\nWhen men are oppressed it\u0026rsquo;s a tragedy, when women are oppressed it\u0026rsquo;s a tradition. (Letty Cottin Pogrebin)\n\u0026ldquo;We just need to put our foot down. This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn’t mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you\u0026rsquo;re doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way.\u0026rdquo; (Charlize Theron)\n\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re viewed as equals — but we\u0026rsquo;re still not there yet. […] The challenge for our girls, I think, is dealing with that resistance. How can we lift and defuse it, how do we make it so our equality is not so threatening? Our girls are going to have to contend with that. I contend with it right now in every realm I operate in.\u0026rdquo; —Meryl Streep\n\u0026ldquo;Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, do not grovel. Take courage, join hands, stand besides us, fight with us.\u0026rdquo; —Christabel Pankhurst\n\u0026ldquo;I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century.\u0026rdquo; —Hillary Clinton\nWhen I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision—then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. (Audre Lorde)\nNow and then women should do for themselves what men have already done—occasionally what men have not done—thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action. (Amelia Earhart)\nI am a warrior in the time of women warriors; the longing for justice is the sword I carry. (Sonia Johnson)\nHow could I choose someone who would force me to give up my own small reach for meaning? I chose myself, and without consolation. (Sue Monk Kidd)\nNo longer will we (women) agree to protect the hearth at the price of extinguishing the fire within ourselves. (Celia Gilbert)\nPeople call me a feminist whenever I express statements that distinguish me from a doormat. (Rebecca West)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1713\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression. ~Margaret Sanger[/caption]\nOn this International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day, we can celebrate all the women throughout the world who have made great strides for the betterment of themselves and their sisters - by expressing themselves. It is also up to each and every one of us to continue the work so that our daughters and grand-daughters can be the beneficiaries of a world where they are allowed to live meaningful lives and be equal contributors - free to express themselves. I will close this post with a quote you may have heard before: \u0026ldquo;Human rights are women\u0026rsquo;s rights, and women\u0026rsquo;s rights are human rights.\u0026rdquo; (Hillary Clinton) Let\u0026rsquo;s be bold for change and fight for those rights.\n","permalink":"/posts/be-bold-for-change/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAnother International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day is upon us and I see signs all around me that women are becoming bolder these days about what they are willing to put up with - e.g. the big January 21st Women\u0026rsquo;s March in Washington and cities around the world to protest Donald Trump\u0026rsquo;s presidency. As The Globe and Mail’s Ian Brown writes, \u0026ldquo;the battle of the hats between red ‘Make America Great Again’ ball-caps, worn by Trump’s supporters, and the knitted pink so-called ‘pussyhats’ worn by protesters at women’s marches, is one of the most telling and unexpected sideshows to have emerged in the bitter political contest between Trump and women all over the world.\u0026rdquo;  Don\u0026rsquo;t be fooled by those pink \u0026ldquo;pussyhats.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"BE BOLD FOR CHANGE"},{"content":"Who doesn\u0026rsquo;t remember the love songs of their youth? Those lyrics that reached right into the adolescent heart where the first flames of \u0026ldquo;forever\u0026rdquo; love and \u0026ldquo;happily ever after\u0026rdquo; love burned. Those songs were sung over and over again, played on the radio every day, danced to at every party - and it\u0026rsquo;s hard to forget them or that time in my life.\nSome of you may also have fond remembrances of these songs and the romantic feelings that they engendered in youth. I should add that Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day is very different for me at this stage of life. I feel the universality of being loving and being loved as fundamental to life and am glad that this day makes me think of others this way. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” ― Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness\nHope you enjoy these selections as you reminisce with me!\nhttps://youtu.be/bqfSXkVH9ac\nhttps://youtu.be/aC3hCYuDPvE\nhttps://youtu.be/enIdTGckjKs\nhttps://youtu.be/GJuZ0gAvHpU\nhttps://youtu.be/BeJ55sUacPM\nI\u0026rsquo;m also going to share some of my current favourite quotes with you for Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day. There are thousands to choose from but I feel these are relevant to the times we are living in. For me, Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day is a day to also reflect on the expansiveness of this \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; we all share and the following quotes hopefully reflect this. On this Happy Hearts Day, remember too that many do not have a romantic partner or relationship. Your love may be the only love they get.\nThe love of one’s country is a natural thing. But why should love stop at the border? ~ Pablo Casals\nI believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love. ~ Wendell Berry\n“The new expanded spirituality is all inclusive. It is inclusive, because it comes from unconditional love. In the concept of unconditional love there is no exclusion. Everything and everyone is seen as a part of oneself. It is a beautiful spirituality as the one who lives by its principles cannot by definition be a part of any conflict.” ― Raphael Zernoff\nLove recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. ~ Maya Angelou\nIn a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds. ~ Henri Nouwen\nMiss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smaller right and doing it all for love. ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux\nHappy Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day!\n","permalink":"/posts/valentine-favourites/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWho doesn\u0026rsquo;t remember the love songs of their youth?  Those lyrics that reached right into the adolescent heart where the first flames of \u0026ldquo;forever\u0026rdquo; love and \u0026ldquo;happily ever after\u0026rdquo; love burned.  Those songs were sung over and over again, played on the radio every day, danced to at every party - and it\u0026rsquo;s hard to forget them or that time in my life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day Music\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DSC04471-300x286.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of you may also have fond remembrances of these songs and the romantic feelings that they engendered in youth.  I should add that Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day is very different for me at this stage of life.  I feel the universality of being loving and being loved as fundamental to life and am glad that this day makes me think of others this way.  \u003cstrong\u003e“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e― Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Valentine Favourites"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s exciting that another Lunar New Year is upon us. Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Dragon City Mall in Chinatown was very busy yesterday as people were buying their last minute decorations, food, and gifts. The holiday is being celebrated on January 28th and 29th. I took a few pictures which I will share with you throughout this post. According to the Chinese Zodiac, this is the Year of the Rooster. Red is the predominant colour for Chinese New Year as it is such an auspicious colour.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3455\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Rooster is the tenth in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac sign. The Years of the Rooster include 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029\u0026hellip;[/caption]\nFamilies get together for dinner on the Eve of the New Year. It is called a \u0026ldquo;reunion\u0026rdquo; dinner and family members travel from far away to be together to celebrate this special occasion. This dinner can be made at home or family members can go together to a restaurant for this \u0026ldquo;reunion\u0026rdquo; dinner. **\u0026ldquo;Essentials of the feast include fish (representing an abundant year), lettuce (representing vigor), shallot (representing wisdom), celery (representing diligence), chicken and duck.\u0026rdquo; (**kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com)\nOn Saturday January 28th and Sunday, January 29th, Dragon City Mall hosts New Year celebrations from 12-5 p.m. There will be the traditional Dragon Dance, Fortune-telling, and the God of Prosperity giving out red envelopes. Dragon City Mall is in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s main Chinatown area and always attracts many visitors.\nOn January 27th, starting at 10 p.m. there will be a Festival at Pacific Mall to usher in the New Year. Pacific Mall is the largest Chinese Indoor Mall in North America and is in suburban Toronto. A ceremony and entertainment by Hong Kong actors and singers, Sheldon Lo and Adrian Chan will take place before the countdown and New Year bash. On Saturday January 28th which is New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day, starting at 2 p.m. there will be another celebration at the Mall with a ceremony and entertainment too. A New Year filled with prosperity is on its way for all.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3461\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Chinese New Year Decoration[/caption]\nPeople born in the Year of the Rooster have their own personalities. This is what I found on travelchinaguide.com: \u0026ldquo;People born in the Year of Rooster according to Chinese zodiac have many excellent characteristics, such as being honest, bright, communicative and ambitious. Most of them are born pretty or handsome, and prefer to dress up. In daily life, they seldom rely on others. However, they might be enthusiastic about something quickly, but soon be impassive. Thus, they need to have enough faiths and patience to insist on one thing.\nStrengths Independent, capable, warm-hearted, self-respect, quick minded Weaknesses Impatient, critical, eccentric, narrow-minded, selfish\u0026rdquo;\nThe Toronto Symphony Orchestra will give a Chinese New Year Concert at 7:30 p.m. on February 4th at Roy Thomson Hall. This is the fourth year the Symphony is doing this as part of the Chinese New Year Celebrations. **Long Yu, Artistic Director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, leads a fascinating program that features the world première of Canadian composer Vincent Ho’s work for pipa—a Chinese folk instrument—performed by internationally renowned pipa virtuoso, Wu Man, together with the Orchestra and narrator, “Dashan”. (**tso.ca) This should be an excellent evening of great music and seats may sell out very quickly.\nTo all celebrating Chinese New Year, \u0026ldquo;Gong Hey Fat Choy\u0026rdquo; (Cantonese), \u0026ldquo;Gong Xi Fa Cai\u0026rdquo; (Mandarin) A prosperous Year of the Rooster to all.\n","permalink":"/posts/year-of-the-rooster/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s exciting that another Lunar New Year is upon us.  Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Dragon City Mall in Chinatown was very busy yesterday as people were buying their last minute decorations, food, and gifts.  The holiday is being celebrated on January 28th and 29th.  I took a few pictures which I will share with you throughout this post.  According to the Chinese Zodiac, this is the Year of the Rooster.  Red is the predominant colour for Chinese New Year as it is such an auspicious colour.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Year of the Rooster"},{"content":" With the inauguration of Donald Trump just a day away, there is lots of talk on TV of a New World Order. My sincere prayer is that the Universe will turn his \u0026ldquo;gift of gaffe\u0026rdquo; into something that the world\u0026rsquo;s citizenry find itself easy to follow and understand. Words do matter and may this New World Order include words that matter. Other US leaders expressed themselves eloquently on the world stage and we expect no less of this new Commander-in-Chief. “I went to an Ivy League school. I’m very highly educated. I know words, I have the best words,” he said at a rally last December. Below are words that matter spoken by previous US Presidents and some of Donald\u0026rsquo;s own.\n“Justice requires us to remember that when any citizen denies his fellow, saying, ‘His color is not mine,’ or ‘His beliefs are strange and different,’ in that moment he betrays America, though his forebears created this nation.” - Lyndon B. Johnson, Inaugural Address, Jan 20,1965\n\u0026ldquo;When Mexico sends its people, they\u0026rsquo;re not sending their best. They\u0026rsquo;re sending people that have lots of problems, and they\u0026rsquo;re bringing those problems with us. They\u0026rsquo;re bringing drugs. They\u0026rsquo;re bringing crime. They\u0026rsquo;re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.\u0026rdquo; Donald Trump\n\u0026ldquo;If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.\u0026rdquo; - John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)\n\u0026ldquo;Getting things done in this country, if you want to build something, if you want to start a company, it\u0026rsquo;s getting to be virtually impossible with all of the bureaucracy and all of the approvals.\u0026rdquo; Donald Trump\n\u0026ldquo;May the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country\u0026rsquo;s peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family.\u0026rdquo; - James Polk (1845-1849\n\u0026ldquo;Owning a great golf course gives you great power.\u0026rdquo; Donald Trump\n\u0026ldquo;Be fit for more than the thing you are now doing. Let everyone know that you have a reserve in yourself; that you have more power than you are now using. If you are not too large for the place you occupy, you are too small for it.\u0026rdquo; - James Garfield (1881 - assassinated later that year)\nI deal with foreign countries. I made a lot of money dealing against China. I\u0026rsquo;ve made a lot of money dealing against many other countries. Donald Trump\n\u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can\u0026rsquo;t be misunderstood.\u0026rdquo; - William Taft (1909-1913)\n“Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest -and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault” — Donald Trump on Twitter\n\u0026ldquo;Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met — obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.\u0026rdquo; - John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)\n\u0026ldquo;Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.\u0026rdquo; DonaldTrump\n\u0026ldquo;It is not strange . . . to mistake change for progress.\u0026rdquo; - Millard Fillmore (1850–1853)\n\u0026ldquo;I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t lose any voters, okay? It\u0026rsquo;s, like, incredible.\u0026rdquo; Donald Trump\n\u0026ldquo;We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.\u0026rdquo; - James Earl Carter, Jr. (1977–1981)\n\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;ve become very successful over the years. I think I own among the greatest properties in the world.\u0026rdquo; Donald Trump\n\u0026ldquo;A president\u0026rsquo;s hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right.\u0026rdquo; - Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963–1969)\n“The way I run my business seems to be easier than the way I run my life.\u0026quot; Donald Trump\n“Unlike any other nation, here the people rule, and their will is the supreme law. It is sometimes sneeringly said by those who do not like free government, that here we count heads. True, heads are counted, but brains also. . .” - William McKinley (1896-1901).\n“Anyone who thinks my story is anywhere near over is sadly mistaken.” – Donald Trump\nWith the inauguration tomorrow, the story unfolds. We can only wish him well and hope that this will be a good story.\n","permalink":"/posts/trump-speak/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"trump-rapist quote\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Trump.Rapist-1024x711.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the inauguration of Donald Trump just a day away, there is lots of talk on TV of a New World Order.  My sincere prayer is that the Universe will turn his \u0026ldquo;gift of gaffe\u0026rdquo; into something that the world\u0026rsquo;s citizenry find itself easy to follow and understand.  Words do matter and may this New  World Order include words that matter.  Other US leaders expressed themselves eloquently on the world stage and we expect no less of this new Commander-in-Chief.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“I went to an Ivy League school. I’m very highly educated. I know words, I have the best words,”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e he said at a rally last December.  Below are words that matter spoken by previous US Presidents and some of Donald\u0026rsquo;s own.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"TRUMP SPEAK"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m pleased to introduce my good friend, Cynthia, who is seventy-eight years young. She has always been a very positive influence on me in her outlook on life and her youthful enthusiasm for living. I wanted to know what was her secret to \u0026ldquo;youthful aging.\u0026rdquo; What were the life lessons she learned along the way that might help me with my own aging process? For those of you who have followed my posts, you may have noticed that I like to highlight my friends. I have done posts on the skills, talents, and abilities, or whatever moved me about some of my friends - and this post is just another example.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2863\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Life is like a field of newly fallen snow. Where I choose to walk, every step will show. (Denis Waitley)[/caption]\nJean: Where were you born and when?\nCynthia: I was born in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines in 1938.\nJean: What were you like as a child and in your youth? What jobs did you hold later in life?\nCynthia: I remember my mother would lovingly say that I was her clinging vine. Whenever we went out, I would cling to her skirt and hide behind her until I was eight years old. I was shy, frail, sickly, and a picky eater. Despite my shyness, I was helpful, caring, and generous. As a child, I was described as cute especially since I have naturally dark, curly hair. In elementary and high school, I was always on the Honour Roll. I enjoyed reading fiction and non-fiction books. I loved nature and enjoyed looking at the sky, clouds, moon, and stars. I loved sunsets and music. I still play my piano everyday. As a teenager, I was described as pretty and charming and had a pleasing, likeable personality. I graduated from high school as Valedictorian. At University, I did my Bachelor of Science in Education. I did all the course work for my Master of Arts Degree in Linguistics but didn\u0026rsquo;t bother writing the thesis. After graduation, I taught high school in a Catholic Private School for fourteen years, becoming Principal for three of those years. After that, I became Registrar at a Catholic University run by Jesuits in the Philippines. In Canada, I worked in an Inventory Control Job, and as a companion and caregiver to my mother.\nJean: I admire your positive attitude to life, in general. What are your thoughts on aging?\nCynthia: It\u0026rsquo;s a normal part of being alive. On the one side, I don\u0026rsquo;t think of aging as \u0026ldquo;growing old\u0026rdquo; - as being related to one\u0026rsquo;s age. At seventy-eight, I\u0026rsquo;m more alive, more active, and healthier, than when I was 20. Yet on the other side, I\u0026rsquo;m aware that it\u0026rsquo;s age-related because some of my senses are not as keen as when I was younger. I also have more lapses in memory. Plus, I have aches and pains that are chronic.\nJean: What would you say that you know about living a happy and successful life that you didn\u0026rsquo;t know when you were twenty?\nCynthia: At twenty, I had a University degree, my first job, a loving family and was surrounded by caring relatives and friends. I had good health, a roof over my head, more than enough food to survive, a deep faith in God, and no problems. At twenty, I remember being very happy and felt successful. Consequently, at twenty, I already knew what I needed to know about living a happy and successful life.\nJean: Were you always this positive a person?\nCynthia: Yes, but I was not really aware that I had this attitude. A social worker who interviewed me to make sure I had all the help needed while undergoing breast cancer treatment told me this. I was initially scared and worried. My fear and worry disappeared when I realized that since my cancer was first stage, it was very curable. I had all the needed medical personnel - oncologists, nurses, specialists, radiation technicians, and treatments. I was covered by OHIP. I had private medical insurance. Two of my sisters from the USA would come to care for my mother and me. Today, almost ten years later, I\u0026rsquo;m still cancer free (in remission). The social worker told me that I had a way of reframing negatives into positives.\nJean: Some people say they have had difficult or stressful experiences but have learned important lessons from them. Is that true for you? Can you give examples of what you have learned?\nYes, I have learned lessons from difficult experiences. I have learned that depression can be cured with proper medication (amazing how it can alter brain/moods). It can also be cured by opening up to people who truly care and know you - people capable of listening and who have empathy while you are talking and crying.\nJean: You come from a family of nine children. Your father was a medical doctor and your mother was a pharmacist and chemist/a University Professor of Math, Physics, and Chemistry. Obviously, your parents must have had a big influence on you. Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel were the most valuable?\nCynthia: Sharing, generosity, hard work, maintaining a close relationship with my nine siblings and their families, and education. All nine of us have university degrees. All of these are equally valuable to me.\nJean: What do you think you have the most of: talent, intelligence, education, or persistence?\nCynthia: I have all of the above. Plus, I have a lot of common sense and a sense of humour.\nJean: How have those qualities helped you in your life?\nCynthia: They allowed me to make the right decisions and choices. I have no regrets. I might not be as intelligent now but I\u0026rsquo;m wiser, more patient, and more accepting of people and not judgmental of others. I\u0026rsquo;m quite happy, content, and fulfilled now.\nJean: What are some of the important choices or decisions you made that you have learned from?\nCynthia: Migrating to Canada at forty (in 1978) and making a new life in a new country. Remaining single because I never found a man whom I loved more than myself - being independent and child-free. Maintaining a very close and loving relationship with my siblings and their families, in spite of the distance (U.S. and the Philippines). Retiring early (fifty-nine) to take care of my mother full-time. Through taking care of my mother, I learned a lot. It was the most difficult choice I ever made, but the best and most fulfilling one.\nJean: What was it about taking care of your mother that gave you this great sense of fulfillment?\nCynthia: I wanted my life to be a life of service to others from when I was fifteen. When I realized that my mother needed me, I quit my job and devoted my life to caring for her completely. It was in caring for my mother that the dream of service I had at fifteen was fulfilled. My mother died when she was ninety-seven years old but she had wanted to die at 100.\nJean: I know that you described your qualities earlier - standards of behaviour. What would you say are the major principles that you live by - the rules that govern your actions?\nCynthia: respect and compassion between people\nstrong family ties. unwavering /deep faith in God. focusing on the positive, it attracts positives. loving and appreciating myself. Stop beating up on myself. I hardly feel or sense that someone means to insult, offend, or look down on me. If what is said about me is true, why be offended? If it\u0026rsquo;s not true, why be insulted (except when my morals, integrity and credibility are negatively impacted)? Jean: How did you come to your deep faith in God?\nCynthia: I was raised as a Catholic and attended Catholic schools. My spirituality is based on compassion and kindness and not on the number of times I go to church. Where I am now spiritually is something that I have grown into over the years. My mantra is \u0026ldquo;everything in God\u0026rsquo;s good time.\u0026rdquo; I am very patient and trusting. I know that God will never abandon me; that He will always take care of me.\nJean: We have been talking a lot about learning throughout this interview. Life lessons - what are some of the most important lessons you feel you have learned over the course of your life?\nthe more you give, the more you receive. at the end of our lives (in a coffin), everyone looks down on us. No one looks up at or to us. Heaven is where I\u0026rsquo;m surrounded by others. Hell is where I\u0026rsquo;m surrounded by I, me, and myself (my clones). Jean: Do you have any fears about dying?\nCynthia: Yes. I\u0026rsquo;m afraid of:\nProlonged pain and suffering Dementia/Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s Disease Being alone Jean: If a newspaper wanted to do a story about you, what would the story be about?\nCynthia: How I gave up my life for about fourteen years to take care of my mother.\nJean: If you could have three wishes right now, what would they be?\nCynthia: To be a millionaire (why not?)\nThat the last years of my life would be the best/happiest years. That on my death bed, I would be surrounded by my loved ones. Jean: How do you want to be remembered by others?\nCynthia: That I was kind and compassionate.\nJean: Is there a person/persons that really changed the course of your life by something that they did?\nCynthia: My Papa and Mama.\nDo you have any last words coming from that youthful, positive spirit within you, that you would like to share to encourage others who feel that aging is all downhill?\n- I have financial benefits:\n- discounts from TTC (transportation), restaurants, department stores, etc.\n- Retirement Pension\n- Old Age Supplement\n- OHIP coverage - free medical treatment and procedures.\n- I get more respect and help from strangers and friends.\n- my family and relatives have increased so I feel more loved and respected. Best of all I give and get back lots of hugs and kisses.\nJean: Thanks, Cynthia, for agreeing to be on my blog and to share as freely as you have. I learned a lot. You know that you\u0026rsquo;re a very positive role model for me and I thank you.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3407\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.\u0026rdquo; Betty Friedan (1921-2006)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/youthful-aging-interview/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m pleased to introduce my good friend, Cynthia, who is seventy-eight years young. She has always been a very positive influence on me in her outlook on life and her youthful enthusiasm for living.  I wanted to know what was her secret to \u0026ldquo;youthful aging.\u0026rdquo;  What were the life lessons she learned along the way that might help me with my own aging process?  For those of you who have followed my posts, you may have noticed that I like to highlight my friends.  I have done posts on the skills, talents, and abilities, or whatever moved me about some of my friends - and this post is just another example.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Youthful Aging (Interview)"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re on the threshold of a brand New Year and as it approaches, we\u0026rsquo;re all offering good wishes to those we meet for a \u0026ldquo;Happy New Year.\u0026rdquo; One of the principal components of happy would include healthy. That\u0026rsquo;s certainly a priority for me and I\u0026rsquo;m sure for you. Good health certainly includes a healthy body but is so much more. It is this \u0026ldquo;so much more\u0026rdquo; that I\u0026rsquo;m pleased to share with you through Simply Spectacular Design\u0026rsquo;s video. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful that Ronald Janki of Simply Spectacular Designs has agreed to be my guest for this post. Nature, as we see it in this video presents us with opportunities to enjoy and to heal those deep places within us - our own sea of consciousness within. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often don\u0026rsquo;t take the time to nurture our souls and spirits.\nhttps://vimeo.com/197235403\nFor 2017, It\u0026rsquo;s important that the vibes that we send and the ones we receive are life-giving and promote health of body, mind, and spirit. As I watched the fish fluttering peacefully by in this video, they seemed to be so care-free and nonchalant. A calmness began to come over me. I found that watching the background rocks and plants further reduced my tensions. Talking about vibes, listening to the well-chosen music gave me shivers of delight!\nI read recently that studies were done which prove that watching aquarium fish reduces blood pressure and heart rate as well as improves mood. This was certainly true for me as I watched this video. So, even if you can\u0026rsquo;t get to natural settings outdoors easily, watching a video such as this one will stir those \u0026ldquo;healthy vibes\u0026rdquo; within you. Nature is its own cure.\nA very Happy New Year filled with time to care for yourself and to be carefree - like the fish in the video. Resolve to dive deep in 2017 and to become more of your own true self!\nA short interview about the video with Ronald Janki, Videographer of Simply Spectacular Designs follows.\nJean: ARE YOU A NATURE LOVER? Ronald: I believe strongly that I am. I tend to observe the sky, clouds, trees, leaves, animals, water, rain and I tend to look at contrasting colors to see how the contrasts interact to create unique harmonies. Of course I’m also thinking about the photographic opportunities!\nJean: HOW DID BEING IN THE UNDERWATER WORLD FEEL WHEN YOU VISITED THE AQUARIUM? Ronald: Being in this environment reminded me how far we are removed from nature. The water world has many deep mysteries, and resurfaces unanswered questions. I believe it’s a world that cannot be scientifically defined and analyzed in the hope that this can enhance it’s spirituality\nJean: DID YOU FEEL YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS WAS HEIGHTENED IN ANY WAY?Ronald: Yes, for sure. The consciousness of the interconnectivity of the world that we live in.\nJean: I NOTICE THAT THE BACKGROUND MUSIC YOU CHOSE FOR THE VIDEO WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL. TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE MUSIC.\nRonald: Matching video to music is very challenging. Sometimes it\u0026rsquo;s sheer luck for something ideal. I look at the video many times and have to feel what the message is to me. In this case it was something spiritual. I felt this particular musical creation with its flowing harmonies matched the graceful swimming fish and reflected the serenity of their environment. This was the theme song of “The Eddy Duchin Story\u0026quot; which was released way back in the 1950’s. It is called \u0026ldquo;To love Again\u0026rdquo; and is an arrangement of the nocturne no. 2 of Chopin.\nJean: DO YOU FEEL A SENSE OF SERENITY AS YOU MAKE A NATURE VIDEO OR IS IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PRODUCTION?\nRonald: This production was totally different from others I have made. It was the subject matter that made it different. The colors were beautiful, everything flowed harmoniously and there was a lot of depth in trying to comprehend the overall meaning of our existence.\nJean: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE NEW YEAR AND THE TITLE OF THE POST: “VIDEO\u0026quot; - HEALTHY VIBES FOR 2017?\u0026quot;\nRonald: I believe that would be appealing as many people want to think of the new year as a fresh start, turning over a new leaf, living healthier with more awareness. It’s a significant milestone (New-year), similar to birthdays and anniversaries. However this milestone is shared universally and this is what makes it so special.\nJean: Thank you, Ronald, for allowing us to experience the calming effects of Nature through your video. Look forward to many more of your productions! Have a Happy New Year and swim through it quietly and consciously!\n","permalink":"/posts/video-healthy-vibes-for-2017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe\u0026rsquo;re on the threshold of a brand New Year and as it approaches, we\u0026rsquo;re all offering good wishes to those we meet for a \u0026ldquo;Happy New Year.\u0026rdquo;  One of the principal components of happy would include healthy.  That\u0026rsquo;s certainly a priority for me and I\u0026rsquo;m sure for you.  Good health certainly includes a healthy body but is so much more.  It is this \u0026ldquo;so much more\u0026rdquo; that I\u0026rsquo;m pleased to share with you through Simply Spectacular Design\u0026rsquo;s video.  I\u0026rsquo;m grateful that Ronald Janki of Simply Spectacular Designs has agreed to be my guest for this post.  Nature, as we see it in this video presents us with opportunities to enjoy and to heal those deep places within us - our own sea of consciousness within.  In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often don\u0026rsquo;t take the time to nurture our souls and spirits.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"VIDEO - Healthy Vibes for 2017\""},{"content":"This year has gone by very quickly. It feels like it was just the other day I was preparing for Christmas 2015. \u0026ldquo;Time flies when you\u0026rsquo;re having fun.\u0026rdquo; Well, to tell the truth, it wasn\u0026rsquo;t all fun. Life has its challenges and there are always valuable lessons to learn as we spend our days here on Earth. For anyone thinking that lessons stop when you leave school, I have news for you. They begin on the day you are born and continue until the day you take your last breath. I am 67 and learning many valuable lessons at this stage of my life. As the saying goes: \u0026ldquo;It ain\u0026rsquo;t over till it\u0026rsquo;s over.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2959\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “We are all One. The beauty in one person is shared by all. The life path of one individual blesses everyone. The expression of Life neither originates within a single human, belongs to that person, nor remains within the personal boundary. Life is energy and, as such, it belongs to all, reaches all, and blesses all.”\n― Donna Goddard, The Love of Devotion[/caption]\nIt seems that most of my learning this year took place as a result of following the preamble to the US election and election night with which you are all familiar. As one who has never been immersed in the politics of any nation, even Canada where I live, this was a unique situation. Many people told me they found themselves following the election news too despite not being politically inclined.\nBe flexible in one\u0026rsquo;s thinking and accepting of reality. On the night of the U.S. election, I made a big batch of popcorn, got a drink, and seated myself in front of TV for the election results. I was excited for this historical event that would take place in my life and for women everywhere - a female U.S. President. There was no other outcome in my mind. Energy was high. As the evening wore on and the results poured in, my energy became drained and I became sleepy. The only thing to do was to stop watching early and go to sleep. I had one idea in mind and did not envision an alternative outcome. This set me up for huge disappointment and despair. If I had weighed in on the other alternative (a Trump win), I would have remained peaceful and calm and turned the TV off accepting of the way things were going. Failure to accept reality and inflexible thinking caused my body, mind, and spirit unnecessary stress. Life is too precious to waste time. I should have known better than to spend untold hours watching and hearing what the now President-elect was saying and doing prior to the elections. There was way too much drama and innuendo taking place at all levels that made me upset and brought my spirit down. Avoid negative and drama-filled people and situations irregardless of whether they are political figures, royalty, or just the ordinary man on the street. Financial Wealth is not a barometer of decency and regard for the feelings of others. It\u0026rsquo;s a blessing to be able to inherit any kind of wealth. One who is fortunate to have had an inheritance of money and been able to double or triple that has financial smarts. Poverty is hard. However, the qualities of wisdom, decency, good manners, kindness, respect for oneself and others, reveal character. I saw wealthy people during this election cycle devoid of any \u0026ldquo;wealth\u0026rdquo; in this respect. The life lesson here is that quality is more important than the quantity of money or possessions one may have. Accept and love people in their present circumstances and situations. At an Expressive Art Class that I participated in recently, I was privileged to meet some beautiful people from different backgrounds and cultures. We didn\u0026rsquo;t have to have any artistic experience to be part of this. Some of the people were refugees from Iran and Iraq. As the weeks progressed and we shared freely about our Art with each other in the group, I realized the impact of war on their lives. Everything said in the group was confidential. This was not my first experience with refugees. Our two-month course session finished last week and as we parted, we hugged and left each other with volumes of space in our heart to be friends. We were friends. The life lesson here is that when individuals and countries speak badly of refugees or refuse to take them in, I must not and you must not listen to them. There is a place in each of our hearts that knows that we could have been in the same circumstances if we had been born in certain countries. Love them and welcome them and help them to heal. We are all healers of each other. It isn\u0026rsquo;t till death do us part for any relationships. People come into our lives and just as they come in, they can go out. This is the reality of life. As one with strong commitment ideals based on Christian upbringing - ideals such as loyalty, perseverance, stamina, and \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo;, this is a hard learning. Our ideas, interests, states of being and doing as people, change throughout a lifetime. Our consciousness changes. We are always learning and growing and many times the people around us are not changing at the same rate as we are or vice-versa. This is not good or bad but just a reality. I\u0026rsquo;m not talking \u0026ldquo;romantic\u0026rdquo; relationships although it includes those. I have lost touch with many people who were once a very important part of my life. In the past, I was reluctant to let go. However, this year I am more open to seeing that they were there for a season and that the season is over. I can bless them and the time we were there for each other and release them to the Universe with love. I realize that in #4, I am saying to accept and love and that in #5, I am talking about \u0026ldquo;letting go\u0026rdquo; with love. The life lesson for me is that these two realities exist in human life. Attending a church, synagogue, temple, or other physical place of worship has more to do with tradition than with a changed heart. I was raised going to Sunday School and Church every Sunday. For most of my life, I associated the physical act of going to the sanctuary with goodness and holiness. I liked to think I was a good student of the religious teachings imparted to me by my elders and a devout follower and believer. However, different events in my life have caused me to look within myself and my heart and conclude that physically entering a place of worship every day or on Sundays does not in itself \u0026ldquo;create a clean heart in me or renew a right spirit within me.\u0026rdquo; The transformation that really brings about positive change in my own life and actions must come from within my own heart and being. The life lesson in this regard is to be gentle with myself and others about my/their religious smugness, self-righteousness, and judgmental attitudes. “We don’t find God in temples and cathedrals. We don’t find Him by standing on a prayer rug or sitting in a pew. God appears when we love someone other than ourselves. And we continue to feel His presence when we do good for others. Because God is not found in mosques and synagogues. He resides in our hearts.” ― Kamand Kojouri\n7. Life is like a relay race. You run the race and pass the baton.\nAs the years go by and there are fewer years ahead than those behind, I find myself doing a kind of \u0026ldquo;self examination.\u0026rdquo; My baby brother turned sixty this year and that event was such a big milestone in my life. It brought me to retracing the whole of my life. I thought of all the people who have mentored me throughout my life - parents, teachers, family, friends, and so many others - and was grateful. Without consciously aware of teaching or mentoring anyone, I was thrilled when one of my friends made me a pair of earrings as a Christmas present. She had seen me making jewelry as a hobby and had asked me to take her to the store to get some supplies and show her how to make earrings, bracelets, and necklaces - which I did. Here she was giving me something that I had taught her to make. She would be away for Christmas so she gave it to me early. Many of the small things we do have an impact, even if it is just to that one person. I also thought of the time that I volunteered to teach English to refugees after I retired. I learned so much from them, We are the teachers and the taught at the same time. There is always a leading and a following going on in life situations. Many small instances such as the one I described above \u0026ldquo;hit\u0026rdquo; me this year and the life lesson for me was that life is like a relay race. You do the best you can as you run your race of life and leave others behind to carry on. Hopefully, the impact of our being here is more positive than negative. George Bernard Shaw said, “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got ahold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2047\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026quot; Life itself is your teacher , and you are in a state of constant learning. \u0026quot; (Bruce Lee)[/caption]\nDay in and day out this year, there were life lessons but the above are some that came to mind as I wrote this post. Perhaps, sometime later I can share some others in another post. For now, Merry Christmas and a very Happy, Healthy, and Joyful New Year to all.\n","permalink":"/posts/life-lessons-of-2016/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis year has gone by very quickly.  It feels like it was just the other day I was preparing for Christmas 2015.  \u0026ldquo;Time flies when you\u0026rsquo;re having fun.\u0026rdquo;  Well, to tell the truth, it wasn\u0026rsquo;t all fun.  Life has its challenges and there are always valuable lessons to learn as we spend our days here on Earth.  For anyone thinking that lessons stop when you leave school, I have news for you.  They begin on the day you are born and continue until the day you take your last breath. I am 67 and learning many valuable lessons at this stage of my life. As the saying goes: \u0026ldquo;It ain\u0026rsquo;t over till it\u0026rsquo;s over.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Life Lessons of 2016"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that my memory is not what it used to be. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my last post should have been \u0026ldquo;special\u0026rdquo; in some way to mark my 200th published post. For a while there, I was thinking what significant title or remarks should be made to mark this milestone. Then, would you believe it - this 67 year old brain completely forgot. Instead, there was the post \u0026ldquo;Santa\u0026rsquo;s Mailbox\u0026rdquo; which was my last one. I am making this 201st post \u0026ldquo;the one.\u0026rdquo; That\u0026rsquo;s the reason for the fireworks you see below.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3355\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Don’t die with your music still inside you. Listen to your intuitive inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul. Listen to that inner voice, and don’t get to the end of your life and say, ‘What if my whole life has been wrong?”\n-Dr. Wayne W. Dyer[/caption]\nWhat started out serendipitously has become something special and meaningful to me at this stage of my life. I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed with most people\u0026rsquo;s blogs that they have a theme and stick to that - cooking, photography, business, or a myriad of other topics that you\u0026rsquo;ve probably seen. There are some excellent blogs out there. With my blog, I seem to be all over the place. That\u0026rsquo;s really good for me though as I get to share more freely than if I had been confined to one subject.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3357\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Perhaps one of the hardest remedies to accept for our pain of becoming is that wherever we are in our path—no matter how flawed or incomplete—is a blossoming unto itself.”\n― Mark Nepo[/caption]\nMy blog is really a sharing of myself and places I\u0026rsquo;ve visited or ideas that come to mind as I blog. I\u0026rsquo;ve long been a lover of quotations and I\u0026rsquo;m grateful that there are so many to choose from that I can use in my posts. Taking my photos for my blog is another momentous discovery of myself that has blossomed as \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; has blossomed. Since my first blog post \u0026ldquo;Metamorphosis\u0026rdquo; in April/2012, I have to say there has been a different kind of metamorphosis going on within me. That post was written after a wonderful visit to the Butterfly Conservatory at Niagara Falls. My posts were few and far between at that time. My second post was written at Christmas time in that year - a lapse of several months.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3079\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] To walk quietly until the miracle in everything speaks is poetry, whether we write it down or not. Mark Nepo[/caption]\nI noticed the more I got into blogging that the more enjoyable it became for me. It was fun! When my Dad wrote his Letters and Poems and he said he was doing it for fun, I didn\u0026rsquo;t quite get it. But it\u0026rsquo;s become the same way for me. This is the \u0026ldquo;metamorphosis\u0026rdquo; of which I speak. I\u0026rsquo;m doing this thing that turns out to be enjoyable to do.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2958\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “being articulate is not a facility of language but a fidelity to vision. And so we are all articulate when finding the courage to say what we see.”\n― Mark Nepo[/caption]\nIn the beginning, my posts were open for Comments and very quickly I realized that this blog should be closed to Comments. The reason is that it would no longer be fun. Open to Comments, I would have the additional worry of wondering what another person thought of it and having to respond to each comment. The way this blog works is that I am free to do whatever I want with it and not have to be influenced one way or the other. It\u0026rsquo;s not to make money or sell anything or for self-promotion in any way. It\u0026rsquo;s very freeing. There are a few close people that I inform when I finish a new post and I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for their interest and feedback. They are people that I\u0026rsquo;m on a one-on-one basis with.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2495\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “It seems that intuitive listening requires us to still our minds until the beauty of things older than our minds can find us.”\n― Mark Nepo[/caption]\nHaving said thus, I am grateful for the over 77,000 reads of my posts to date by people that I do not know from all over the world. I guess Google is the one to thank for this. I had no idea what were the highest reads of any posts until I checked today. My post \u0026ldquo;Mystical India\u0026rdquo; has had 931 reads. A post on Christmas called \u0026ldquo;Christmassy\u0026rdquo; has had 875 reads and \u0026ldquo;Lake Louise\u0026rdquo; has had 643 reads. Some are in the hundreds and some are just a few - but it is flattering, nevertheless, that without any expectation at its inception or since then, that this has transpired.\nThanks to each and everyone everywhere!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2326\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] The time for action is now. It\u0026rsquo;s never too late to do something. ( Antoine de Saint-Exupery)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/201st-blog-post/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to believe that my memory is not what it used to be.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my last post should have been \u0026ldquo;special\u0026rdquo; in some way to mark my 200th published post.  For a while there, I was thinking what significant title or remarks should be made to mark this milestone.  Then, would you believe it - this 67 year old brain completely forgot.  Instead, there was the post \u0026ldquo;Santa\u0026rsquo;s Mailbox\u0026rdquo; which was my last one. I am making this 201st post \u0026ldquo;the one.\u0026rdquo;  That\u0026rsquo;s the reason for the fireworks you see below.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"201st  Blog Post"},{"content":"Have you written your letter to Santa yet? You ought to be thinking about it. It\u0026rsquo;s already December 1st tomorrow and Santa\u0026rsquo;s a very busy soul. Santa came to town here in Toronto on November 20th and thousands of little and big people flocked to see him on his arrival.\nMark Twain, famed author of \u0026ldquo;Huckleberry Finn\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;The Adventures of Tom Sawyer\u0026rdquo; wrote a letter to his three year old daughter, Susie, which I am sharing with you below. He was playing the part of Santa. It was written in 1875. Samuel Langhorne Clemens is Mark Twain\u0026rsquo;s real name and for your information, he was born on November 30th, 1835. Today is November 30th, 2016 - his date of birth. That\u0026rsquo;s just a synchronistic occurrence since I didn\u0026rsquo;t know this until I looked it up. I think you will enjoy reading this letter - coming from the pen of this famous author. I know I enjoyed reading it. It might just put you in the Christmas spirit as well.\nMark Twain\u0026rsquo;s Letter from Santa Claus\nPalace of St. Nicholas In the Moon Christmas Morning\nMY DEAR SUSIE CLEMENS:\nI have received and read all the letters which you and your little sister have written me by the hand of your mother and your nurses; I have also read those which you little people have written me with your own hands\u0026ndash;for although you did not use any characters that are in grown peoples\u0026rsquo; alphabet, you used the characters that all children in all lands on earth and in the twinkling stars use; and as all my subjects in the moon are children and use no character but that, you will easily understand that I can read your and your baby sister\u0026rsquo;s jagged and fantastic marks without any trouble at all. But I had trouble with those letters which you dictated through your mother and the nurses, for I am a foreigner and cannot read English writing well. You will find that I made no mistakes about the things which you and the baby ordered in your own letters\u0026ndash;I went down your chimney at midnight when you were asleep and delivered them all myself\u0026ndash;and kissed both of you, too, because you are good children, well trained, nice mannered, and about the most obedient little people I ever saw. But in the letter which you dictated there were some words which I could not make out for certain, and one or two small orders which I could not fill because we ran out of stock. Our last lot of kitchen furniture for dolls has just gone to a very poor little child in the North Star away up, in the cold country above the Big Dipper. Your mama can show you that star and you will say: \u0026ldquo;Little Snow Flake,\u0026rdquo; (for that is the child\u0026rsquo;s name) \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m glad you got that furniture, for you need it more than I.\u0026rdquo; That is, you must write that, with your own hand, and Snow Flake will write you an answer. If you only spoke it she wouldn\u0026rsquo;t hear you. Make your letter light and thin, for the distance is great and the postage very heavy.\nThere was a word or two in your mama\u0026rsquo;s letter which I couldn\u0026rsquo;t be certain of. I took it to be \u0026ldquo;a trunk full of doll\u0026rsquo;s clothes.\u0026rdquo; Is that it? I will call at your kitchen door about nine o\u0026rsquo;clock this morning to inquire. But I must not see anybody and I must not speak to anybody but you. When the kitchen doorbell rings, George must be blindfolded and sent to open the door. Then he must go back to the dining room or the china closet and take the cook with him. You must tell George he must walk on tiptoe and not speak\u0026ndash;otherwise he will die someday. Then you must go up to the nursery and stand on a chair or the nurse\u0026rsquo;s bed and put your car to the speaking tube that leads down to the kitchen and when I whistle through it you must speak in the tube and say, \u0026ldquo;Welcome, Santa Claus!\u0026rdquo; Then I will ask whether it was a trunk you ordered or not. If you say it was, I shall ask you what color you want the trunk to be. Your mama will help you to name a nice color and then you must tell me every single thing in detail which you want the trunk to contain. Then when I say \u0026ldquo;Good-by and a merry Christmas to my little Susie Clemens,\u0026rdquo; you must say \u0026ldquo;Good-by, good old Santa Claus, I thank you very much and please tell that little Snow Flake I will look at her star tonight and she must look down here\u0026ndash;I will be right in the west bay window; and every fine night I will look at her star and say, \u0026lsquo;I know somebody up there and like her, too.\u0026rsquo; \u0026quot; Then you must go down into the library and make George close all the doors that open into the main hall, and everybody must keep still for a little while. I will go to the moon and get those things and in a few minutes I will come down the chimney that belongs to the fireplace that is in the hall\u0026ndash;if it is a trunk you want\u0026ndash;because I couldn\u0026rsquo;t get such a thing as a trunk down the nursery chimney, you know.\nPeople may talk if they want, until they hear my footsteps in the hall. Then you tell them to keep quiet a little while till I go back up the chimney. Maybe you will not hear my footsteps at all\u0026ndash;so you may go now and then and peep through the dining-room doors, and by and by you will see that thing which you want, right under the piano in the drawing room-for I shall put it there. If I should leave any snow in the hall, you must tell George to sweep it into the fireplace, for I haven\u0026rsquo;t time to do such things. George must not use a broom, but a rag\u0026ndash;else he will die someday. You must watch George and not let him run into danger. If my boot should leave a stain on the marble, George must not holystone it away. Leave it there always in memory of my visit; and whenever you look at it or show it to anybody you must let it remind you to be a good little girl. Whenever you are naughty and somebody points to that mark which your good old Santa Claus\u0026rsquo;s boot made on the marble, what will you say, little sweetheart?\nGood-by for a few minutes, till I come down to the world and ring the kitchen doorbell.\nYour loving SANTA CLAUS Whom people sometimes call \u0026ldquo;The Man in the Moon\u0026rdquo;\nThat letter from Santa was delightful and thoughtful. I haven\u0026rsquo;t penned my letter to Santa Claus for this Christmas yet but I\u0026rsquo;m sharing the letter I wrote to him last year. I didn\u0026rsquo;t write my letter to \u0026ldquo;Santa\u0026rdquo; but to \u0026ldquo;Father Christmas\u0026rdquo; because that is what I grew up knowing the jolly old fellow as. By the way, Father Christmas did not reply to my letter. I don\u0026rsquo;t believe he wants to involve himself in world affairs. Of course, many things have changed over the course of the year and many things have remained the same. \u0026ldquo;Good\u0026rdquo; change is something we have to be constantly striving for. As members of the human race, we haven\u0026rsquo;t \u0026ldquo;arrived\u0026rdquo; as yet.\nDear Father Christmas:\nI haven\u0026rsquo;t written to you since I was a little girl. I know that your specialty is children and specifically bringing toys for all the good boys and girls across the globe on Christmas Eve. You\u0026rsquo;re a jolly fellow and there\u0026rsquo;s even a popular song written about you called \u0026ldquo;Jolly Old St. Nicholas.\u0026rdquo; Since you are in the \u0026ldquo;happiness\u0026rdquo; business, it occurred to me that you might be someone to ask for help with the crises we face in the world today. When I wrote to you a long time ago, my needs were small but these days, they are big.\nYou must have very good organizational and people skills as you have to deal with so many requests everyday. I hope you are doing some of your work by computer these days. I know you have a big workshop and lots of helpers to look over. Do you think that when you\u0026rsquo;re not so busy at the North Pole that you could involve yourself in some global work? Actually, you could fill the role of guide, teacher, and mentor. The tried and true people that we ordinary people depend on - politicians, world leaders, the UN, seem to need someone like you to help them navigate the perilous waters we find ourselves in. You may even have to teach our leaders new concepts of thinking and alternative ways of dealing with the \u0026ldquo;human situation.\u0026rdquo; Our democratic process, as it now stands, is filled with error and corruption. You may even have to set up a process to replace the present leaders.\nCan you teach us how to deal with \u0026ldquo;terrorists?\u0026rdquo; (ISIS, ISIL, ISLAMIC STATE, DAESH). Although the enemies can be bombed and their chemistry mixed with the soil, new enemies come along and we bomb them again. History repeats itself. Father Christmas, is there a way to learn from history - as we haven\u0026rsquo;t learned that concept as yet.\nAs for poverty, Father Christmas, our thinking may have to correlate with the opposing power of wealth. How can we really think about the poor if we haven\u0026rsquo;t understood the root cause of poverty. We need your guidance, teaching, and mentorship in this too.\nAs for the agreements made by nations at Conferences on Climate Change, how do we stop the descending roller-coaster of self-destruction? We can\u0026rsquo;t seem to come off. We are stuck on the eerie ride as the darkness and pollution engulf us and death awaits long before this industrial infection, smoke, and smog is eliminated. At the recent Paris Conference, many countries agreed to reduce emissions - but will they keep the agreements? Again Father Christmas, can you guide, teach, and mentor us.\nFather Christmas, you know about the refugee crisis, and how our own country, Canada, is taking in 25,000 persons. How do people get to become refugees in the first place? What root problem/problems do we need to deal with here? What is the direction we need to move in where our thought processes are concerned? We need some leadership and direction here.\nViolence is rampant all around us. Is history going to repeat itself again and again here too? What can you bring to the table with regard to this?\nThe problems of humankind are endless. I know that it takes a certain kind of person to involve themselves in this kind of task and this is the reason I am writing to you. You are the Father of Christmas - very well loved and popular with everyone. We only see you for a brief time once a year. Would you be willing to give this a try? It\u0026rsquo;s a hard job, I know. Looking forward to hearing from you.\nYours sincerely,\nJean\n","permalink":"/posts/santas-mailbox/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHave you written your letter to Santa yet?  You ought to be thinking about it.  It\u0026rsquo;s already December 1st tomorrow and Santa\u0026rsquo;s a very busy soul.  Santa came to town here in Toronto on November 20th and thousands of little and big people flocked to see him on his arrival.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Christmas Tree Collage (for Christmas Tree Ornaments)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Christmas-Tree-Collage-for-Christmas-Tree-Ornaments-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMark Twain, famed author of \u0026ldquo;Huckleberry Finn\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;The Adventures of Tom Sawyer\u0026rdquo; wrote a letter to his three year old daughter, Susie, which I am sharing with you below.  He was playing the part of Santa.  It was written in 1875. Samuel Langhorne Clemens is Mark Twain\u0026rsquo;s real name and for your information, he was born on November 30th, 1835.  Today is November 30th, 2016 - his date of birth.  That\u0026rsquo;s just a synchronistic occurrence since  I didn\u0026rsquo;t know this until I looked it up.  I think you will enjoy reading this letter - coming from the pen of this famous author. I know I enjoyed reading it. It might just put you in the Christmas spirit as well.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Santa's Mailbox"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; \u0026lsquo;Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another\u0026rsquo;s tears, \u0026lsquo;Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on.\u0026rdquo; (Henry Burton)[/caption]\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a lot of news out there these days that is troubling to one\u0026rsquo;s soul and spirit. We seem to revel in what is sensational and salacious. Have you every noticed that acts of kindness seldom make the news?\nThis story of a random act of kindness concerns my long-time friend, Jane. On the upcoming anniversary of her Dad\u0026rsquo;s death recently, she was overcome with sadness as she thought about him. For those of us who have lost loved ones, we know how hard these kinds of days can be. Jane and I had commiserated together before the actual date about her feelings, worries, and concerns for the day.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2492\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? (Jean Jacques Rousseau)[/caption]\nShortly after the day in question, I spoke with her. \u0026ldquo;How did you pass the day?\u0026rdquo; I asked. She replied that she had done a random act of kindness. \u0026ldquo;What did you do?\u0026rdquo; was my next question. She proceeded to tell me that she had gone over to the supermarket and decided to pay for the groceries of the person waiting in line behind her. I was in awe of this deed and haven\u0026rsquo;t stopped thinking about it since she told me.\nWe talked about how it made her feel better and was a wonderful way to honour her late father. Her Dad would have been both proud and pleased. The recipient of this deed was very surprised, of course, as she told it to me. We discussed how far-reaching such an action would be - from the person receiving this kindness, to the numerous people whose hearts and lives would be touched by hearing this. There\u0026rsquo;s often a ripple effect with these kinds of things and I\u0026rsquo;m absolutely sure this ripple effect is still going on.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2457\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] The best portion of a good man\u0026rsquo;s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. (William Wordsworth)[/caption]\nAlthough I have known Jane for a long period of time and have heard lots of stories from her, nothing has moved me like this one. Over lunch in High Park the other day, I told her that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t get this out of my mind and wanted to do a blog on it. She gave me her immediate assent. I hope your heart too will be warmed by this random act of kindness and way of memorializing someone dear to one\u0026rsquo;s heart. There\u0026rsquo;s something to take away from this story. Let kindness mark your days!\nWouldn\u0026rsquo;t it be nice if we could all do random acts of kindness on a daily basis? It would enrich our lives and the lives of those around us in a profound and meaningful way. We could end up changing the world and what a beautiful world it would be.\nTHANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO ME BY YOUR RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS, JANE.\n","permalink":"/posts/random-acts-of-kindness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"\u0026ldquo;Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; \u0026lsquo;Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another\u0026rsquo;s tears, \u0026lsquo;Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on.\u0026rdquo; (Henry Burton) \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Gratefulness-flowers-landscape-image-300x225.jpg\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; \u0026lsquo;Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another\u0026rsquo;s tears, \u0026lsquo;Til in Heaven the deed appears - Pass it on.\u0026rdquo; (Henry Burton)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Random Acts of Kindness"},{"content":" As this memorable presidential race in the U.S. is fast approaching its final outcome, I wondered what style of speaking former U.S. presidents used to bring their message to the people. How did they speak after they were elected? Were they representative of the larger culture? I ask these questions as a Canadian citizen who is removed from the voting process. However, I do have to say that the candidates for this election have caught my attention and the rhetoric used has confounded me. I thought, just perhaps, the rhetoric other U.S. Presidents used would serve to alleviate my concerns about the candidates in this election.\nI\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that those who have held this historic role have not disappointed me. They spoke carefully and wisely for the good of all despite their own faults and failings as members of the human race. Below are some quotes of former U.S. presidents that speak to this truth.\n\u0026ldquo;Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.\u0026rdquo; (George Washington - 1st President - 1732-1799) Lived 67 years.\n\u0026ldquo;Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people.\u0026rdquo; (JOHN ADAMS - 2nd President - 1735-1826) Lived 90 years.\n\u0026ldquo;We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.\u0026rdquo; (Thomas Jefferson - 3rd President -1743-1826) Lived 83 years. \u0026ldquo;What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.\u0026rdquo; (James Madison - 4th President - 1809-1817) Lived 85 years.\n\u0026ldquo;Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.\u0026rdquo; (Abraham Lincoln - 16th President - 1809-1865) Lived 56 years.\n\u0026ldquo;Let us labor for the security of free thought, free speech, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges for all men, irrespective of nationality, color, or religion;\u0026hellip;. leave the matter of religious teaching to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contribution. Keep church and state forever separate.\u0026rdquo; (Ulysses S. Grant - 18th President - 1822-1885) Lived 63 years.\n“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” (Theodore Roosevelt - 26th President - 1858-1919) Lived 60 years.\n\u0026ldquo;America was established not to create wealth but to realize a vision, to realize an ideal - to discover and maintain liberty among men.\u0026rdquo; (Woodrow Wilson - 28th President - 1856-1924) Lived 67 years.\n\u0026ldquo;The supreme purpose of history is a better world.\u0026rdquo; (Herbert Hoover - 31st U.S. President (1874-1964) Lived 90 years.\n“The qualities of a great man are vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character.” (Dwight David Eisenhower - 34th President - 1890-1969) Lived 78 years.\n\u0026ldquo;I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.\u0026rdquo; (John F. Kennedy - 35th President - 1917-1963) Lived 46 years.\n\u0026ldquo;I believe that the essence of government lies with unceasing concern for the welfare and dignity and decency and innate integrity of life for every individual. I dont like to say this and wish I didnt have to add these words to make it clear but I willregardless of color, creed, ancestry, sex or age.\u0026rdquo; (Lyndon B. Johnson - 36th President - 1908-1973) Lived 64 years.\n\u0026ldquo;America now is stumbling through the darkness of hatred and divisiveness. Our values, our principles, and our determination to succeed as a free and democratic people will give us a torch to light the way. And we will survive and become the stronger – not only because of a patriotism that stands for love of country, but a patriotism that stands for love of people.\u0026rdquo; (Gerald R. Ford - 38th President - 1913-2006) Lived 93 years.\n\u0026ldquo;Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.\u0026rdquo; (Ronald Reagan - 40th President - 1911-2004) Lived 93 years.\n\u0026ldquo;I still believe in a place called Hope, a place called America.\u0026rdquo; (Bill Clinton - 42nd President) b.1946\nLast, but not least, are the words of President Barack Obama, who is the 44th President and still the Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America.\n\u0026ldquo;Fair to say, this is not your typical election. It’s not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right. This is a more fundamental choice – about who we are as a people, and whether we stay true to this great American experiment in self-government.\u0026rdquo; (Barack Obama - 44th and current President) b.1961\nIt was an inspirational exercise to glean these words of wisdom from leaders, most of whom are no longer with us - but, who nevertheless, have left an important mark on history by the words they spoke and, the manner, in which they were spoken. As they say, the Devil is in the detail. I\u0026rsquo;m looking forward to the next incoming U.S. President and hoping that the words they speak will bring togetherness, cohesiveness, and openness, to the U.S. and the world. We\u0026rsquo;re expecting great things of you, America!\n","permalink":"/posts/a-presidential-way-of-speaking/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"nasty-woman\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/A-presidential-way-of-speaking/i-XJDqNFL/0/K4pBKxRNPMjj7Fb5z9CR2d5jcjSsX5LcnThXWjnXJ/D/Nasty-Woman-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs this memorable presidential race in the U.S. is fast approaching its final outcome, I wondered what style of speaking former U.S. presidents used to bring their message to the people.  How did they speak after they were elected?  Were they representative of the larger culture? I ask these questions as a Canadian citizen who is removed from the voting process. However, I do have to say that the candidates for this election have caught my attention and the rhetoric used has confounded me.  I thought, just perhaps, the rhetoric other U.S. Presidents used would serve to alleviate my concerns about the candidates in this election.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Presidential Way of Speaking"},{"content":"But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand. (Book of Isaiah)\nOn this 16th anniversary of my father\u0026rsquo;s death, one might think that the day could pass with just a slight remembering and a moving on - a kind of forgetting as the tasks of the day took over. Alas, that was not to be! From the beginning of this month, I started to think of this day approaching. Luckily for me, my Art class was this morning and I worked diligently at my clay creations. Vaguely, I remembered the Bible saying something about clay and decided to look it up. The above verse was one of the ones I found. My father was a \u0026ldquo;religious\u0026rdquo; man. He would approve of me looking things like this up.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3312\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “People tend to see only the stubble fields of transitoriness but overlook and forget the full granaries of the past into which they have brought the harvest of their lives: the deeds done, the loves loved, and last but not least, the sufferings they have gone through with courage and dignity.”\n― Viktor E. Frankl, Man\u0026rsquo;s Search for Meaning[/caption]\nRemembering is what people do on days like these. We can\u0026rsquo;t forget the courage it took to live his life. Without my father and mother, I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be here. They gave me life. My father taught me about the potter - the One in the Isaiah verse above. When I think back now, he never said he gave me life, nor my mother for that matter. He believed there was a Potter. This is my first experience working with clay and I am understanding first-hand what it means to form something out of clay. The clay has to be worked with and reworked until it becomes something pleasing to the potter.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3313\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] My father and mother are buried across from the children\u0026rsquo;s site and I took this image yesterday at a child\u0026rsquo;s grave.[/caption]\nDaddy was a work in progress as I am too. The Potter was still working with him. When I was a child, I saw him as someone who knew everything. When he grew older and I was older myself, I saw him \u0026ldquo;growing\u0026rdquo; in ways that surprised me. Many of us don\u0026rsquo;t associate change with people who are close to the end of their lives but I saw an openness in him that I had never seen before. He was still willing to learn. In his old age, he grew younger in his thinking. “We forget that \u0026lsquo;old\u0026rsquo; in age typically does not mean \u0026lsquo;old\u0026rsquo; in terms of relevance.” ― Craig D. Lounsbrough\nThe way an older person looks is often not how they feel. Physical decline or number of years does not take away the youthful spirit within that wants to sing, dance, play, and enjoy life to the fullest - each and every day. Our looks do not define us. There is a young person in every aged person.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3314\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity. (Edvard Munch)[/caption]\nAs we visited the cemetery yesterday, I asked the Potter to take care of him. Although I\u0026rsquo;m not \u0026ldquo;religious\u0026rdquo; in the traditional sense of being called that, nevertheless this seemed the thing to whisper in my heart. This was for both my mother and father as they are buried together. The Potter is still at work and we are forever changing.\nWe haven\u0026rsquo;t forgotten you. Thank you, Daddy, for all the letters and poems you left for us. We feel closer to you when we read these. We remember that you lived. Thank you for teaching us about the Potter. You were a kind of potter with words.\n“Remembrance is acknowledging that a life was lived \u0026hellip;\nMy father finally wrote out his memories for a reason. I took on a year of reading books for a reason. Because words are witness to life: they record what has happened, and they make it all real.\nWords create the stories that become history and become unforgettable. Even fiction portrays truth: good fiction is truth. Stories about lives remembered bring us backward while allowing us to move forward.” ― Nina Sankovitch, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been good to express my feelings about this day and this time and about my father on this anniversary of the heart.\n“Remembrance and reflection how allied!\nWhat thin partitions Sense from Thought divide!” ― Alexander Pope, Essay on Man and Other Poems\n","permalink":"/posts/forever-changed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.  (Book of Isaiah)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Working with Clay\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DSC03834-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn this 16th anniversary of my father\u0026rsquo;s death, one might think that the day could pass with just a slight remembering and a moving on - a kind of forgetting as the tasks of the day took over.  Alas, that was not to be!  From the beginning of this month, I started to think of this day approaching.  Luckily for me, my Art class was this morning and I worked diligently at my clay creations.  Vaguely, I remembered the Bible saying something about clay and decided to look it up.  The above verse was one of the ones I found.  My father was a \u0026ldquo;religious\u0026rdquo; man.  He would approve of me looking things like this up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Forever Changed"},{"content":" At the top of my Facebook page today, there was a white dove flying on a red background and a heading \u0026ldquo;International Day of Peace.\u0026rdquo; With the state of the world the way it is right now, I was glad to be made aware of this \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; day. Today is the day that the UN set aside since 1981 for nations and peoples world-wide to celebrate and be mindful of the importance of peace. In 1982, when the first International Day of Peace was observed, this is what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: \u0026ldquo;Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greener planet; and to make sure no one is left behind.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3299\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein, German physicist[/caption]\nThe ideal of peace and the reality of peace, as we are all aware though, are two completely different things. In our all too human hearts, we desperately want this peace, but how to achieve it, that is the question? Yet, we have to be grateful to organizations like the United Nations for the work they are doing to help to foster peaceful resolutions to the difficult questions we face today. The theme for this year\u0026rsquo;s International Day of Peace is the Sustainable Development Goal: Building Blocks for Peace.\nSince my interest was peaked by what I saw on Facebook about this being the International Day of Peace and this year\u0026rsquo;s theme, I wanted to find out more. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure what these Sustainable Goals constituted and for those of you like myself, who may not know, this is what I found on Wikipedia:\nThe Official Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted on 25 September 2015 has 92 paragraphs, with the main paragraph (51) outlining the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and its associated 169 targets. This included the following goals:[19][1]\nNo Poverty - End poverty in all its forms everywhere[20] Targets. Extreme poverty has been cut by more than half since 1990- however, more than 1 in 5 people live on less than $1.25 a day Poverty is more than lack of income or resources- it includes lack of basic services, such as education, hunger, social discrimination and exclusion, and lack or participation in decision making. Gender inequality plays a large role in the perpetuation of poverty and it\u0026rsquo;s risks; They then face potentially life-threatening risks from early pregnancy, and often lost hopes for an education and a better income [2] Zero Hunger - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture[21] Targets. Globally, 1 in 9 people are undernourished, the vast majority of these people live in developing countries Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of today’s global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households. Women comprise on average 43 per cent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and over 50 per cent in parts of Asia and Africa, yet they only own 20% of the land [3] Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 per cent) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year. Good Health and Well-being - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages[22] Targets. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality, and major progress has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, only half of women in developing countries have received the health care they need, and the need for family planning in increasing exponentially, while the need met is growing slowly- more than 225 million women have an unmet need for contraception [4] An important target is to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from pollution-related diseases. Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all[23] Targets. Major progress has been made for education access, specifically at the primary school level, for both boys and girls. However, access does not always mean quality of education, or completion of primary school. Currently, 103 million youth worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 per cent of them are women Target 1 \u0026ldquo;By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes\u0026rdquo;- shows the commitment to nondiscriminatory education outcomes Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls[24] Targets. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large While a record 143 countries guaranteed equality between men and women in their Constitutions by 2014, another 52 had not taken this step. In many nations, gender discrimination is still woven through legal and social norms [25] Though goal 5 is the gender equality stand-alone goal- the SDG\u0026rsquo;s can only be successful if women are completely integrated into each and every goal Clean Water and Sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all[26] Targets. Affordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy for all[27] Targets. Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all[28] Targets. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation[29] Targets. Reduced Inequalities - Reduce income inequality within and among countries[30] Targets Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable[31] Targets. Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns[32] Targets. Climate Action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting develoments in renewable energy[33] Targets. Life Below Water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development[34] Targets. Life on Land - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss[35] Targets. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels[36] Targets. Partnerships for the Goals - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development[37] Targets. As of August 2015, there were 169 proposed targets for these goals and 304 proposed indicators to show compliance.[38]\nI know that the above information on this year\u0026rsquo;s theme of sustainable development goals and targets is a lot to take in. However, I feel better informed now and hope this was enlightening for you too. Many events are planned to observe this day globally. For information happening in your neck of the woods, check out your local news. A peace meditation was held in High Park, Toronto, last Sunday - just read about it on the internet.\nHave a Happy International Day of Peace!\n","permalink":"/posts/international-day-of-peace-2016/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"International Day of Peace Post\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2017/International-day-of-peace-2016/i-hX2R4vH/0/MvmGJJvL8B6MZv4TKr3h95nXFbL8r7D6qJbRJvrgT/D/images-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the top of my Facebook page today, there was a white dove flying on a red background and a heading \u0026ldquo;International Day of Peace.\u0026rdquo; With the state of the world the way it is right now, I was glad to be made aware of this \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; day.  Today is the day that the UN set aside since 1981 for nations and peoples world-wide to celebrate and be mindful of the importance of peace.  In 1982, when the first International Day of Peace was observed, this is what  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: \u0026ldquo;Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greener planet; and to make sure no one is left behind.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"International Day of Peace 2016"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3288\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There is something deep within us that sobs at endings. Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?\u0026quot; — Joe Wheeler[/caption]\nLabour Day weekend is here, and with its arrival, there\u0026rsquo;s a tinge of sadness that the carefree, lazy days of summer are drawing to an end. While the Fall Equinox does not officially begin until September 22nd, it feels that \u0026ldquo;change\u0026rdquo; is on its way. Children are back to school on Tuesday and all the Fall Course Booklets show the offerings available for young and old alike to register for. September has long been a time for new beginnings.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3289\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Gone are the birds that were our summer guests.\u0026rdquo; — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow[/caption]\nOur summer guests left a few days ago for their return to England. We had a wonderful time together. For most of us, summer is a time of entertaining visitors or for visiting others. It is also a time when many people embark on voyages to places they have never seen before. Vacation comes from the Latin word \u0026ldquo;vacatio\u0026rdquo; which means freedom.\nHow I remember as a child looking forward to the end of term at school and the freedom of the holidays. Even as a retired person, Summer connotes freedom to me - a time that is set aside for swimming, going to Street Fairs, Farmers Markets, Harbourfront, Centre Island, and the CNE. It\u0026rsquo;s also a time for \u0026ldquo;hanging out\u0026rdquo; with friends. Any time of freedom and vacation is precious because it is only for a duration of time. As Shakespeare said: “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” I\u0026rsquo;m sure that I\u0026rsquo;m not the only one for whom summer has passed very swiftly.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1281\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well. \u0026quot; (George R.R. Martin)[/caption]\nBecause there is an end to everything, we have to make the best use of our time here - day in, day out, year in, year out, and season by season. When the long days of winter are actually upon us, we can be buoyed by our memories of what was good and lovely during our summer past. We can remember the freedom, the fun, and all the adventures. No matter what our age might be, we can keep summer in our hearts all year round. September can truly be a time for new beginnings and here are a few quotes and sayings to remind us of that.\n\u0026ldquo;There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.\u0026rdquo; – C.S. Lewis\n\u0026ldquo;You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.\u0026rdquo; – Dr. Seuss\n\u0026ldquo;Wisdom begins in wonder.\u0026rdquo; – Socrates\n\u0026ldquo;Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way.\u0026rdquo; - Dr. Seuss\n\u0026lsquo;The best thing for being sad,\u0026rsquo; replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, \u0026lsquo;is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then \u0026ndash; to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\n-- from \u0026ldquo;The Once and Future King\u0026rdquo; by T.H. White\nFor all the younger folk going back to school, have a wonderful and adventuresome school year ahead!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1990\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”\n~ W.B. Yeats [/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/another-summer-passes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3288\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"There is something deep within us that sobs at endings. Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?\u0026quot; — Joe Wheeler\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DSC04092-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThere is something deep within us that sobs at endings. Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?\u0026quot; — Joe Wheeler\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another Summer Passes"},{"content":" [gallery size=\u0026ldquo;medium\u0026rdquo; columns=\u0026ldquo;2\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3195,3194,3169,3088\u0026rdquo;]\nMuseums are interesting places and this is true of Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Aga Khan Museum. In an earlier post, I shared images of the buildings showing the architectural layout and the Aga Khan Park. This post showcases some of my favourites from the collection. Above are some of the Korans that were on display. The Koran is the \u0026ldquo;Holy Book\u0026rdquo; for people who are Islamic. The word “Islam” is derived from the word meaning “peace” in Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presenting a peaceful life where the infinite compassion and mercy of God manifests on earth. God calls all people to live by the moral values He sets so that compassion, mercy, peace and love can be experienced all over the world. (www.goodnewsnetwork.org)\nHere is a verse from the Koran:\n“O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you.” (Holy Quran: 2, 208)\nIslamic civilization was influenced by other countries and cultures. We have this rare opportunity here to see evidence of this at the Aga Khan Museum. With the Ismaili Centre right on site, we can learn too about how Canada welcomed the Ismailis (refugees) in the late 70\u0026rsquo;s and helped them to be successful and integrate into Canadian society. \u0026ldquo;Museums have no political power, but they do have the possibility of influencing the political process. This is a complete change from their role in the early days of collecting and hoarding the world to one of using the collections as an archive for a changing world. This role is not merely scientifically important, but it is also a cultural necessity.\u0026rdquo; (Author: Richard Fortey) The ceramic collection at the Aga Khan depicts the mastery and skill of Islamic artists and craftsmen. The colours and patterns are striking and unique. Throughout the ages mystics \u0026amp; theologians have used geometry as a contemplative focus, as it enables the viewer a vision of the underyling order of both the cosmos and the natural world . The cyclical movement of heavenly bodies, which Plato described as the ‘music of the spheres’, finds its Earthly reflection in the natural symmetries found throughout nature and most strikingly within the world of flowers, the proportions of which are governed by simple geometric laws. The origin of the word ‘cosmos’ is adornment (from which we derive the modern word ‘cosmetics’) and the adornment of sacred buildings with both floral and geometric patterns makes the viewer sensitive to the subtle harmonies uniting the natural world around us with the cosmos. In Islamic art the geometric figure of the circle represents the primordial symbol of unity and the ultimate source of all diversity in creation. (artofislamicpattern.com) I came across an interesting article: New Discoveries in the Islamic Complex of Mathematics, Architecture and Art, by Salim Al-Hassani. You can google it to read more about Islamic Art.\nBeautiful, colourful, floral design work here - a repeat pattern!\nThis huge tile panel is on a wall in the bookstore.\n[gallery ids=\u0026ldquo;3225,3214,3220\u0026rdquo;]\nSome of the paintings at the Aga Khan.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3210\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Painted Manuscripts (miniature) were very popular in the Islamic world. Calligraphy, as you know, has special significance in the Islamic world. You can see calligraphy on this painted manuscript - which was a common thing.[/caption]\nTo shorten this post, I will just show some more of the images I took there without comment or added information. For more information on Islamic Art, you can read the article I mentioned above earlier.\n[gallery size=\u0026ldquo;medium\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3173,3136,3128\u0026rdquo;]\n[gallery columns=\u0026ldquo;4\u0026rdquo; size=\u0026ldquo;medium\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3229,3186,3176,3174\u0026rdquo;]\n[gallery size=\u0026ldquo;medium\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3224,3215,3201,3200,3184,3111\u0026rdquo;]\nMy last image is of the huge Iranian carpet displayed in the Museum. Here is some information about the carpet that I read while I was there. This carpet ranks among the greatest masterpieces of Iranian design produced in the royal \u0026ldquo;House of the Book\u0026rdquo; (Ketabkhaneh) under Shah Tahmasp (1524-1576). The main field depicts the world as a royal garden fit for \u0026ldquo;paradisiac\u0026rdquo; ceremonies. At the bottom, stags stand on either side of a blossoming tree and look up at confronted peacocks.\nMaybe, you too will want to visit the Museum if you\u0026rsquo;re anywhere close by.\n[gallery columns=\u0026ldquo;2\u0026rdquo; size=\u0026ldquo;medium\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3208,3209\u0026rdquo;]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3142\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;480\u0026rdquo;] Safavid Carpet (Iran, mid 16th century) Woven, wool, cotton, and silk.[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/aga-khan-favourites/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[gallery size=\u0026ldquo;medium\u0026rdquo; columns=\u0026ldquo;2\u0026rdquo; ids=\u0026ldquo;3195,3194,3169,3088\u0026rdquo;]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMuseums are interesting places and this is true of Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Aga Khan Museum.  In an earlier post, I shared images of the buildings showing the architectural layout and the Aga Khan Park.  This post showcases some of my favourites from the collection.  Above are some of the Korans that were on display.  The Koran is the \u0026ldquo;Holy Book\u0026rdquo; for people who are Islamic.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe word “Islam” is derived from the word meaning “peace” in Arabic. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the intention of presenting a peaceful life where the infinite compassion and mercy of God manifests on earth. God calls all people to live by the moral values He sets so that compassion, mercy, peace and love can be experienced all over the world. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org\"\u003ewww.goodnewsnetwork.org\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Aga Khan Favourites"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s my 67th Birthday today. I haven\u0026rsquo;t blogged for a while because my computer was hacked. However, thankfully, it\u0026rsquo;s up and running now since my brother gave it a complete overhaul. What an age we live in! When I went to do a search on Google, there were all these images of cakes at the top of my screen. I wondered which well-known person was having a Birthday today. I moved over the image to see who it could be - lo and behold, it said: Happy Birthday Jean! For someone 67 years young, it was wonderful of Google to acknowledge my birthday in this way. I am fortunate to live in this digital age and to have this kind of experience. Growing older comes with wonderful surprises!\nEarly this morning, my brother posted a video on Facebook in which he was singing Happy Birthday to me. He\u0026rsquo;s a digital guru. That was a thrilling start to my day. Another digital surprise! A video made just for me by my very own brother.\nI received many beautiful cards from many beautiful people - friends and family who wish me well and were thinking of me. However, my favourite card was from my aunt in Washington who is in her nineties. At 67, it is a nice feeling to receive a card with the word \u0026ldquo;beautiful\u0026rdquo; on it. To think of oneself as beautiful, whether that beauty be on the outside or the inside, gives a wonderful boost to one\u0026rsquo;s spirit and self-esteem. Thank you, Aunty.\nAfter a wonderful birthday celebration at the Mandarin Restaurant, we headed over to Starbucks for a coffee. This particular Starbucks was in a Chapters/Indigo store. As I received a new camera as one of my birthday presents while I was at the Mandarin, I was very excited and wanted to try it out in the bookstore. The above image is the cover of a journal I found in there. On this 67th birthday, I was struck by the colours and the words. When I was younger, I was always struck by the kind of \u0026ldquo;beautiful\u0026rdquo; of movie stars, models, and other celebrity type figures. I realize now though that I can be my own kind of beautiful and it\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful revelation to me. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t have found a better image to bring me to a greater self-understanding and self-awareness in this 67th year of just what it means to be beautiful.\nSomehow this getting older is a cause for much reflection, especially when birthdays come around. As the night wears on, I have to bring this post to an end. I\u0026rsquo;m very grateful for living to see this day and for all the wonderful people who are part of my life. Thanks for making my birthday so special.\n","permalink":"/posts/growing-older/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s my 67th Birthday today.  I haven\u0026rsquo;t blogged for a while because my computer was hacked.  However, thankfully, it\u0026rsquo;s up and running now since my brother gave it a complete overhaul.  What an age we live in!  When I went to do a search on Google, there were all these images of cakes at the top of my screen.  I wondered which well-known person was having a Birthday today.  I moved over the image to see who it could be - lo and behold, it said:  Happy Birthday Jean!  For someone 67 years young, it was wonderful of Google to acknowledge my birthday in this way.  I am fortunate to live in this digital age and to have this kind of experience.  Growing older comes with wonderful surprises!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Growing Older"},{"content":"Many of my friends have been to the Aga Khan Museum for concerts, lectures, and other events. They have also visited the collection there. All the reports I heard were good so I decided it was time for me to make the trek to Don Mills. I was curious to see what they were talking about. The location is out of Toronto\u0026rsquo;s city core but there would have been no space in the City for the concept to have been realized architecturally. It\u0026rsquo;s very impressive and I particularly like the Ismaili Centre which has the glass pyramid and I also like the beautiful, peaceful gardens around the site. The Ismaili Centre was not open for viewing the day I was there. I haven\u0026rsquo;t been doing collages very much lately but I am sharing some of the pictures I took there with you.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3078\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4000\u0026rdquo;] For the People’s Choice award, the public vote chose the Aga Khan Museum, by Moriyama \u0026amp; Teshima Architects in association with Tokyo firm Maki and Associates. Rising on a nondescript area on the outskirts of Toronto, the institution’s striking sculptural form combines a boxy, angular structure and a glass pyramid atop a round podium. (ismailimail.wordpress.com)[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3079\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4000\u0026rdquo;] Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. (Barack Obama)[/caption]\nThe monetary cost of building this was to the tune of about $300 million. Since I knew very little about The Aga Khan, I decided to find out who he is. His biography is very impressive. His Highness the Aga Khan, the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is the 49th hereditary Imam (Spiritual Leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. For His Highness the Aga Khan, one manifestation of his hereditary responsibilities has been a deep engagement with development for over 50 years. Son of Prince Aly Khan and Princess Tajuddawlah Aly Khan, the Aga Khan was born on 13 December 1936, in Geneva. He spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and then attended Le Rosey School in Switzerland. He graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a BA Honors Degree in Islamic history. He became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims on 11 July 1957 at the age of 20, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan. As spiritual leader, the Aga Khan has emphasised the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith: one that teaches compassion and tolerance and that upholds the dignity of man, Allah’s noblest creation. (www.akdn.org) The Aga Khan was in Toronto last May for the opening of the park.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a photographic exhibit on one part of the upper level called \u0026ldquo;Images of Istanbul\u0026rdquo; and the image below was taken while I was on that level. You can really get a sense of the \u0026ldquo;boxy\u0026rdquo; effect inside on the lower level of the Museum - and a sense of what the interior is like. There was a huge carpet (as you can see) on display and this is what the blurb about it said: This carpet ranks among the greatest masterpieces of Iranian design produced in the royal \u0026ldquo;House of the Book\u0026rdquo; (Ketabkhaneh) under Shah Tahmasp (1524-1576). The main field depicts the world as a royal garden fit for \u0026ldquo;paradisiac\u0026rdquo; ceremonies. At the bottom stags stand on either side of a blossoming tree and look up at confronted peacocks. It was beautiful and it took time to see all the detail - nothing like my own rug at home.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3074\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4000\u0026rdquo;]\nThe 10,000 square-metre structure is set within formal gardens and surrounded by a large park (Aga Khan Park) designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic. The extensive site is shared with a new Ismaili Centre designed by the Indian architect Charles Correa. (Wiki)[/caption]\nJust a few more photos below and information about the key people on the project. The information right below is about the interior of the Ismaili Centre. I would love to go back for a tour of the interior.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3076\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4000\u0026rdquo;] ‘Arriz Hassam’s crystalline pattern harmonizes the centres’s tranquil interior, appearing on screens, walls, stone floors and carpeting.’ ‘The symbolism peaks in the prayer hall: the anteroom at the entrance is crowned by a modern take on a muqarnas ceiling, with a conical skylight at its apex,…’\n‘…transparent walls etched with a motif of Hassam’s own design, based on a fractal pattern inspired by the geometries of Correa’s prayer hall dome. The pattern is repeated on the stone floors, carpeting and screens; the composition of stars and circles alludes to both celestial divinity and earthly inclusivity’\nMatthew Hague\n(arrizandco.com)[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3077\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4000\u0026rdquo;] Vladimir Djurovic won the commission to design the park and surrounding gardens and this is what he has to say. “I cannot imagine cities without parks,” says Djurovic. “It’s a very important role because that’s where you reconnect with nature, that’s where you can really be.” But how does one design an Islamic inspired garden for a decidedly non-Islamic context? “This was a challenge,” he says.\nThe gardens surrounding Humayun’s Tomb proved to be an important source of inspiration. Recently restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India, the quintessential Mughal garden tomb is arranged in a chahar-bagh (four-part) layout that divides the landscape into quarters, which are further subdivided. Each section is separated by raised causeways, with water channels and octagonal or rectangular pools marking the intersections.\nDjurovic stresses that while these and other gardens were influential, the Aga Khan Park does not seek to replicate them. “We are in Toronto, we are in the West, in the snow… our main challenge was to try and abstract.” The components of successful gardens are not found in the shapes or forms, he says, but rather in the essence.\nThe formal elements of the Park capture this essence in their symmetry, geometry and the sensations they create — for example from walking on the loose gravel or the scent of the fruit trees. “And you have the mirrors of water,” says Djurovic. “Water is the main element of an Islamic garden.”\n“But here we use them in a very contemporary way,” he explains. The shallow black pools become mirrors that “reflect the dome of the Ismaili Centre prayer hall and the Museum. So you have the culture and the religion and everything is in that garden.”\nBetween the reflective pools, the soft gravel and the local serviceberry trees, no defining component of the park stands out to Djurovic. “It’s the relationship of everything,” he points out — “it’s what you will feel when everything is right and everything is working together.”\nLike so many of the Islamic gardens he toured at the start of his design process, Vladimir Djurovic hopes that the Aga Khan Park will continue to be relevant a century from now. “We’re growing, everything is changing, everything is more contemporary, more modern,” he says, “but the fundamentals are the same.”\n“Feeling you are part of a private place, your own sanctuary, in the middle of nature, and berry trees attracting the birds\u0026hellip; that will always stay, now and forever.” (theismaili.org)[/caption]\nI hope you\u0026rsquo;re really getting a sense of what this place is all about from the photos and the information I found. It would have been fine to have just visited and then forgotten about the place. However, as my interest was peaked to find out more about the Aga Khan and the Museum, there\u0026rsquo;s a lot I am learning through this process. My last image (below) is of a part of the outdoor restaurant where I would like to go back and dine someday. I had coffee and a muffin at the indoor snack/tea area which overlooks a lovely outdoor area with planters. There are chairs and tables in that area but the weather was too cold to sit outside that day.\nThe Aga Khan Museum is a wonderful addition to Toronto\u0026rsquo;s fine museums and one that highlights the Muslim culture and civilization. Since 911, there has been a culture of disdain and hate towards Muslims throughout the world. Perhaps, this Museum will serve to cast a different light on Muslims and to bring about a better understanding and awareness of the richness of this civilization. Islamic civilization has been around since A.D. 610. Harroon Siddiqui, a well-known columnist wrote in the Toronto Star at the time of the Museum\u0026rsquo;s opening (Sept. 12/2014): \u0026ldquo;It represents a historic turning point for Canada — sending a bold political and social message of peace and pluralism to the world at a time of fraught relations between the West and Islam/Muslims.\u0026rdquo;\nThis has been longer than most posts. My next post will show a few items from the collection that I was able to take images of. The Aga Khan Museum is worth a visit for those who are interested in finding out more about the Islamic/Muslim World. I enjoyed my visit there.\nNOTE\nThe interior of the Ismaili Centre was designed mainly by Toronto’s Arriz \u0026amp; Co. Designer Arriz Hassam, an Ismaili whose family arrived in Canada as refugees from Uganda in 1974. He fused Islamic tradition (ornate floors, inset with Turkish and Italian marble) and Canadian maple to craft a serene, spare setting. It reflects, in its details, the Ismaili experience in Canada. (Internet)\n","permalink":"/posts/the-aga-khan-museum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMany of my friends have been to the Aga Khan Museum for concerts, lectures, and other events.  They have also visited the collection there.  All the reports I heard were good so I decided it was time for me to make the trek to Don Mills.  I was curious to see what they were talking about.  The location is out of Toronto\u0026rsquo;s city core but there would have been no space in the City for the concept to have been realized architecturally.  It\u0026rsquo;s very impressive and I particularly like the Ismaili Centre which has the glass pyramid and I also like the beautiful, peaceful gardens around the site. The Ismaili Centre was not open for viewing the day I was there.  I haven\u0026rsquo;t been doing collages very much lately but I am sharing some of the pictures I took there with you.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Aga Khan Museum"},{"content":"We all at one time or the other have questions about life, the natural world we live in, our inner worlds, and about existence in general. How did everything come into existence, when did this happen, who was responsible, and what part do we play in this unfolding drama? There are all kinds of theories. As long as we are conscious of our existence, which we humans are, we ask these kinds of questions. The philosopher, Socrates, is said to have uttered the words \u0026ldquo;the unexamined life is not worth living.\u0026rdquo; I wonder whether he was referring to these questions we ask in our minds and hearts and the answers we are seeking. That calls for a lot of examination.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;960\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Wise men throughout the centuries\nHave used their wily arts\nTo guess its eons of time.\u0026rdquo;\n(Robert Janki)[/caption]\nWhy a post on existential questions? There\u0026rsquo;s a story to this. Although I have often wondered about this amazing world we live in and how it came to be, it wasn\u0026rsquo;t something I was pondering on recently. A person well-known to me once pondered these same questions and found that finding the answers was complex. The person I speak of is my father, Robert Janki, who even wrote a poem on this topic called: \u0026ldquo;Simple Questions, Complex Answers.\u0026rdquo; Although my father passed on in the year 2000, my brother and I often talk of his work and lovingly share thoughts about his writing. We have often said that this was the best gift he left us.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;As many theories as probabilities\nFrom black holes to big bangs\nTo quantas, quarks and quasars\nSingularities, and primordial ooze.\u0026rdquo;\n(Robert Janki)[/caption]\nAnother title for this post could have been \u0026ldquo;All in the Family.\u0026rdquo; The reason I say this is because I received an e-mail from my brother telling me that he had done a short video and he shared the link with me. This is a common occurrence between us two. When I looked at the video, I was amazed and thrilled to see how cleverly he had used my Dad\u0026rsquo;s poem as the content for the video. In some of my more recent posts, I have shared videos. It is with great love, pride, and joy, that I share this special video with you below - my father\u0026rsquo;s poem produced in a very unique style and manner - by his son, Ronald Janki. Enjoy!\nhttps://youtu.be/UnV1b-Lu4p8 Ronald Janki is a freelance Graphic Designer, Digital Artist and Web Designer who composites still-photography, video and motion graphics for expressions in creativity.\n","permalink":"/posts/existential-questions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe all at one time or the other have questions about life, the natural world we live in, our inner worlds, and about existence in general.  How did everything come into existence, when did this happen, who was responsible, and what part do we play in this unfolding drama? There are all kinds of theories.  As long as we are conscious of our existence, which we humans are, we ask these kinds of questions.  The philosopher, Socrates, is said to have uttered the words \u0026ldquo;the unexamined life is not worth living.\u0026rdquo;  I wonder whether he was referring to these questions we ask in our minds and hearts and the answers we are seeking.  That calls for a lot of examination.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Existential Questions"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3030\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] She’s a millennial, K-Pop loving digital artist who just happens to be a rising star at Herend, the much celebrated, Hungarian porcelain manufacturer- founded in 1826. Anita Palkovics talked to us about the craft of painting luxury ceramics and life in small town Hungary ahead of her visit to William Ashley on April 30th.[/caption]\nThere\u0026rsquo;s something new to learn all the time and it\u0026rsquo;s a small world. These two thoughts came to mind today as I attended an event at William Ashley in Toronto. When I received the e-mail about this event, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure if I would be free to attend. However, I found myself with a few free hours and am so glad that I went. As you can see in the image above, the artist is preparing the paint she\u0026rsquo;s going to use. It was fascinating to watch her at work.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3031\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] In Hungary - and throughout the world - the name Herend signifies the manufacture of high-standard, exclusive, hand-made porcelain. It is the symbol of quality and elegance and to possess it represents both value and privilege.[/caption]\nIn this image, she is actually painting. She concentrates on her work and there is someone else from the Herend Company talking to the onlookers and answering questions. It\u0026rsquo;s nice for me to learn that Herend is a small town that is well-known for its porcelain manufacturing - founded in 1826. As I looked at the brochures after I came home, I became interested to find out about Herend. I googled Herend and found lots of information not only about Herend but was also able to read what visitors had to say about visiting the Herend factory. That\u0026rsquo;s what prompted me to say that there\u0026rsquo;s always something new to learn and that it\u0026rsquo;s a small world. The Hungarian Government gave Prince William and Kate a set of Herend porcelain dishes as a wedding present and their pattern was on display at Ashley\u0026rsquo;s today.\nI will share a number of images below so that you can have a glimpse of some of the fine porcelain that Herend manufactures. For today\u0026rsquo;s event, there was a huge cake made by Select Bakery in Toronto and decorated with Herend porcelain figurines. Cake and coffee were served to add to the elegance of the occasion.\n\u0026ldquo;From the tables of royalty to the set of Downton Abbey, Herend has been producing luxury porcelain for almost two centuries.\u0026rdquo;\nHungary is giving Prince William and Kate Middleton a set of special, handmade Herend china dinner set made by the iconic Herendi porcelain factory as a wedding present.The Royal Garden decor of the dinner service is a new pattern designed especially for the event. The decor is based on the hallmark Victoria design — the pattern Queen Victoria ordered from the Herend factory 160 years ago. The original, richly colored Chinese-style pattern of butterflies and flowers has been toned down to purple, green, turquoise, delicate rose and yellow hues with golden accents and rims, with monochrome-rimmed dinner plates. Queen Victoria ordered her set of a 24-person dinner service after seeing it on exhibit at the Great Exhibition in London at the first World Fair in 1851, where the factory’s exhibit won a golden medal. The new decor was designed by Laszlo Szathmary and painted by Maria Rakoczi. Herend has been popular among different members of the British Royal family, including the late Princess Diana, who came to the opening of a Herend exhibition in London back in 1989. (Wall Street Journal, April 28, 2011)\nYou can see the beautiful Herend figurines decorating the cake.\nThis is the figurine that the Herend staff member is holding. It is not easy to see in the image above.\nIt was a wonderful time at William Ashley\u0026rsquo;s in Toronto with the Herend visitors. By the way, the cake was delicious too.\nHerend - small town in Hungary - fine porcelain manufacturing. If you don\u0026rsquo;t already know this, you know it now.\nNOTE - All information for this post from the e-mail I received, from Google, and from Herend catalogs given out at Ashley\u0026rsquo;s today.\n","permalink":"/posts/learning-about-herend/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3030\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"She’s a millennial, K-Pop loving digital artist who just happens to be a rising star at Herend, the much celebrated, Hungarian porcelain manufacturer- founded in 1826. Anita Palkovics talked to us about the craft of painting luxury ceramics and life in small town Hungary ahead of her visit to William Ashley on April 30th.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Learning-about-herend/i-4Msr2hs/0/LdG78wBXT96BwZF97s99SdcK7H42ZtLmKLZjXKx3W/D/DSC03612-1-D.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShe’s a millennial, K-Pop loving digital artist who just happens to be a rising star at Herend, the much celebrated, Hungarian porcelain manufacturer- founded in 1826. Anita Palkovics talked to us about the craft of painting luxury ceramics and life in small town Hungary ahead of her visit to William Ashley on April 30th.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Learning about Herend"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2989\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] It\u0026rsquo;s not the teaching, it\u0026rsquo;s the learning. ~ Sly Stone[/caption]\nOpportunities abound everywhere and at every age to get involved in activities that involve learning. We don\u0026rsquo;t have to be in school to learn. In fact, most learning takes place outside the classroom. I had reason to reflect on the challenge of learning this past week as I set myself to the task of using a new program for making my collages. There was an element of fear within me. The fear was there because I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how they would turn out. I had got used to the old way of making collages. I decided to throw all caution to the wind. As Nehru says: \u0026ldquo;The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2975\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning. ( Jiddu Krishnamurti)__” [/caption]\nWhen I worked with the Toronto Board of Education, at one time as I recall, their slogan was \u0026ldquo;Lifelong Learning.\u0026rdquo; We\u0026rsquo;re never too old to learn something that interests us. Many senior citizens take courses long after their school days are over. Many more take up hobbies of various kinds and learn new things on their own or through the internet. It is a big fallacy to think that because people are retired, they sit around all day doing nothing. Henry Ford said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2991\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1000\u0026rdquo;] You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.\n~~ Richard Branson[/caption]\nAs a senior citizen myself, I\u0026rsquo;m delighted to have this time to pursue interests that I already had more extensively. I\u0026rsquo;m also happy to have the opportunity to learn and pursue hobbies that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have any inkling would be interesting and exciting to me. For instance, taking photographs is one of those things that I do all the time now for fun - even though it was not one of my early life pursuits. This hobby arose around the same time that I was exposed to blogging and the two complemented each other.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2990\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “The education of a man is never completed until he dies.”\n― Robert E. Lee[/caption]\nWhether it\u0026rsquo;s art, music, academic pursuits, or some other activity, it\u0026rsquo;s all good \u0026ldquo;lifelong learning.\u0026rdquo; Learning also helps to keep you feeling young. Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being\u0026rsquo;s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what\u0026rsquo;s next, and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long are you young. -- Samuel Ullman\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2993\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] It is better to learn late than never. ~ Publilius Syrus[/caption]\nThe above collages are some of the new kinds of collages I have been learning and I hope you enjoyed seeing them.\n","permalink":"/posts/lifelong-learning/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2989\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"It\u0026rsquo;s not the teaching, it\u0026rsquo;s the learning. ~ Sly Stone \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Lifelong-learning/i-TDdN4cW/0/MGpjvP4sMw49NhwL9nkPJZmHhfJb6XXdfWstnRXBh/D/Hodge-Podge-Grid-2-D.jpg\"\u003e                 \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s not the teaching, it\u0026rsquo;s the learning. ~ Sly Stone\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpportunities abound everywhere and at every age to get involved in activities that involve learning.  We don\u0026rsquo;t have to be in school to learn.  In fact, most learning takes place outside the classroom.  I had reason to reflect on the challenge of learning this past week as I set myself to the task of using a new program for making my collages. There was an element of fear within me.  The fear was there because I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how they would turn out.  I had got used to the old way of making collages.  I decided to throw all caution to the wind.  As Nehru says:   \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lifelong Learning"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2970\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;600\u0026rdquo;] In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.\nBrother David Steindl-Rast[/caption]\nFrom the time we are infants, along with Mummy and Daddy, Yes and No, we are taught to say \u0026ldquo;Thank You.\u0026rdquo; Whatever the language spoken, country of origin, religious or ethnic background, or other factors of birth, the human species knows about gratefulness. We may not have been born grateful but we are certainly taught to be grateful by our parents, caregivers, and the larger society. There are many virtues, all of which are important, but according to Cicero: \u0026ldquo;Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.\u0026rdquo; Cicero, \u0026lsquo;Pro Plancio,\u0026rsquo; 54 B.C. Roman author, orator, \u0026amp; politician (106 BC - 43 BC) Whether we agree or disagree with Cicero, we know just how important gratitude is to oil the wheels of positive social relations. We stand a better chance at making ourselves happy and bringing happiness to other people if we are grateful.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2971\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Sometimes people get the mistaken notion that spirituality is a separate department of life, the penthouse of existence. But rightly understood, it is a vital awareness that pervades all realms of our being\u0026hellip; Wherever we may come alive, that is the area in which we are spiritual.”\n― David Steindl-Rast[/caption]\nIn my mailbox this past week, there was mail from Gratefulness.org which is an online network for grateful living. I have been a member here for many years. I have lit candles for many birthdays and other occasions, sent e-cards, and read many wonderful articles about living gratefully. It\u0026rsquo;s good to belong to a community like this - even though it\u0026rsquo;s online.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “There is a wave of gratefulness because people are becoming aware how important this is and how this can change our world. It can change our world in immensely important ways, because if you\u0026rsquo;re grateful, you\u0026rsquo;re not fearful, and if you\u0026rsquo;re not fearful, you\u0026rsquo;re not violent. If you\u0026rsquo;re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not of a sense of scarcity, and you are willing to share. If you are grateful, you are enjoying the differences between people, and you are respectful to everybody, and that changes this power pyramid under which we live.”\n― David Steindl-Rast[/caption]\nYou may have noticed that the above quotes below the collages, were written by Brother David Steindl-Rast. He is actively promoting the practice of gratefulness through his work at gratefulness.org Brother David is a Catholic Benedictine monk who has also worked to promote interfaith dialogue and the interrelationship between spirituality and science. His biography is too lengthy to post here as his life to date and accomplishments are so many.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;960\u0026rdquo;] “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy \u0026ndash; because we will always want to have something else or something more.”\n― David Steindl-Rast[/caption]\nThe reason for this post is that Brother David\u0026rsquo;s 90th birthday is on July 12th this year and the mailing I received asked that in honour of his birthday year, his video \u0026ldquo;A Good Day\u0026rdquo; be shared with others. I am pleased to share this video with you and hope it will bring gratitude to your heart.\nhttps://youtu.be/3Zl9puhwiyw\n","permalink":"/posts/gratefulness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2970\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;600\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. Brother David Steindl-Rast\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Gratefulness/i-bd3zbxr/0/NTgjw4wtC5S4sP2RdrvdZVNsRR7CvR4PDCMQqh3tQ/D/Untitled-D.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                                                       \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrother David Steindl-Rast\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the time we are infants, along with Mummy and Daddy, Yes and No, we are taught to  say \u0026ldquo;Thank You.\u0026rdquo;  Whatever the language spoken, country of origin, religious or ethnic background, or other factors of birth, the human species knows about gratefulness.  We may not have been born grateful but we are certainly taught to be grateful by our parents, caregivers, and the larger society.   There are many virtues, all of which are important, but according to Cicero:  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.\u0026rdquo; Cicero, \u0026lsquo;Pro Plancio,\u0026rsquo; 54 B.C.  Roman author, orator, \u0026amp; politician (106 BC - 43 BC)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  Whether we agree or disagree with Cicero, we know just how important gratitude is to oil the wheels of positive social relations.  We stand a better chance at making ourselves happy and bringing happiness to other people if we are grateful.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Gratefulness"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2958\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] From an evolutionary standpoint, human consciousness has not been around very long. A little light just went on after four and a half billion years. How often does that happen? Maybe it is quite rare.\nElon Musk[/caption]\nConsciousness as it is related to mind/body medicine, yoga, and other disciplines is more widely talked about today than it has ever been before. Quantum Physics, Quantum Biology, Neuroscience and Consciousness, are the subject of articles in newspapers and magazines regularly now. We know more about the brain now than we have ever known before. My own understanding of being conscious was about being alive and awake - aware, so to speak. Unconscious was for me related to the state of someone becoming unaware - not altogether there - after an accident or some other trauma. This understanding or lack of understanding, on my part, seems to have prevailed for most of my early life.\nIn college, when I took Psychology and was exposed to Freud\u0026rsquo;s theory of the unconscious, a different understanding of \u0026ldquo;consciousness\u0026rdquo; came into play. While Freud made outstanding contributions in the field of Psychoanalysis, his work was with sick patients. Consciousness means something completely different to me today. \u0026quot;****Freud gave consciousness the quality and capacity to transform experienced activity into unconscious states, similar to how different forms of energy are interchanged in physics. It could also play a part in inhibiting and restricting certain thoughts from becoming conscious. It also served the purpose of transforming quantities of unconscious excitation into qualitative experiences of pleasure and unpleasure \u0026ldquo;(Freud, 1900; Hartmann, 1964). I\u0026rsquo;m sure that scholars in the field of human consciousness still learn a lot from Freud and his work.\nQuite by accident last night, I was flipping channels and looked at a Ted Talk on Consciousness. This is why the whole matter of \u0026ldquo;consciousness\u0026rdquo; is on my mind. It was informative and the speaker brought humour to the presentation as well. Dada Gunamuktananda has trained in meditation, yoga and natural health sciences in Australia, the Philippines and India. He has been a meditation teacher of Ananda Marga since 1995 and has taught and lectured on meditation in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. (thespiritscience.net)\nWhat was said here resonates with me and is more of what it means to me to be conscious today. He talks about our inner space and how we can access this. We can explore and, perhaps, reach all the frontiers of outer space but our real challenge is that inner space - our consciousness. I share this talk with you below and you can decide for yourself whether this also resonates with you. Enjoy!\nhttps://youtu.be/lo0X2ZdElQ4\n","permalink":"/posts/changing-notions-of-consciousness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2958\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"From an evolutionary standpoint, human consciousness has not been around very long. A little light just went on after four and a half billion years. How often does that happen? Maybe it is quite rare. Elon Musk \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/IMG_1496-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom an evolutionary standpoint, human consciousness has not been around very long. A little light just went on after four and a half billion years. How often does that happen? Maybe it is quite rare.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                                                         \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElon Musk\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Changing Notions of Consciousness"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2933\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5256\u0026rdquo;] “The symbolic language of the crucifixion is the death of the old paradigm; resurrection is a leap into a whole new way of thinking.” – Deepak Chopra[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s time to celebrate Easter once again. Like Christmas, Easter is one of the big celebrations in the Christian calendar year. The crucifixion of Jesus took place on Good Friday and the resurrection followed three days later. On Good Friday, many people go to church but not quite as many as on Easter Sunday. Even people who don\u0026rsquo;t attend church the rest of the year sometimes go to church on Easter Sunday. I once heard a priest lament about the numbers that come out for Good Friday services. He said that people aren\u0026rsquo;t as much interested in the death of Jesus as in his resurrection. Below are some interesting statistics I found on the internet showing the percentages of persons of different faiths (age-of-the-sage.org). As you can see, there are many people for whom Easter is just a secular holiday.\nAs far as the resurrection goes, even some theologians and priests don\u0026rsquo;t have all the answers. How could they or anyone else for that matter? Some are on the side of a physical resurrection and some say, we are \u0026ldquo;changed.\u0026rdquo; I say this based on the many Easter sermons I have heard in my lifetime by many different clergy.\nIt is a personal matter whether one believes in a literal resurrection or a symbolic one. The teachings of Jesus, especially those on love and forgiveness are relevant for all people of all faiths and can lead to changed hearts and lives. Perhaps, Easter for the human species is really about inner change, transformation, and hope. By the way, I am no theologian. I\u0026rsquo;m pondering and trying to gain valuable insights about life and living from the teachings of all religious faiths. Change is growth. For me it has been a very spiritual and musical rebirth. Lenny Krazitz\nApart from the religious celebration, however, we are also celebrating Spring. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter what one\u0026rsquo;s faith, nationality, or preferences are - we can all celebrate the Earth\u0026rsquo;s birthday. Easter and Spring, Spring and Easter, are both about new life. There are signs of Spring all around right here in Toronto, and with it, the feeling that we have left the deadness of winter behind. Right outside my building yesterday, I heard many birds chirping beautifully in the trees. They have returned from wherever they had gone for the winter. It was a beautiful sound!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2944\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5288\u0026rdquo;] Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.\n~ Janine di Giovanni[/caption]\nWhether you are immersed in the rituals and traditions of the Christian faith or are on the secular side of this holiday, have a very Happy Easter!\nHere are a few quotes about growth, rebirth, and renewal to take with you on your Easter journey.\n“Reshaping life! People who can say that have never understood a thing about life—they have never felt its breath, its heartbeat—however much they have seen or done. They look on it as a lump of raw material that needs to be processed by them, to be ennobled by their touch. But life is never a material, a substance to be molded. If you want to know, life is the principle of self-renewal, it is constantly renewing and remaking and changing and transfiguring itself, it is infinitely beyond your or my obtuse theories about it.” ― Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago\nWhy stay we on the earth except to grow?\nRobert Browning\nSo long as a person is capable of self-renewal they are a living being. Henri-Frederic Amiel\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2938\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5204\u0026rdquo;]\nNature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.\nAuthor Unknown[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-easter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2933\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5256\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\" “The symbolic language of the crucifixion is the death of the old paradigm; resurrection is a leap into a whole new way of thinking.” – Deepak Chopra\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Happy-easter/i-N22Htw8/0/MrcvsM6rR3hh3rgzN8czxMZJBNgWtJ6P3vrBMZFdH/D/Happy-Easter-D.jpg\"\u003e “The symbolic language of the crucifixion is the death of the old paradigm; resurrection is a leap into a whole new way of thinking.” – Deepak Chopra[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s time to celebrate Easter once again. Like Christmas, Easter is one of the big celebrations in the Christian calendar year.  The crucifixion of Jesus took place on Good Friday and the resurrection followed three days later.  On Good Friday, many people go to church but not quite as many as on Easter Sunday.  Even people who don\u0026rsquo;t attend church the rest of the year sometimes go to church on Easter Sunday.  I once heard a priest lament about the numbers that come out for Good Friday services.  He said that people aren\u0026rsquo;t as much interested in the death of Jesus as in his resurrection.  Below are some interesting statistics I found on the internet showing the percentages of persons of different faiths (age-of-the-sage.org).  As you can see, there are many people for whom Easter is just a secular holiday.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Easter!"},{"content":"\nI discovered quite by accident that today is World Poetry Day. It\u0026rsquo;s a day that UNESCO set aside in 1999 at its 30th Session held in Paris. This is what Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO has said about the day: \u0026ldquo;By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech, who imagine and act, UNESCO recognizes in poetry its value as a symbol of the human spirit’s creativity. By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness.\u0026rdquo; As the daughter of a father who wrote poetry and the sister of a brother who also writes poetry, I am appreciative of just how important and valuable this form of expression is. Their artistic poetic expressions are different but convey words of depth and wisdom as you can see. My soul and spirit have been touched by the many poems I have read over the course of my life by many different poets. It\u0026rsquo;s wonderful that UNESCO has this wonderful day to honour poets and poetry. I like Maya Angelou\u0026rsquo;s quote on artists (which includes poets) ‘All great artists draw from the same resource: the human heart, which tells us that we are all more alike than we are unalike.’ The bottom line is always about what\u0026rsquo;s in the human heart, isn\u0026rsquo;t it? I will share two of Ronald Janki\u0026rsquo;s poems with you below. Robert Janki\u0026rsquo;s poems are above.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2921\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;600\u0026rdquo;] Dear Abstract[/caption]\nThis is my tribute to World Poetry Day! Hope these poems give you some room for reflection and thought about poetry and World Poetry Day.\n","permalink":"/posts/world-poetry-day-2016/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Welcome Morning, Welcome Sun (World Poetry Day)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/World-poetry-day-2016/i-nsP9CMZ/0/Mp8WnkpvJzx9pczQXNtx5p6Q3RmFrMKwdsWJkTkSz/D/coloring-background-for-poem-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI discovered quite by accident that today is World Poetry Day.  It\u0026rsquo;s a day that UNESCO set aside in 1999 at its 30th Session held in Paris.  This is what Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO has said about the day:  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech, who imagine and act, UNESCO recognizes in poetry its value as a symbol of the human spirit’s creativity. By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  \u003c/p\u003e","title":"World Poetry Day 2016"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2902\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] In general, serendipity is the act of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it. In information technology, serendipity often plays a part in the recognition of a new product need or in solving a design problem. Web surfing can be an occasion for serendipity since you sometimes come across a valuable or interesting site when you are looking for something else. (whatis.techtarget.com)[/caption]\nI\u0026rsquo;m not sure whether this post is the result of serendipity or happenstance. You have the meaning of serendipity above and this is what happenstance means: Happenstance means (1) chance or (2) a chance occurrence, but it has subtleties of meaning that differentiate it from chance. Whereas something that happens by chance may come out of nowhere, happenstance derives from a confluence of circumstances and may be more predictable than pure chance. (grammarist.com) Hopefully, you will have a better idea by the end of this tale.\nSince my first visit to Thailand in 1979 when I first had authentic Thai food, I was sold on Thai cuisine. My taste buds just seemed to absorb each morsel with gusto. Since then, I like to try my hand at making Thai dishes. I decided to make chicken Pad Thai today. This is made with rice noodles (sen lek), It\u0026rsquo;s a very popular street food in Thailand. In both the above collages, you can see a plate with the Pad Thai that I cooked.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2905\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;You can have the other words-chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I\u0026rsquo;ll take grace. I don\u0026rsquo;t know what it is exactly, but I\u0026rsquo;ll take it. ”\n― Mary Oliver[/caption]\nAs this story goes - after making the Pad Thai, I saw a small, flattened box on my dresser. I picked it up and discovered that it contained coasters from Thailand with beautiful scenes that were familiar to me from my two visits there. I was delighted! Wonderful memories of my time in Thailand came back to me. My husband had been unpacking a box that we had moved with and he had found them. As someone who blogs and uses photos in my blog posts, this was a photographer\u0026rsquo;s delight. In almost all the photo collages, you can see pictures of the coasters. Along with making the Pad Thai, I began to feel that I was really having a \u0026ldquo;Thai\u0026rdquo; day. Was discovering the box of coasters after just making the Pad Thai happenstance, serendipity, grace, luck, chance, or coincidence?\nLater in the day, I paid a visit to Chapters Bookstore. Since Thailand was on my mind, I decided to browse in the Cookbook Section to see what Thai Cookbooks were available there. I found there were many good ones and the above collage shows what some of the titles are.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2907\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. ( Miriam Beard)[/caption]\nHere are some of the coasters - Head Dress of Thai Classical Dancers, The Emerald Buddha Temple, and Hill Tribe People at Leisure. The images are all very beautiful.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2908\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in. | (Andrew Zimmern)[/caption]\nThese are the last three coaster images that I found in the flattened box: A Buddhist Monk Accepting Food and Alms, Wat Arun, and the Floating Market. More memories came back to me. I was happy to see monks everywhere I went in Thailand. Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple with beautiful architecture and is on the Chao Praya River. That\u0026rsquo;s a place not to be missed on a visit to Thailand. The Floating Market was fun to visit and I don\u0026rsquo;t know of many like this in any other part of the world. The little boats are filled with fine fruits and vegetables.\nAfter I had eaten my Pad Thai for dinner, I remembered my Thai Classical Dancers which are souvenir dolls. I held them lovingly and enjoyed them. This was the grand finale to my \u0026ldquo;Thai\u0026rdquo; Day. I was delighted to have the day unfold as it did with all this serendipity and happenstance. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and got a little taste of Thailand through my serendipitous experiences today. Or was it happenstance? Maybe, a combination of both.\n","permalink":"/posts/serendipity-or-happenstance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2902\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"In general, serendipity is the act of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it. In information technology, serendipity often plays a part in the recognition of a new product need or in solving a design problem. Web surfing can be an occasion for serendipity since you sometimes come across a valuable or interesting site when you are looking for something else. (whatis.techtarget.com\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Serendipity-or-happenstance/i-QrJLCFv/0/LHF27MJbbDV7RmNQQFN5KqcRCTT3NCDMPpXX7xz55/D/Pad-Thai-Coasters-D.jpg\"\u003e In general, serendipity is the act of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it. In information technology, serendipity often plays a part in the recognition of a new product need or in solving a design problem. Web surfing can be an occasion for serendipity since you sometimes come across a valuable or interesting site when you are looking for something else. (whatis.techtarget.com)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Serendipity or Happenstance?"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2888\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] God is discovered entirely through creation - the brilliance of a sunset, the powerful roar of a waterfall, the symphony of sounds you hear in the heart of the forest, or the vastness of space and its countless stars. God is the mastermind behind all matter - every earth shattering scientific discovery and mystery that is yet to be unraveled was dreamed and enacted by God. (Benjamin F Sullivan)[/caption]\nI just returned from another visit to Niagara Falls and it never ceases to amaze me that I never tire of looking at the Falls. The Niagara River flows over and this physical \u0026ldquo;falling water\u0026rdquo; phenomenon occurs. The fact that water falling has this magnetic power over me and millions of other people says something about the captivating nature of a waterfall.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2891\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness. It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall. Fulton J. Sheen quotes (American religious, 1895-1979)[/caption]\nAlthough I enjoy taking pictures of the Falls, my favourite time is when I\u0026rsquo;m sitting in the hotel room and just taking in the beauty of the Falls and the surrounding natural scenery. This time of sitting with the Falls could almost be called \u0026ldquo;contemplation\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;meditation.\u0026rdquo; There\u0026rsquo;s no sound because I can\u0026rsquo;t hear the Falls in the room. It\u0026rsquo;s just myself and the Falls sitting together silently. The art of doing nothing is not a passive state; the Taoist term for the art of doing nothing is ‘wei wu wei,’ which means : …the ‘action of no action,’ a way of acting without trying to act. Action happens by itself, spontaneously – rather than being contrived, it is more direct and natural. (thewayofmeditation.com.au) This is not a common state for me - so whenever it happens, it\u0026rsquo;s a time of real connection with what I commonly call my \u0026ldquo;self.\u0026rdquo; This leads to connection with other phenomena as well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2894\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Before we were born we had no feeling; we were one with the universe. This is called \u0026ldquo;mind-only,\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;essence of mind,\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;big mind,\u0026rdquo; After we are separated by birth from this oneness, as the water falling from the waterfall is separated by the wind and rocks, then we have feeling. You have difficulty because you have feeling. You attach to the feeling you have without knowing just how this kind of feeling is created. When you do not realize that you are one with the river, or one with the universe, you have fear. Whether it is separated into drops or not, water is water. Our life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact we have no fear of death anymore, and we have no actual difficulty in our life.”\n― Shunryu Suzuki[/caption]\nIn my opinion, this feeling of \u0026ldquo;oneness\u0026rdquo; is difficult to achieve in the human experience. We seem to be more and more disconnected. Every time I read the newspapers, or listen to the news, or even go to Facebook, I\u0026rsquo;m reminded of all the disparities around me. Having the opportunity to watch water falling and sitting with it as I sometimes do - brings me back to the feeling of interconnectedness that I have with all living beings and the Universe. It is a wonderful connection.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2895\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “There is a hidden message in every waterfall. It says, if you are flexible, falling will not hurt you!”\n― Mehmet Murat ildan[/caption]\nFor each person, the time and space that is carved out for sitting meditation, aloneness, mindfulness, or whatever one wishes to call it, will be different. I\u0026rsquo;m happy to have been able to find this time to watch water falling at Niagara and regain connectivity with myself and all living things. Hope you enjoyed the images and this time with me.\nMeditation is to get insight, to get understanding and compassion, and when you have them, you are compelled to act. ( Nhat Hanh)\n","permalink":"/posts/water-falls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2888\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"God is discovered entirely through creation - the brilliance of a sunset, the powerful roar of a waterfall, the symphony of sounds you hear in the heart of the forest, or the vastness of space and its countless stars. God is the mastermind behind all matter - every earth shattering scientific discovery and mystery that is yet to be unraveled was dreamed and enacted by God. (Benjamin F Sullivan)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Water-falls/i-h5sm6WF/0/MSLD6MJQgw3Qc2gnJ9mLfRx65tjK9wZ85FbT9vhRr/D/Niagara-Falls-Feb-D.jpg\"\u003e God is discovered entirely through creation - the brilliance of a sunset, the powerful roar of a waterfall, the symphony of sounds you hear in the heart of the forest, or the vastness of space and its countless stars. God is the mastermind behind all matter - every earth shattering scientific discovery and mystery that is yet to be unraveled was dreamed and enacted by God. (Benjamin F Sullivan)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Water Falls"},{"content":"\nIt was a beautiful winter\u0026rsquo;s day last Saturday in Toronto and \u0026ldquo;Expressions of Love\u0026rdquo; took place in the Village of Yorkville Park - \u0026ldquo;icefest\u0026rdquo; it was called. This is its 11th year and the first time I have attended. There were people everywhere and the atmosphere was truly festive. The ice sculptures were magnificent and everyone was trying to get photos with the sculptures or of the sculptures. Many fine restaurants had their fare out. I even saw a sign there indicating there was wine tasting. It was quite the affair.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2872\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] The history of ice sculpture dates back to the frigid realm of 17th century China to the province of Heilongjiang and the small fishing town of Harbin. There ice fishermen used to freeze buckets of water then remove the bucket and carve out a deep hole in the center in which they mounted a candle to create a crude lantern as a means of lighting their way to their favorite hole in the ice. This may be the oldest reference to \u0026ldquo;fire an ice\u0026rdquo; as well. Apparently it was cold enough that the candle didn\u0026rsquo;t significantly melt the ice surrounding it. When Russia\u0026rsquo;s Trans-Siberian Railroad hit town in 1897, Harbin became the home of it\u0026rsquo;s own ice and snow carving festival. Since then, ice carving festivals have sprung up in a long list of countries around the world, some of which are so tropical their duration may well be counted in minutes rather than days (there\u0026rsquo;s one in the Philippines, for instance).\n(at-now-and-then.blogspot.ca)[/caption]\nBrought in for ice sculpting was 20,000 lbs. of crystal clear ice. The theme of love was inspired by Heart Month and the Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day season. The BIA of the area had a fundraiser taking place to benefit the Heart and Stroke Foundation - Maple Syrup Taffy for $2.00. This is what the program said: Patrons can expect to be dazzled by these ice creations, which will include an iconic LOVE sculpture, a giant tribute to world peace, an abstract couple embracing, a winter-themed heart, and a depiction of the ultimate love story - Romeo \u0026amp; Juliet! Everyone there was bedazzled. See the LOVE sculpture below.\nSassafraz Restaurant which is one of the finest in Yorkville is responsible for the competition part of things. Votes were cast by many for their favourite sculpture. I\u0026rsquo;m not sure who was the winner. They were all amazing.\nI\u0026rsquo;ll let you decide which couple are Romeo and Juliet and which the abstract couple embracing.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2878\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “I think\u0026hellip; if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.”\n― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina[/caption]\nThe ice competition was sponsored by many businesses, too numerous to mention here. If I\u0026rsquo;m around for my 80th birthday, I will have some ice sculptures, one of which will be a decorative punch bowl. How\u0026rsquo;s that for planning ahead!\nWhile most of the sculptures were on the theme of love, there were many others as well. I didn\u0026rsquo;t get as many pictures as I would have liked because of the crowd around each sculpture. It was a fun event and I hope you liked seeing the ice sculptures. Below is a YouTube video showing one of the ways that the actual ice sculpting is done.\nhttps://youtu.be/2KaZK4xUszI\n","permalink":"/posts/a-toronto-ice-festival/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Ice Sculptures with Blocks of Ice\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/A-toronto-ice-festival/i-WZBBdCh/0/LvPBqCBnxtkP5nvmkvmWkNhSmqzLMDzVx5F9zqjMQ/D/Ice-Sculptures8-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a beautiful winter\u0026rsquo;s day last Saturday in Toronto and \u0026ldquo;Expressions of Love\u0026rdquo; took place in the Village of Yorkville Park - \u0026ldquo;icefest\u0026rdquo; it was called.   This is its 11th year and the first time I have attended.  There were people everywhere and the atmosphere was truly festive.  The ice sculptures were magnificent and everyone was trying to get photos with the sculptures or of the sculptures.  Many fine restaurants had their fare out. I even saw a sign there indicating there was wine tasting.  It was quite the affair.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Toronto Ice Festival"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2858\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, nor time unmake what poets know.\u0026rdquo; — Ralph Waldo Emerson[/caption]\nIt was very beautiful outside yesterday with the fresh-fallen snow. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist going around the building that I live in to capture some of all the white stuff. I\u0026rsquo;m used to snow now but remember vividly the first snow flurries that I saw and felt. Seeing snow for the first time was exciting! That was in 1968. Prior to that, the only snow I ever saw was on Christmas cards and in pictures. The only Christmas I had ever known was a green one. These days when there is a huge snowfall, as we have now, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that I relish the snow\u0026rsquo;s beauty.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2859\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\nThere is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance.”\n-William Sharp[/caption]\nAs you can see from the above collage, everything in my own little \u0026ldquo;forest\u0026rdquo; was clothed in beauty. The fresh, white snow, clung to everything and did its magic. A snowy day is a time to enjoy the whiteness, abundance, and profuseness of fallen snow - Nature\u0026rsquo;s gift! There is also a stillness. It can be a good time for a meditation on stillness.\nFresh snow doesn\u0026rsquo;t stay for long in Toronto. Everything becomes slushy and messy as soon as the sun comes out. Today is a bright, sunny day, and the snow is already melting in some parts.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2863\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Life is like a field of newly fallen snow. Where I choose to walk, every step will show. (Denis Waitley)[/caption]\nI didn\u0026rsquo;t know that I had an image like the one above until I went through my photos. It was inadvertently taken. However, it is a useful image that goes well with the above quote. This quote gives a wonderful analogy of life being like newly fallen snow and this is what this post is about - newly fallen snow or fresh-fallen snow.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2865\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Of winter\u0026rsquo;s lifeless world each tree\nNow seems a perfect part;\nYet each one holds summer\u0026rsquo;s secret\nDeep down within its heart.\n~ Charles G. Stater[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2866\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. -Proverb[/caption]\nAround this building, the landscaping is beautiful in Spring, Summer, and Fall. There are blossoms, flowers, shrubs, and grasses all around. When I look at the branches of trees, laden with snow now, I can\u0026rsquo;t help but remember that they aren\u0026rsquo;t always in this state.\nWe are free to enjoy all the seasons knowing that what we see today may be gone tomorrow. As a senior citizen now, I like the snow in moderation. When I\u0026rsquo;m looking at it from the inside, it is even more lovely. This reminds me of what Lady Bird Johnson said: When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I\u0026rsquo;ll know I\u0026rsquo;m growing old. The beauty of fresh-fallen snow is unmistakable. It\u0026rsquo;s just that winter is hard on old bones. One has to be very careful!\nThis last image shows a nearby street - Gothic Avenue - with some houses and parked cars. You can barely see the one person walking on the sidewalk. It\u0026rsquo;s not very busy along here and snow ploughs will probably not be along for many days. The fresh-fallen snow may have a chance to stay fresh for a while longer.\nI prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape—the loneliness of it—the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn\u0026rsquo;t show. (Andrew Wyeth)\nHope you liked the part of the story you saw in these images and are looking forward eagerly to the next part to come. That part is called SPRING!\n","permalink":"/posts/fresh-fallen-snow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2858\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"\u0026ldquo;Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, nor time unmake what poets know.\u0026rdquo; — Ralph Waldo Emerson\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Fresh-fallen-snow/i-3GhkNJ3/0/Nhz3TRXbVNxwSnS7k9NmqkttsjWgHw2G8PbsmpS9p/D/Snow-Pictures-20161-D.jpg\"\u003e \u0026ldquo;Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, nor time unmake what poets know.\u0026rdquo; — Ralph Waldo Emerson[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was very beautiful outside yesterday with the fresh-fallen snow.  I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist going around the building that I live in to capture some of all the white stuff.  I\u0026rsquo;m used to snow now but remember vividly the first snow flurries that I saw and felt.  Seeing snow for the first time was exciting!  That was in 1968.  Prior to that, the only snow I ever saw was on Christmas cards and in pictures.  The only Christmas I had ever known was a green one. These days when there is a huge snowfall, as we have now, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to say that I relish the snow\u0026rsquo;s beauty.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fresh-fallen Snow"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2848\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] In our deepest moments of struggle, frustration, fear, and confusion, we are being called upon to reach in and touch our hearts. Then, we will know what to do, what to say, how to be. What is right is always in our deepest heart of hearts. It is from the deepest part of our hearts that we are capable of reaching out and touching another human being. It is, after all, one heart touching another heart.\n- Roberta Sage Hamilton[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s nice that Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day has become more than a day that\u0026rsquo;s just for those whose love is romantic. It\u0026rsquo;s become a time to celebrate life and love, and loved ones. It\u0026rsquo;s about friendship, caring, and sharing. To send a card or buy some flowers or food for someone is an action that begins in the heart. How wonderful it is that this physical heart that\u0026rsquo;s pumping blood and keeping us alive is also a barometer for our health and wellness emotionally. St. Valentine, himself, I\u0026rsquo;m sure, didn\u0026rsquo;t know the impact he would have on human hearts.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2849\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.\n- Martin Luther King, Jr.[/caption]\nSomeone I know has right now gone to buy chicken and ribs for the two superintendents in her condo as a Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day present. A good friend and I went out for a Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day lunch on Wednesday and we exchanged Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day cards. I received a Valentine\u0026rsquo;s day card in the mail from another good friend and her family earlier in the week and it brought joy to my heart. I myself sent two Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day cards - one to an aunt in England and the other to a cousin in Toronto. Unbeknownst to me, they had communicated with each other and expressed their heart-felt delight in having received these. It really is about the heart and what\u0026rsquo;s in it, isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2850\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; A.D. Williams[/caption]\nSometimes in life, it\u0026rsquo;s not people, but pets who open our hearts and teach us how to love. They can\u0026rsquo;t do anything for us. My cat doesn\u0026rsquo;t know anything about Valentine\u0026rsquo;s day and I will not receive a card, flowers, chocolates, or any other tangible gift. What I will receive is that look of love in her eyes, being able to touch her whenever I want, and a feeling of being unconditionally loved. It\u0026rsquo;s nice too that this isn\u0026rsquo;t just on Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day but everyday.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2851\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”\n― Charles Dickens[/caption]\nEverything in life isn\u0026rsquo;t about romance and that\u0026rsquo;s alright. Some people are lonely on Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day because they are not romantically involved or have lost their romantic partner. The great love is gone. There are still little loves - friend to friend, brother to sister, student to teacher. Will you deny yourself comfort at the hearthfire of a cottage because you may no longer sit by the fireplace of a palace? Will you deny yourself to those who reach out to you in hopes of warming themselves at your hearthfire?” ― Mercedes Lackey, Magic\u0026rsquo;s Pawn\nThis is where self-love come in. The same compassion and care we show to others, we can give to ourselves. It\u0026rsquo;s time to go to the bakery and buy yourself a Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day cookie or cupcake. You can have a nice cup of tea with it. How about buying a few candles at the same time? You can light those in the evening and listen to some of your favourite music. Your company can be the best company sometimes.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2853\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance”\n– Oscar Wilde[/caption]\nIf that isn\u0026rsquo;t an option, you can have a party and invite a few other people who are alone over. Go to the dollar store and buy a few decorations. You can order in pizza or serve cold cuts. Better yet, ask everyone to bring something along. I once had a Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day Tea and invited two friends over. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t lonely - just wanted to have a fancy tea. It\u0026rsquo;s all about having an open heart. Alone can be an opportunity.\nWhatever your plans are for this Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day, alone or with others, open your heart. Be kind to yourself and others. It\u0026rsquo;s all in the heart!\nHAPPY VALENTINE\u0026rsquo;S DAY!\n","permalink":"/posts/valentine-hearts-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2848\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg alt=\"In our deepest moments of struggle, frustration, fear, and confusion, we are being called upon to reach in and touch our hearts. Then, we will know what to do, what to say, how to be. What is right is always in our deepest heart of hearts. It is from the deepest part of our hearts that we are capable of reaching out and touching another human being. It is, after all, one heart touching another heart. - Roberta Sage Hamilton\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Valentine-hearts-day/i-h6pxnWh/0/LMX8PWs9w83mRL3P8qgr6xkTJ3B3ts273WNPhM2V8/D/Valentines-Day-D.jpg\"\u003e In our deepest moments of struggle, frustration, fear, and confusion, we are being called upon to reach in and touch our hearts. Then, we will know what to do, what to say, how to be. What is right is always in our deepest heart of hearts. It is from the deepest part of our hearts that we are capable of reaching out and touching another human being. It is, after all, one heart touching another heart.\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                                               - Roberta Sage Hamilton[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Valentine Hearts Day"},{"content":"On a recent visit to the Gerrard Indian Bazaar area in Toronto, I was fascinated once again by all the beautiful clothing on display. There were beautiful sarees and lehengas in different fabrics, designs, and colours. All the images below were taken there. The word sari and saree are synonymous. I had the pleasure of wearing a sari just once in my life and felt good wearing it - lots of fabric and lots of elegance!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2831\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] The 6 yard long cloth which you still drape around your body has a history. You might wonder who was the first woman to wear a sari. Although none of us can answer that question, we do have details of how the sari originated.\nSari, this word is derived from the sanskrit word \u0026lsquo;sati\u0026rsquo;. Sati, as you know, means a strip of cloth. This sound first evolved into \u0026lsquo;sadi\u0026rsquo; and then into \u0026lsquo;sari\u0026rsquo;.\nThere are some indications which suggest that the sari originated in the Indus valley civilization in 2800 to 1800 BC. That is a long time back. Just imagine the women then draping themselves in a sari. Sari has certainly come of age.\n(nishamadhulka.com)[/caption]\nAs you can see from the above image, just as popular as the sari is the lehenga. This beautiful ethnic dress consists of trousers, a long well-fitted blouse, and a long scarf or dupatta to complete the attire. \u0026ldquo;Though it is difficult to trace back the history, the lehenga is believed to have originated in the Mughal Era. In the Mughal times, ladies used to wear this attire on all special occasions. During that time, it was believed that that lehenga choli had all the qualities that would define Indian exquisiteness in its purest form.\u0026rdquo; (indiaemporium.com) I had the wonderful opportunity of attending a wedding in India and bought a lehenga outfit there to wear. It was beautiful and the ultimate in comfort. I can see why many East Indian ladies choose to wear this type of garment.\nBecause of my interest in Indian women\u0026rsquo;s wear in particular, I decided to do a search to see if there was any material that was available on this topic. To my delight, I found there are many resources and I will share these with you below.\nSARIS \u0026amp; INDIAN FASHION \u0026amp; TEXTILE RESOURCES\nThe Sari by Mukulika Banerjee and Daniel Miller\nSaris: Tradition and Beyond (Reprint Edition) by Rta Kapur Chishti (Author), Martand Singh (Editor)\nThe Grace of Four Moons: Dress, Adornment, and the Art of the Body in Modern India (Material Culture) Hardcover – January 17, 2008 by Pravina Shukla (Author)\nThe Sari (Styles, Patterns, History, Techniques) by Linda Lynton\nThe Fabric of India by Rosemary Crill\nIndian Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection by John Guy, Rosemary Crill\nIndian Textiles by John Gillow \u0026amp; Nicholas Barnard\nHandmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of India Handicrafts by Aditi Ranjan \u0026amp; M.P. Rangoon, Editors\nTextiles and Dress of Gujarat by Eiluned Edwards\nIndian Fashion: Tradition, Innovation, Style by Arti Sandhu (Author)\nContemporary Indian Fashion by Fedrico Rocca (Editor)\nWoven Cargo: Indian Textiles in the East by John Guy\nThe Whole 9 Yards: How To Wear An Indian Sari Kindle Edition by Kalpana Shaw\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2838\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] This collage shows some of the different types of trims and embellishments that are used to fashion East Indian women\u0026rsquo;s clothing.[/caption]\nAll the above books are available at Amazon but you may want to check out your local library first to see if you can borrow any of these from there. That\u0026rsquo;s what I\u0026rsquo;m going to do.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2839\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] This collage shows some more designs and embellishments that can be found on saris and lehengas.[/caption]\nThere are a few children\u0026rsquo;s books on saris as well and the list can be found below.\nCHILDREN\u0026rsquo;S BOOKS ABOUT SARIS\nMama\u0026rsquo;s Saris by Pooja Makhijani (Author), Elena Gomez (Illustrator)\nMy Dadima Wears a Sari by Kashmira Sheth (Author), Yoshiko Jaeggi (Illustrator)\nMy Mother\u0026rsquo;s Sari by Sandhya Rao (Author), Nina Sabnani (Illustrator)\nThe above collage shows some more images of the embellishments that were on the outfits I saw on my visit to the Gerrard Indian Bazaar area. It never fails to fascinate me how \u0026ldquo;rich\u0026rdquo; these outfits look with all the different types of work on them.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2841\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Indian jewellery is as old as Indian civilisation itself. The ruins of the Indus Valley civilisation, going back to 5000 years, have yielded examples of beaded jewellery. In the sculptures at Bharhut, Sanchi and Amaravati and the paintings at Ajanta can be seen the wide range of jewellery worn by man and woman, by king and commoner. The temples of South India, Bengal, Orissa and Central India present a veritable cornucopia of the jeweller\u0026rsquo;s art. (utc.edu)[/caption]\nThe above collage also shows some more of the detailed kinds of bead, rhinestone, and embroidery work that is found on saris and lehengas. Since no East Indian woman gets dressed up without wearing jewelry, I thought that I might like to peruse some books on East Indian jewelry. The list below are the ones that I thought I might like to take a look at.\nEAST INDIAN JEWELRY RESOURCES\nTraditional Jewelry of India by Oppi Untracht (Author)\nIndian Jewellery by Barnard Nick (Author)\nTreasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals by Manuel Keene \u0026amp; Salam Kaoukji\nBejewelled: Treasures of the Al-Thani Collection by Susan Stronge (Author)\nHope you enjoyed all the images and that you too might want to delve into some of these resources for further information.\n","permalink":"/posts/sari-elegance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn a recent visit to the Gerrard Indian Bazaar area in Toronto, I was fascinated once again by all the beautiful clothing on display. There were beautiful sarees and lehengas in different fabrics, designs, and colours. All the images below were taken there.  The word sari and saree are synonymous.  I had the pleasure of wearing a sari just once in my life and felt good wearing it - lots of fabric and lots of elegance!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sari Elegance"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;I am where I am because of the bridges that I crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge. Harriet Tubman was a bridge. Ida B. Wells was a bridge. Madame C. J. Walker was a bridge. Fannie Lou Hamer was a bridge.\u0026rdquo; - Oprah Winfrey\nIt\u0026rsquo;s the birthright of every human being to be free. Slavery is one of the darkest marks on human history and we have to be grateful for its abolition. Black History Month is a time to remember just how far from those days we are today and of the outstanding achievements made by the descendants of those slaves. There are still barriers today but many bridges have been successfully crossed by many people. Hurrah for Black History Month!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2823\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Black History Month grew out of Negro History Week, which was established in February 1926 by African-American historian Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. Expanded in 1976 to a month-long observance, this celebration of the contributions and achievements of African Americans was initially designed to encompass the birthday of the abolitionist orator and journalist Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) on February 14 as well as Abraham Lincoln\u0026rsquo;s Birthday. The event is widely observed by schools, churches, libraries, clubs, and organizations wishing to draw attention to the contributions of African Americans. Douglass was a fugitive slave who assumed this name when, by posing as a sailor, he escaped to New Bedford, Massachusetts. His former master\u0026rsquo;s wife had secretly taught him to read and write, and after his escape Douglass became a skilled orator who lectured widely in favor of abolition. He settled for a while in Rochester, New York, where he founded an anti-slavery newspaper, and eventually ended up in Washington, D.C., where he held a number of government positions. One of his former residences there now houses the Museum of African Art and the Frederick Douglass Institute. (encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com)[/caption]\nThis is a time to look at some of the people whose achievements we can\u0026rsquo;t help but admire. We are all familiar with the popular international figures but there are some people we may not know about or may have forgotten. Here is a list of outstanding black people to jog your memory:\nMartin Luther King (1929 – 1968) - King was a pivotal figure in the non-violent civil rights movement. During the 1950s and 1960s, he sought to improve race relations and overturn discrimination in American society. He is remembered for his powerful speeches which sought to bring about a united society - where race did not act as a barrier. Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013 ) - Mandela spent most of his life campaigning for an end to apartheid in South Africa. After over 20 years in prison, he was released and was able to be the first elected President in post apartheid South Africa. Also admired for his forgiveness and willingness to reach out to the white community in South Africa. Desmond Tutu (1931 – ) Leading figurehead in the South African anti apartheid movement. Desmond Tutu is a leading figure in speaking out for humanitarian and civil rights issues. Oliver Tambo (1917 - 1993). President of the ANC (1960 - 1990). Tambo was a leading figure in promoting international opposition to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Mohammed Ali (1942 – ) Great boxer of the 1960s. Refused to fight in Vietnam. Then a controversial decision, he later became widely admired as a principled figure of great stature. Kofi Annan (1938 – ) UN Secretary General from Ghana who served two terms. Widely admired for his skills of patience and diplomacy. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) A former slave, Douglass became a leading figurehead in the anti-slavery movement. One of the most prominent African American leaders of the Nineteenth Century. His autobiography of life as a slave, and his speeches denouncing slavery - were influential in changing public opinion. Haile Selassie (1892 – 1975) - Leader of Ethiopia and symbol of African independence against colonialism Barack Obama (1961- ) - First US President of African origin. Obama served two terms as President and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Malcolm X (1925-1965) - Member of the Nation of Islam which advocated black self-determination separation of black and white people. He later disavowed racism and the Nation of Islam Jesse Owens (1913-1980) (athletics) Won Olympic Gold at \u0026lsquo;Hitler\u0026rsquo;s Olympics\u0026rsquo;, Berlin 1936. Pele (1940 - ) (Brazil, footballer) Pele was the greatest footballer of the century. Since retirement Pele become a global ambassador for sport and is a well known advocate of overcoming poverty. Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009) - Musician and singer. Famous for albums such as \u0026lsquo;Bad\u0026rsquo; and \u0026ldquo;Off the Wall\u0026rdquo;. Jackson was also a pioneer of music videos. Michael Jordan (1963 – ) - Great American Basketball player Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013) Best selling Nigerian novelist. He wrote the 1958 classic, \u0026lsquo;Things Fall Apart\u0026rsquo; Haile Gebrselassie (1973 – ) Ethiopian record breaking distance runner. Usain Bolt (1986 – ) iconic sprinter who has won a double Olympic triple of Gold medals at 100m, 200m, and 100m relay at 2008 and 2012 Olympics Carl Lewis (1961 - ) US, athletics Nine time Olympic gold medallist, Carl Lewis won gold over three Olympics and was the great star of 1980s track and field. Mo Farah (1983 – )- Somali refugee who came to Great Britain. Won double Olympic gold at 5,000m and 10,000m Abebe Bikila (1932-1973) - A trailblazer of African running. Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon whilst running barefoot. Olaudah Equiano (1745 - 1797) - The first black African slave to write about his experience as a slave. His book \u0026lsquo;The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano\u0026rsquo; played a pivotal role in turning public opinion in Britain against slavery Benjamin Zephaniah (1958 – ) English poet and writer, born to West Indian parents. Zephaniah writes poetry influenced by Jamaican Rastafarian tradition. He is also a social activist in fields of civil rights, animal rights and vegetarianism\nFamous Black women\nRosa Parks (1913 – 2005) - Instrumental in the US civil rights movement of the 1960s Oprah Winfrey (1954 – ) Influential US media personality with ground breaking chat show and own book club. Wangari Muta Maathai Kenyan environmental and political activist. Awarded the Nobel peace prize 2004. T****egla Laroupe (1973 – ) - Keynan long distance runner and global spokesperson for peace. Mary Seacole (1805 - 1881) - nurse during Crimean war, contemporary of Florence Nightingale. Maya Angelou. (1928 - 2014) American poet, writer and campaigner. Wrote poem for Bill Clinton\u0026rsquo;s inauguration ceremony which expressed the hopes and aspirations of a whole generation. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1962-) US, athletics. One of the most successful female track and field athletes. Won Olympic gold in Heptathlon and Long Jump Serena Williams (1981 – ) (US, tennis) 19 single grand slam titles, 15 double titles. Also has won four Olympic gold medals.\nThe above list comes from blog.biographyonline.net I couldn\u0026rsquo;t have made up a list such as this so I\u0026rsquo;m grateful that I found this one.\nIn September of this year, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History will open in Washington, D.C. The Museum will feature artefacts and exhibitions that explore the African American experience from \u0026ldquo;slavery to the present\u0026rdquo;. (****bbc.com) This will be a wonderful addition to the Smithsonian\u0026rsquo;s vast collection and a valuable resource for students of Black History, as well as the general public. Below is an interesting video I saw on Facebook about another type of Museum.\nhttps://youtu.be/NToQ3iwz7LQ\nOf course, blog posts like this one could go on and on - but I\u0026rsquo;ll bring this one to a close with Siyahamba which is of South African origin and is sung in some churches in North America. In Zulu, it means \u0026ldquo;We are Walking.\u0026rdquo; In the lyrics below, it is translated as \u0026ldquo;We are Marching.\u0026rdquo; This Black History Month, hopefully, we are walking/marching in the light of God.\nSiyahamb\u0026rsquo; ekukhanyen\u0026rsquo; kwenkhos\u0026rsquo;, Siyahamb\u0026rsquo; ekukhanyen\u0026rsquo; kwenkhos\u0026rsquo;, Siyahamb\u0026rsquo; ekukhanyen\u0026rsquo; kwenkhos\u0026rsquo;, Siyahamb\u0026rsquo; ekukhanyen\u0026rsquo; kwen-, Khanyen\u0026rsquo; kwenkhos\u0026rsquo;, Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamb\u0026rsquo; ekukhanyen\u0026rsquo; kwen-, Khanyen\u0026rsquo; kwenkhos\u0026rsquo;. Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamb\u0026rsquo; ekukhanyen\u0026rsquo; kwenkhos\u0026rsquo;. We are marching in the light of God, We are marching in the light of God, We are marching in the light of God, We are marching in the light of, The light of God, We are marching, marching, We are marching, marching, We are marching in the light of, The light of God, We are marching, marching, We are marching, marching, We are marching in the light of God.\nhttps://youtu.be/1TvWPJGU5Ck\nIf you can\u0026rsquo;t fly, then run. If you can\u0026rsquo;t run, then walk. If you can\u0026rsquo;t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving.\nDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\n","permalink":"/posts/leaving-slavery-behind/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;I am where I am because of the bridges that I crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge. Harriet Tubman was a bridge. Ida B. Wells was a bridge. Madame C. J. Walker was a bridge. Fannie Lou Hamer was a bridge.\u0026rdquo; - Oprah Winfrey\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s the birthright of every human being to be free.  Slavery is one of the darkest marks on human history and we have to be grateful for its abolition.  Black History Month is a time to remember just how far from those days we are today and of the outstanding achievements made by the descendants of those slaves.  There are still barriers today but many bridges have been successfully crossed by many people.  Hurrah for Black History Month!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Leaving Slavery Behind"},{"content":"The best comfort food will always be greens, cornbread, and fried chicken. (Maya Angelou)\nI find cornbread wonderful with afternoon tea. I have to try it with greens and fried chicken one day. Anyways, the recipe I have is ever so simple and can be made in the microwave. \u0026ldquo;Corn bread is a reminder of the Native American contribution to the southern American diet. Corn served an important role in Native American life and early settlers learned to adapt this versatile food into their own dishes when wheat was not available for bread making.\u0026rdquo; (tribal directory.com)\nI made some today and combined eating it with listening to gospel music (I share the Andre Rieu YouTube videos below). In case you want to try making corn bread, the recipe is as follows:\n2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup white flour 1/2 cup corn meal 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt\nMix everything with a whisk and pour into a greased microwave safe baking dish. I used a 6 x 6 x 2 baking dish. _Microwave on high for 3 minutes. If your microwave doesn\u0026rsquo;t have a carousel, then manually rotate the dish half way through the cooking cycle. (_colleens recipes.blogspot.ca)\nCorn bread has a rich history in the southern states. It has traditionally been prepared for generations as an accompaniment to the afternoon meal when farm workers required additional calories for energy to complete their days work. There is no inventor of cornbread. (tribaldirectory.com) My slice of corn bread and tea keeps me going until dinner time. I have added cranberries to the recipe on occasion and jalepenos. The addition of jalepenos is for a savoury corn bread. I have had corn bread with jalepenos at the Fallsview Casino Buffet and that\u0026rsquo;s what made me try it at home. It\u0026rsquo;s delicious! Bacon and cheese are also a good addition and would make for a good breakfast.\nWhile I enjoyed my cup of tea and cornbread, I listened to Andre Rieu, his orchestra and guests. Whenever I want to relax and enjoy different types of music, I can always find what I\u0026rsquo;m looking for from this orchestra. As promised, here are the ones I listened to for you to hear. Hope you enjoy this vibrant, spirited, gospel music. It\u0026rsquo;s very good with corn bread!\nhttps://youtu.be/oT6cUq6tB-U\nhttps://youtu.be/jqeSV8rh4ks\nhttps://youtu.be/cNoKFcQZL5c\nYou can tell now why I called this post \u0026ldquo;Corn Bread and Gospel Music.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/corn-bread-and-gospel-music/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe best comfort food will always be greens, cornbread, and fried chicken. (Maya Angelou)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI find cornbread wonderful with afternoon tea.  I have to try it with greens and fried chicken one day.  Anyways, the recipe I have is ever so simple and can be made in the microwave. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Corn bread is a reminder of the Native American contribution to the southern American diet. Corn served an important role in Native American life and early settlers learned to adapt this versatile food into their own dishes when wheat was not available for bread making.\u0026rdquo; (\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003etribal directory.com)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Corn Bread and Gospel Music"},{"content":"I believe that the nicest and sweetest of days are not those which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.\u0026quot;\nAnne of Green Gables\nA new year has just truly begun and the above advertising poster, \u0026ldquo;New Year, Wellness 2016, New You\u0026rdquo; struck a chord in me the other day. This was in one of my favourite downtown Toronto bookstores. I particularly noted the word \u0026ldquo;Wellness\u0026rdquo; there. Of course, there\u0026rsquo;s a huge inventory of Wellness books and magazines carried in this store. Immediately, the thought came to me that I should plan to spend more time exercising in the gym, taking walks outdoors, making healthy \u0026ldquo;green\u0026rdquo; drinks and eating more fruits and vegetables. Maybe, I thought, I should even consider taking a yoga class. Yoga is good for the body and mind. After all, wellness is one of the most important things in life, if not the most important. Or, is it health?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2791\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “The most creative act you will ever undertake is the act of creating yourself.”\nDeepak Chopra[/caption]\nA few days after I had immersed myself in the Self-Help display, the Wellness, Health, Spirituality and New Age sections in the store, I became ill. Dizziness, nausea, and diarrhoea brought me to a state of unwellness. I felt very weak. My doctor said it was probably a virus. At least, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t dying. My main focus now became Wellness. Yet, I pondered what was the difference between Health and Wellness. According to the World Health Organization: \u0026ldquo;Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.\u0026rdquo; Even though I wasn\u0026rsquo;t healthy according to this definition, I would create and choose small moments of joy to bring me to \u0026ldquo;wellness.\u0026rdquo; Somehow, I sensed the feeling that this \u0026ldquo;wellness\u0026rdquo; required my active participation.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2793\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Wellness is the dynamic process of becoming aware of, taking responsibility for, and making choices that directly contribute to one’s well being and that of the common good. It is the integration of body, mind and spirit and the ongoing development of one’s own meaning in life. (miami.edu)[/caption]\nMy cat, Cali, is a source of much joy to me. I consciously decided to be grateful that I was strong enough to give her food, water, and clean her litter box. I was also able to enjoy playing with her and this lifted my spirits. She doesn\u0026rsquo;t ask too much of me really. She just wants me to take care of her. Being able to take care of myself and take care of my cat were stepping-stones to \u0026ldquo;wellness.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2794\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;710\u0026rdquo;]\nBread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran[/caption]\nMy next-door neighbour dropped off the lovely potted Cyclamen plant at my door to cheer me up. She had called, only to find out, that I wasn\u0026rsquo;t well. I discovered that another person can be a vehicle for \u0026ldquo;wellness.\u0026rdquo; It wasn\u0026rsquo;t just the beauty of the flowers that helped to revive me but the thoughtfulness behind this deed. Somebody thought of me and cared enough to want to cheer me up.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2795\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Creativity is the place where only you can go. Your discovery there will be wonderful for you will have discovered yourself. ( Catherine Hall Tauginbaugh)[/caption]\nWhen I wasn\u0026rsquo;t well enough to go out, I took out my colouring book, crayons, and markers, and decided to use this activity to propel me to Wellness. The pattern is provided in the colouring book but I get to choose the colours. This is where my own creativity comes in. It\u0026rsquo;s an activity I enjoy doing and having fun is part of health and wellness. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” I was slowing starting to feel better and better - \u0026ldquo;well.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m sixty-six years old. By the time a person gets to that age, when one is unwell, one never knows.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2796\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love \u0026amp; affection. ~Buddha[/caption]\nAs soon as I was well enough to go out, I decided to use my gift certificate for a manicure. This was a Christmas present to me from my son and daughter-in-law. I decided to take care of myself. I was beginning to understand more and more that there were different components to \u0026ldquo;wellness.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2798\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life. ~Jean Shinoda Bolen[/caption]\nI love scones and tea - at home or at the bakery. I found a recipe for microwave scones and decided to try it for myself. It was very easy and tasted good. Finding easy ways to make things that I enjoy is another awareness about Wellness. With the winter weather here, there are times that it\u0026rsquo;s hard to get out to the bakery. Now I can make scones for myself very quickly and make my cup of tea.\nAs you can probably tell by now, the Wellness that I talked about in the beginning of this post is not the Wellness that I\u0026rsquo;m talking about at the end. My own personal discovery is that Wellness is more about the way that I create good and joyful moments and events in my own life. It\u0026rsquo;s about how I enhance and enrich my own life and the life of those around me. It\u0026rsquo;s about the meaning that I create in my own life. Health, on the other hand, is not a given. Many people do all the right things - exercise, meditate, eat right, sleep early, take their \u0026ldquo;Greens +\u0026rdquo; and do not have bodily health. One does have to take care of the body though and do all those things. It\u0026rsquo;s the only one we\u0026rsquo;re given to take us through life.\nWellness is not a \u0026lsquo;medical fix\u0026rsquo; but a way of living - a lifestyle sensitive and responsive to all the dimensions of body, mind, and spirit, an approach to life we each design to achieve our highest potential for well-being now and forever. (Greg Anderson)\nMay you be well and enjoy life\u0026rsquo;s simple pleasures!\n","permalink":"/posts/simple-pleasures/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI believe that the nicest and sweetest of days are not those which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.\u0026quot;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnne of Green Gables\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Simple-pleasures/i-GbXJKLB/0/K8hnRqFS63Z4sfvDz6QhszpXnHqjPSFGsP8MZX8zv/D/Recently-Updated64-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Recently Updated64\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Simple-pleasures/i-GbXJKLB/0/K8hnRqFS63Z4sfvDz6QhszpXnHqjPSFGsP8MZX8zv/D/Recently-Updated64-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA new year has just truly begun and the above advertising poster, \u0026ldquo;New Year, Wellness 2016, New You\u0026rdquo; struck a chord in me the other day. This was in one of my favourite downtown Toronto bookstores.  I particularly noted the word \u0026ldquo;Wellness\u0026rdquo; there.  Of course, there\u0026rsquo;s a huge inventory of Wellness books and magazines carried in this store.  Immediately, the thought came to me that I should plan to spend more time exercising in the gym, taking walks outdoors, making healthy \u0026ldquo;green\u0026rdquo; drinks and eating more fruits and vegetables.  Maybe, I thought, I should even consider taking a yoga class. Yoga is good for the body and mind.  After all, wellness is one of the most important things in life, if not the most important. Or, is it health?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Simple Pleasures"},{"content":"“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love” ― Martin Luther King Jr.\nYesterday was the federal holiday in the U.S. for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As I looked at Facebook today, I realize that many of my friends had made note of this event and made their own personal observations and tributes. My post is my tribute to this great advocate for racial equality and civil rights - all done in a non-violent manner. In this present day and age where violence seems to be the order of the day, it\u0026rsquo;s good to reflect on this great man and the legacy he left.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2579\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.\n~ Martin Luther King, Jr.[/caption]\nMartin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister and the son of a pastor. Perhaps this explains why Dr. King would choose the non-violent route. The King Philosophy and principles are as follows:\nPRINCIPLE ONE: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.\nPRINCIPLE TWO: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.\nPRINCIPLE THREE: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people.\nPRINCIPLE FOUR: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.\nPRINCIPLE FIVE: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.\nPRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.\nAll of these principles were found on thekingcentre.org website and there is a plethora of other invaluable information there.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2045\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5160\u0026rdquo;] “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”\n― Martin Luther King Jr.[/caption]\nThank you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the dignity and discipline you showed and expressed in your non-violent movement for racial equality and civil rights in the United States. Your example and leadership impacted all peoples, cultures, and generations world-wide and wherever the rights of people are in question, your name is heard.\nMartin Luther King, Jr. Day is a time to honor the greatest champion of racial equality who taught a nation - through compassion and courage - about democracy, nonviolence and racial justice. (Mark Pryor)\nhttps://youtu.be/I47Y6VHc3Ms\n","permalink":"/posts/non-violent-ways/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e― Martin Luther King Jr.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Non-violent-ways/i-8t2nvtz/0/Kj9gGKgLFMfKRGFrfqMF7wVBLvps6Jr3qbcQ7wshb/D/DSC01227-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Hydrangeas at Harbourfront, Toronto\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Non-violent-ways/i-8t2nvtz/0/Kj9gGKgLFMfKRGFrfqMF7wVBLvps6Jr3qbcQ7wshb/D/DSC01227-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday was the federal holiday in the U.S.  for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  As I looked at Facebook today, I realize that many of my friends had made note of this event and made their own personal observations and tributes.  My post is my tribute to this great advocate for racial equality and civil rights - all done in a non-violent manner.  In this present day and age where violence seems to be the order of the day, it\u0026rsquo;s good to reflect on this great man and the legacy he left.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Non-violent Ways"},{"content":"\nWhy would anyone want to blog? That\u0026rsquo;s a question I\u0026rsquo;ve been asking myself. A myriad of blog topics are at the disposal of everyone who\u0026rsquo;s on the internet. \u0026ldquo;There are actually more than 8 million blogs online, and what is more amazing is that a new blog is created every 8 seconds.\u0026rdquo; (quora.com) Some blogs are written for the purpose of business and cover more serious subjects and others are of a lighter nature and just for fun. Fun and games aside, some bloggers make money from blogging - but If there\u0026rsquo;s no monetary reward, why bother to blog?\nBlogging is a simple pleasure. One does not have to be an award winning writer to blog. What one blogs about is completely up to one\u0026rsquo;s fancy. A blogger can blog every day or once a week. Bloggers who have a lot to say blog more frequently than those who are struggling to find topics to blog about. Time is also of the essence. Some bloggers have more time at their disposal to write blogs than others. There are blogs with pictures (as mine is) or those with just writing. It\u0026rsquo;s entirely up to the blogger what media they use or don\u0026rsquo;t use. I recently used some YouTube video on a blog post about the operetta \u0026ldquo;Student Prince\u0026rdquo; and many people told me they liked it. Here is the link:\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2513\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2048\u0026rdquo;] “Stories are the collective wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Your job as a storyteller is not simply to entertain. Nor is it to be noticed for the way you turn a phrase. You have a very important job\u0026ndash;one of the most important. Your job is to let people know that everyone shares their feelings\u0026ndash;and that these feelings bind us. Your job is a healing art, and like all healers, you have a responsibility. Let people know they are not alone. You must make people people understand that we are all the same.”\n― Brian McDonald, The Golden Theme: How to Make Your Writing Appeal to the Highest Common Denominator[/caption]\nTo blog is to share a part of yourself. In the beginning, you don\u0026rsquo;t quite know whether what you have to say will be well received or not. A blogger is vulnerable. Once you overcome this sense of being vulnerable and put yourself out there, it gets easier to post more blogs. I find myself passionate about my blogging. Any time spent on preparing a post is a good use of my time - from taking the pictures, to writing, researching, collaborating, right up until the finished product. At the completion of a post, I feel a sense of satisfaction.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1824\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5224\u0026rdquo;] Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you\u0026rsquo;re passionate about something, then you\u0026rsquo;re more willing to take risks.\nYo-Yo Ma[/caption]\nMost bloggers like to think that what they are doing is in the realm of \u0026ldquo;creativity.\u0026rdquo; I, for one, like to think that of my blog. Many bloggers are richly rewarded by the comments they receive from readers and are happy for the feedback. Many bloggers make friends through blogging. I have been very fortunate to have had the support of many family members and friends for my blog. I am highly appreciative of this. As John Donne said: \u0026ldquo;No man is an island.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_973\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5218\u0026rdquo;] All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. (Aristotle)[/caption]\nAll my actions related to blogging have had, more or less, all of the seven causes Aristotle mentions in the above quote. Apart from my close family and friends, there are many others I don\u0026rsquo;t know who have read my posts. To date, there have been over 60,000 reads of my posts. Thanks to all of you out there in all parts of the world. I see all the countries you\u0026rsquo;re from and the date and time you\u0026rsquo;re reading my posts. I know too which posts you\u0026rsquo;re reading. Very interesting information for a blogger sitting in Toronto! In 2016, I look forward to many happy and enjoyable hours of blogging activities and the unleashing of more energy for this passion of mine.\nAdieu! Until we meet again!\n","permalink":"/posts/passionate-about-blogging/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Passionate-about-blogging/i-2XRSVnp/0/MbJkfsSGgnGhCJMz87LWTp7DZnGkHHSWvHmmRhLfx/D/yTrIBB6XSzCbGAGsCgOnEg-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Trees with quote \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m not in search of sanctity\u0026rdquo;\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Passionate-about-blogging/i-2XRSVnp/0/MbJkfsSGgnGhCJMz87LWTp7DZnGkHHSWvHmmRhLfx/D/yTrIBB6XSzCbGAGsCgOnEg-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy would anyone want to blog? That\u0026rsquo;s a question I\u0026rsquo;ve been asking myself.  A myriad of  blog topics are at the disposal of everyone who\u0026rsquo;s on the internet. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;There are actually more than 8 million blogs online, and what is more amazing is that a new blog is created every 8 seconds.\u0026rdquo; (quora.com)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  Some blogs are written for the purpose of business and cover more serious subjects and others are of a lighter nature and just for fun. Fun and games aside, some bloggers make money from blogging -  but If there\u0026rsquo;s no monetary reward, why bother to blog?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Passionate about Blogging"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2762\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] An operetta is simply a small and gay opera.\n(Gustav Mahler)[/caption]\nSigmund Romberg\u0026rsquo;s Student Prince at the St. Lawrence Centre was one the highlights of the holidays for me. It was put on by the Toronto Operetta Theatre and we enjoyed every moment of it. A live performance! This was our family\u0026rsquo;s New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve outing. It was delightful with all the singing, dancing, acting, beautiful costumes, and sets. The next best thing to doing the dancing and singing yourself is to get caught up in the excitement and magic happening on stage through the voices and movements of the professionals there. Since the music in this production has always been very special to me, I want to share some of my favourite music from Student Prince with you. I have never done a post in which I shared a You Tube video - this is a first. Hope you enjoy!\nhttps://youtu.be/yTIczAqE4JQ\nDeep in my heart, dear I have a dream of you Fashioned of starlight Perfume of roses and dew\nOur paths may sever But I\u0026rsquo;ll remember forever Deep in my heart, dear I\u0026rsquo;ll always dream of you\nAs a teenager, I saw the Student Prince movie starring Edmund Purdom and Anne Blyth many times. I loved the music and learned that the tenor voice was Mario Lanza\u0026rsquo;s. The handsome, Edmund Purdom, was just lip-syncing in the movie. It\u0026rsquo;s a new year and a time for new beginnings - but I still remember the old days when I saw movies like this. I\u0026rsquo;m not sure if other young people my age were into movies like this at that time. I may have been influenced by my parents, especially my mother, who loved Mario Lanza\u0026rsquo;s voice. Below is the \u0026ldquo;Drink Drink Drink\u0026rdquo; song - another favourite of mine.\nhttps://youtu.be/cRv9tyz1XVc\nI remember visiting Heidelberg as an adult and our tour guide showing us the place where \u0026ldquo;Student Prince\u0026rdquo; was filmed. As they say, it\u0026rsquo;s a small world. Heidelberg was beautiful. I had never dreamt that I would ever be in Heidelberg - let alone all the other beautiful places I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to visit in different parts of the world. Another bit of synchronicity regarding Heidelberg, is that I have a friend who studied at the University in Heidelberg. She married someone she met there and is living in Heidelberg now.\nLast, but not least, the \u0026ldquo;Serenade\u0026rdquo; from Student Prince is another of my favourite songs.\nhttps://youtu.be/vcF6cvw5vDA\nJust in case your interest in the story has been peaked, here is some information for you:\nTHE operetta opens in the palace of the mythical kingdom of Karlsberg. It is 1860. Prince Karl Franz, heir to the throne, is bored with royal life in his native land. With his tutor, Doctor Engel, he plans a visit to the old German University town of Heidelberg. Engel recalls nostalgically his own youth in Heidelberg, as the Prince looks forward with considerable anticipation to his future freedom in that delightful city (\u0026ldquo;Golden Days\u0026rdquo;). When they arrive in Heidelberg it is spring, and the world is in bloom. The Prince, now incognito, joins his new comrades in a student\u0026rsquo;s song (\u0026ldquo;Student\u0026rsquo;s Marching Song\u0026rdquo;), after which they parade to the \u0026ldquo;Golden Apple Inn\u0026rdquo;. There the students raise their Steins of beer in a robust toast to drink and romance (\u0026ldquo;Drinking Song\u0026rdquo;). They call for Kathie, the lovely young daughter of the innkeeper. She addresses the students with considerable warmth of feeling, after which she comes to the Prince\u0026rsquo;s table and dedicates to him a sentimental song about Heidelberg (\u0026ldquo;In Heidelberg Fair\u0026rdquo;). The students respond with a vigorous rendition of the age-old student hymn, \u0026ldquo;Gaudeamus Igitur\u0026rdquo;. Before long, Kathie and the Prince are strongly attracted to each other. In the ensuing weeks their friendship ripens into love (\u0026ldquo;Deep in My Heart\u0026rdquo;); one beautiful evening the Prince is inspired to sing a serenade under her window (\u0026ldquo;Serenade\u0026rdquo;). But their love idyll is doomed. The news arrives from Karlsberg that the king is dead, and Prince Karl Franz must return to ascend the throne. More than that, he must, for reasons of State, marry Princess Margaret. Realizing that their life together is over, they bid each other a sentimental farewell.\nBut back in Karlsberg, the new king cannot forget Heidelberg or Kathie. As he sits in his royal suite, visions arise of the place where he had been so happy, and the girl with whom he had been so in love. Unable to contain himself any longer, he leaves Karlsberg to revisit Heidelberg. When the lovers meet again they are deeply moved, but they also know that a permanent union is an impossibility. They say farewell for a last time, with a pledge to keep at least their memories of each other alive as long as they live.\nThe original New York run of The Student Prince (608 performances) represented the longest of any Sigmund Romberg operetta. The operetta is now a classic of the American theatre, repeatedly revived. (theatrehistory.com)\n","permalink":"/posts/student-prince-live-performance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2762\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Student-prince-live-performance/i-d72hG7M/0/LqN4xvHV4VFV2BRCzX5BVgJnJvDZxqVx7k4krBxHV/D/Student-Prince-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"An operetta is simply a small and gay opera. (Gustav Mahler) \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2016/Student-prince-live-performance/i-d72hG7M/0/LqN4xvHV4VFV2BRCzX5BVgJnJvDZxqVx7k4krBxHV/D/Student-Prince-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e An operetta is simply a small and gay opera.\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                 (Gustav Mahler)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigmund Romberg\u0026rsquo;s Student Prince at the St. Lawrence Centre was one the highlights of the holidays for me.  It was put on by the Toronto Operetta Theatre and we enjoyed every moment of it. A live performance!  This was our family\u0026rsquo;s New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve outing.  It was delightful with all the singing, dancing, acting, beautiful costumes, and sets.  The next best thing to doing the dancing and singing yourself is to get caught up in the excitement and magic happening on stage through the voices and movements of the professionals there.  Since the music in this production has always been very special to me, I want to share some of my favourite music from Student Prince with you.  I have never done a post in which I shared a You Tube video - this is a first.  Hope you enjoy!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Student Prince Live Performance"},{"content":"As we approach the end of 2015, thoughts about years past and particularly 2015 come to mind. My own experience of life after 66 years on the planet reveals that there are always many varieties of experience - some that bring untold happiness and some tinged with sadness and grief. This is true of any given day or year. My own personal review of this year finds me thinking about the massive job it was to downsize from the place we called home for 30 years. This job took up most of the year. There were challenges along the way but with wonderful teamwork and support, the job got done. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that this particular season of life is over and another has begun. “Every moment and every event of every man\u0026rsquo;s life on earth plants something in his soul.” (Thomas Merton) What was planted in my soul this year is the fact of impermanence - things change and we move with the changes. I thought at one time that I would live and die in that house but my feelings about ownership and possessions changed - all for the good.\nThinking back to world events in 2015, there were very dark moments we found ourselves faced with as a human species. Early in January 2015, people all over the world were stunned and horrified by the attack of the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. That attack left 12 people dead and eleven people wounded. There\u0026rsquo;s no need to give all the details of what took place here since you have all seen the media coverage. It\u0026rsquo;s enough to say that 2015 started out with a violent streak. I\u0026rsquo;m just wondering what changes have to take place within us in order for us to live peacefully with one another “Peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on parchment and on paper, let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace in the hearts and minds of all of our people. I believe that we can. I believe the problems of human destiny are not beyond the reach of human beings.” ~ John F. Kennedy. Hopeful words from someone who is no longer with us and an incentive to keep trying. All is not lost for the human race.\nThe end of 2015 brings us the refugee crisis as thousands of Syrians flee their country because of Civil War. Since the war broke out in March 2011, it has been estimated that 9 million Syrians have sought refuge in other countries. Our own country, Canada, will welcome 25,000 refugees for resettlement here. Many started arriving before Christmas and our own Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and other officials were on hand to welcome the first planeload. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that Canada is able to respond to this crisis in a positive way. Many ordinary Canadians are donating money, clothing, toys, furniture, and other items refugees may be in need of. Most importantly though, many people are personally pledging to welcome and help refugees as the human beings that they are. A lasting solution, the possibility to begin a new life, is the only dignified solution for the refugee himself. -- Poul Hartling, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 1978-1985\nIt would be easy to go month by month and country by country and list all the negative events that took place around the world in 2015. But a new year comes with the promise of hope, change for the better, and the expectation that things really could be different. We wish each other a \u0026ldquo;Happy New Year.\u0026rdquo; We make our own personal resolutions to do things differently in order to have a better outcome - whether that is in the area of weight loss, quitting smoking, making new friends, or any other thing that concerns us. In our heart of hearts, we have good intentions. To balance out this post, it\u0026rsquo;s time to recall some of the positive happenings here in Canada and the world. We celebrate having a new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who brings a fresh, new outlook, to life and politics. We can be hopeful that Canada will play an important and vital role in changes for the better here at home and in the wider world.\nThe Pope visited the United States and Cuba this year. As the Head of the Catholic Church and a world leader in his own right, these were positive visits which resonated with leaders in these countries as well as the local people. Pope Francis is a peace-maker.\nPrince William and Kate welcomed their new baby daughter, Princess Charlotte. This is a great grand-daughter for the Queen. A new baby is always good news and this baby is a royal one and the world was happy for the new parents.\nA list of other significant happenings that I found on future timeline.net is below for further viewing so that you see there have been many 2015 events that I wasn\u0026rsquo;t even aware of.\n2015 —\nLithuania joins the Eurozone The Eurasian Union is formed The first solar aircraft to circumnavigate the globe Expo 2015 is held in Milan, Italy The Large Hadron Collider reaches its maximum operating power The world\u0026rsquo;s first fully sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste city The first self-regulating artificial heart A new generation of hi-tech supercarriers The United States and South Korea dissolve the Combined Forces Command The first large-scale solar updraft towers are operational Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history Personal biometric scanners for online banking DDR4 memory reaches the home PC market Windows 10 is released by Microsoft The Archival Disc format is launched The Carteret Islands are abandoned The Dawn probe arrives at Ceres The New Horizons probe arrives at Pluto Electric car ownership reaches 1 million worldwide Trucks with emergency braking systems are mandatory in Europe The deadline for the Millennium Development Goals\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1524\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5236\u0026rdquo;] HAPPY NEW YEAR![/caption]\nIn our own personal lives, we may have had many wonderful experiences in 2015. There may have been those too that we would rather not remember. As things go in life though, that is the nature of life - ups and downs, highs and lows, and everything in-between. The images I used in this post are ones I used in other posts. I\u0026rsquo;ve been happy to get back to blogging and could have made this post all about my experiences with blogging but decided to choose a broader topic. Who isn\u0026rsquo;t interested in 2015 as it slips by? All the best for a wonderful, happy, peaceful, healthy and safe 2016!\n“The whole point to New Years is not just to have a new year. But that we should be new, better and different people. That is why we exercise to RE-NEW our bodies. That is why we write GOALS to get a Renewed sense of our potential. That is why we make RE-SOLUTIONS because we resolve that there are solutions inside of us that we have not tapped into. So don\u0026rsquo;t waste each New Years season. Maximize it! Start fresh using a new perspective for it will enable you to tap into a new season with greater capacity.” ― Stella Payton\n","permalink":"/posts/another-year-slipping-by/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Another-year-slipping-by/i-PFXMHHP/0/MLXChGM4BqwbQ9h8FRWzFf7ZtWcDJN48Zf6fkbcPg/D/Sunrise-Sunset-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Sunrise, Sunset (for blog)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Another-year-slipping-by/i-PFXMHHP/0/MLXChGM4BqwbQ9h8FRWzFf7ZtWcDJN48Zf6fkbcPg/D/Sunrise-Sunset-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAs we approach the end of 2015, thoughts about years past and particularly 2015 come to mind.  My own experience of life after 66 years on the planet reveals that there are always many varieties of experience - some that bring untold happiness and some tinged with sadness and grief. This is true of any given day or year.  My own personal review of this year finds me thinking about the massive job it was to downsize from the place we called home for 30 years. This job took up most of the year.  There were challenges along the way but with wonderful teamwork and support, the job got done. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that this particular season of life is over and another has begun. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Every moment and every event of every man\u0026rsquo;s life on earth plants something in his  soul.” (Thomas Merton)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  What was planted in my soul this year is the fact of impermanence - things change and we move with the changes. I thought at one time that I would live and die in that house but my feelings about ownership and possessions changed - all for the good.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Another Year Slipping By"},{"content":"\nDear Father Christmas:\nI haven\u0026rsquo;t written to you since I was a little girl. I know that your specialty is children and specifically bringing toys for all the good boys and girls across the globe on Christmas Eve. You\u0026rsquo;re a jolly fellow and there\u0026rsquo;s even a popular song written about you called \u0026ldquo;Jolly Old St. Nicholas.\u0026rdquo; Since you are in the \u0026ldquo;happiness\u0026rdquo; business, it occurred to me that you might be someone to ask for help with the crises we face in the world today. When I wrote to you a long time ago, my needs were small but these days, they are big.\nYou must have very good organizational and people skills as you have to deal with so many requests everyday. I hope you are doing some of your work by computer these days. I know you have a big workshop and lots of helpers to look over. Do you think that when you\u0026rsquo;re not so busy at the North Pole that you could involve yourself in some global work? Actually, you could fill the role of guide, teacher, and mentor. The tried and true people that we ordinary people depend on - politicians, world leaders, the UN, seem to need someone like you to help them navigate the perilous waters we find ourselves in. You may even have to teach our leaders new concepts of thinking and alternative ways of dealing with the \u0026ldquo;human situation.\u0026rdquo; Our democratic process, as it now stands, is filled with error and corruption. You may even have to set up a process to replace the present leaders.\nCan you teach us how to deal with \u0026ldquo;terrorists?\u0026rdquo; (ISIS, ISIL, ISLAMIC STATE, DAESH). Although the enemies can be bombed and their chemistry mixed with the soil, new enemies come along and we bomb them again. History repeats itself. Father Christmas, is there a way to learn from history - as we haven\u0026rsquo;t learned that concept as yet.\nAs for poverty, Father Christmas, our thinking may have to correlate with the opposing power of wealth. How can we really think about the poor if we haven\u0026rsquo;t understood the root cause of poverty. We need your guidance, teaching, and mentorship in this too.\nAs for the agreements made by nations at Conferences on Climate Change, how do we stop the descending roller-coaster of self-destruction? We can\u0026rsquo;t seems to come off. We are stuck on the eerie ride as the darkness and pollution engulf us and death awaits long before this industrial infection, smoke, and smog is eliminated. At the recent Paris Conference, many countries agreed to reduce emissions - but will they keep the agreements? Again Father Christmas, can you guide, teach, and mentor us\nFather Christmas, you know about the refugee crisis, and how our own country, Canada, is taking in 25,000 persons. How do people get to become refugees in the first place? What root problem/problems do we need to deal with here? What is the direction we need to move in where our thought processes are concerned? We need some leadership and direction here.\nViolence is rampant all around us. Is history going to repeat itself again and again here too? What can you bring to the table with regard to this?\nThe problems of humankind are endless. I know that it takes a certain kind of person to involve themselves in this kind of task and this is the reason I am writing to you. You are the Father of Christmas - very well loved and popular with everyone. We only see you for a brief time once a year. Would you be willing to give this a try? It\u0026rsquo;s a hard job, I know. Looking forward to hearing from you.\nYours sincerely,\nJean\nNOTE\nThe above letter was drafted by me and sent to my brother, Ronald Janki, who provided some ideas and feedback, for which I am grateful. He is a good writer so I\u0026rsquo;m always happy to consult with him and glad for his input. The images are mostly from the store windows at the Bay in downtown Toronto. Merry Christmas!\n","permalink":"/posts/help-from-father-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Help-from-father-christmas/i-XmgBXZ4/0/K38pDQsPFD52dLrCXpJ3Rxsdn3TqV5VVdpDpLg845/D/Santas-Workshop-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Santa\u0026rsquo;s List Collage\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Help-from-father-christmas/i-XmgBXZ4/0/K38pDQsPFD52dLrCXpJ3Rxsdn3TqV5VVdpDpLg845/D/Santas-Workshop-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Father Christmas:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI haven\u0026rsquo;t written to you since I was a little girl.  I know that your specialty is children and specifically bringing toys for all the good boys and girls across the globe on Christmas Eve.  You\u0026rsquo;re a jolly fellow and there\u0026rsquo;s even a popular song written about you called \u0026ldquo;Jolly Old St. Nicholas.\u0026rdquo;  Since you are in the \u0026ldquo;happiness\u0026rdquo; business, it occurred to me that you might be someone to ask for help  with the crises we face in the world today.  When I wrote to you a long time ago, my needs were small but these days, they are big.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Help From Father Christmas"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re so fortunate in Toronto that we have our own Christmas Garden Show. Allan Gardens had the opening of their Christmas Flower Show last Sunday. The gardeners there did a magnificent job decorating the entire greenhouse which houses many different kinds of poinsettias and other flowering plants. The theme this year is winter and you will be able to see the skaters and the tobogganer in the collages below - all beautiful topiary creations using plant material. There were horse and wagon rides for old and young alike, carollers, and a visit from Santa himself. The hot apple cider provided was a welcome treat but the cookies were gone by the time I got there. Apparently this show was recognized as the \u0026ldquo;Garden Event of the Year\u0026rdquo; at the 2015 Canadian Garden Tourism Awards. Hope you enjoy the collages!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2727\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\nAnd the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled \u0026rsquo;till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn\u0026rsquo;t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn\u0026rsquo;t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more? (Dr. Seuss)[/caption]\nMaybe the Grinch was doing a little bit of ice-skating! The Show runs until mid-January and there are some weekends when it can be enjoyed by candlelight. The stores have their own kind of feeling and here, at the Flower Show, you are sure to have another.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2728\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] The Poinsettia received their name in the United States in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into the country in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. He sent cuttings of the plant he had discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. The word Poinsettia is traditionally capitalized because it is named after a person. (myhoneysplace.com)[/caption]\nThis is the other skater. In this collage, you can see the horse and wagon and get some glimpses of some of the other display areas at the Conservatory. There were over 30 different varieties of poinsettias on display. They were very beautiful.\nHere is the tobogganer - another exquisite topiary creation! There was a sign there that said: \u0026ldquo;Celebrate Winter. Go Tobogganing.\u0026rdquo; I think that\u0026rsquo;s a good idea when the snow comes.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2731\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Topiary is the art of training plants (typically evergreen shrubs and trees) into intricate or stylized shapes and forms. The term may also be used more loosely to describe a number of garden features that rely on the close clipping and shaping of plants. (hrs.org.uk)[/caption]\nThis collage shows some close-ups of the topiary creations. Everything from cactus to ivy, evergreens, and red and yellow flowers, completed the design. The gardeners here are artists. I\u0026rsquo;m sure you agree!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2732\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Caroling, caroling through the snow. Christmas bells are ringing. Joyous voices sweet and clear, sing the sad of heart to cheer.\n-Nat King Cole Caroling, Caroling[/caption]\nI did mention that there were carollers there. They sang the beautiful songs of Christmas and added to the Christmas spirit that was already present there amongst the plants and flowers. It did feel like a Victorian Christmas with them there.\nAs you can see from the above collage, there are many other areas at Allan Gardens that deserve as much attention and praise as the topiary creations.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2734\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5120\u0026rdquo;] There\u0026rsquo;s No Man Like A Snowman,[/caption]\n\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;except that this one isn\u0026rsquo;t made of snow. A beauty though!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2735\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! ~Author Unknown[/caption]\nThat\u0026rsquo;s all for this year\u0026rsquo;s Show at Allan Gardens. For those of you in Toronto, this is worth a visit. Hope you enjoyed all the photos.\n","permalink":"/posts/a-christmas-garden-show/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe\u0026rsquo;re so fortunate in Toronto that we have our own Christmas Garden Show.  Allan Gardens had the opening of their Christmas Flower Show last Sunday.  The gardeners there did a magnificent job decorating the entire greenhouse which houses many different kinds of poinsettias and other flowering plants.  The theme this year is winter and you will be able to see the skaters and the tobogganer in the collages below - all beautiful topiary creations using plant material.  There were horse and wagon rides for old and young alike, carollers, and a visit from Santa himself.  The hot apple cider provided was a welcome treat but the cookies were gone by the time I got there.  Apparently this show was recognized as the \u0026ldquo;Garden Event of the Year\u0026rdquo; at the 2015 Canadian Garden Tourism Awards.  Hope you enjoy the collages!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Christmas Garden Show"},{"content":"\nI haven\u0026rsquo;t blogged for a while and began to feel the urge to blog today. I decided that I could blog about anything really - so here I am blogging about Mehndi. In my colouring book , \u0026ldquo;The Colours of Nature,\u0026rdquo; there was a page with intricate patterns on a hand. You can see the hand in the above collage and the colours that I used. When I was in India several years ago, I fondly remember having henna body art done on the palms of my hands. This was done by two young boys sitting on boxes under a tree. It was evening and the light in which they did this work was not very good. They were good artists though and it was very cheap. The art of applying henna to the hands and feet is known as Mehndi, and is traditionally used for celebrations and rites of passage. Every culture and region of the world uses henna tattoos in its own unique way. For Hindu weddings, henna is painted on the bride to symbolize joy, beauty, spiritual awakening and offering, while Moroccans often paint doors with henna to bring prosperity and chase away evil. Depending on where you get henna tattoos, they will look different. Indian tattoos feature fine lines and floral patterns, while Arabic henna designs tend to be larger in scale and African henna patterns are more bold and geometric. (huffingtonpost.com)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2721\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Henna is a small flowering shrub that has many uses. The fragrant flowers are used to create perfume, and the leaves are dried and then turned into a fine powder that\u0026rsquo;s used for dying clothes, hair and temporarily dying the skin \u0026ndash; hence henna tattooing. The plant has even been known to treat skin conditions. (huffingtonpost.com)[/caption]\nI\u0026rsquo;m very surprised that there are so many colouring books with Mehndi designs. It must be because one\u0026rsquo;s imagination can run riot where colours are concerned. On Amazon, there are at least eight colouring books alone with Mehndi deigns. There are titles there such as: Mehndi, Coloring for Everyone; Mehndi, Coloring for Artists; and the Creative Haven Magical Mehndi Designs Coloring Book. It was lots of fun colouring this hand. The real henna for body art is orange when it is first applied and then turns reddish-brown after a few days. In real life, no henna body art would look like the above.\nWhat\u0026rsquo;s really nice about having henna body art or Mehndi is that it is a temporary tattoo. After a few days or weeks it fades and disappears completely. When I find the photos of my hands with henna body art, I will add them to this post so that you can see the real thing.\nSo long for now!\nP.S. I was in Little India, Toronto, and at the beauty salon there was a bride-to-be having henna tatoos on her hands and feet for her wedding. She allowed me to take the following photos. (March/2017)\n","permalink":"/posts/mehndi-memories/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Mehndi-memories/i-dzbWjV8/0/Mm86RP5ZRWs7DmctDmTjW3pKW2k94322KgCsS6Z5c/D/Recently-Updated51-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Henna Collage 1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Mehndi-memories/i-dzbWjV8/0/Mm86RP5ZRWs7DmctDmTjW3pKW2k94322KgCsS6Z5c/D/Recently-Updated51-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI haven\u0026rsquo;t blogged for a while and began to feel the urge to blog today.  I decided that I could blog about anything really - so here I am blogging about Mehndi.  In my colouring book , \u0026ldquo;The Colours of Nature,\u0026rdquo; there was a page with intricate patterns on a hand. You can see the hand in the above collage and the colours that I used.  When I was in India several years ago, I fondly remember having henna body art done on the palms of my hands. This was done by two young boys sitting on boxes under a tree.  It was evening and the light in which they did this work was not very good.  They were good artists though and it was very cheap.  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe art of applying henna to the hands and feet is known as Mehndi, and is traditionally used for celebrations and rites of passage. Every culture and region of the world uses henna tattoos in its own unique way. For Hindu weddings, henna is painted on the bride to symbolize joy, beauty, spiritual awakening and offering, while Moroccans often paint doors with henna to bring prosperity and chase away evil. Depending on where you get henna tattoos, they will look different. Indian tattoos feature fine lines and floral patterns, while Arabic henna designs tend to be larger in scale and African henna patterns are more bold and geometric. (huffingtonpost.com)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mehndi Memories"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2687\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Traditions have been replaced by lifestyles.”\n– Lars Svendsen, A Philosophy of Boredom[/caption]\nChristmas is just around the corner. I was trying to figure out what it was that impelled me to go over to the nearby Garden Centre on Friday and buy some evergreen branches. I did hear that Santa was coming to town in Toronto on Sunday and that the Santa Claus Parade was taking place. But was it that? \u0026ldquo;No!\u0026rdquo; I had begun to feel Christmassy. Christmas had begun in my heart. \u0026ldquo;It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.\u0026rdquo; (W T Ellis)\nAs you can see from the above collage, Christmas is in the air on our apartment balcony. Like the familiar song says, \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere I go.\u0026rdquo; To help you get in the Christmas spirit, I\u0026rsquo;m sharing some other Christmas images that I took at Plant World and Chapters.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2701\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5120\u0026rdquo;] The legend of the poinsettia comes from Mexico. It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo. They were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival. Each year a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties. The two children loved Christmas but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents. They especially wished that they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing. One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. Of course they were teased by other children when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers and so we see them today. (holiday-spot.com)[/caption]\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no plant that brightens and brings joy at Christmas like the poinsettia. The legend of the poinsettia is fascinating too. I\u0026rsquo;ll be buying my poinsettias closer to Christmas to bring their special magic to the holiday season and to brighten our home.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2702\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;5120\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Christmas \u0026hellip; is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of one\u0026rsquo;s home that one carries in one\u0026rsquo;s heart.\u0026rdquo;\n( Freya Stark )[/caption]\nHome is very important for most people and this is true especially at Christmas. In a popular bookstore the other day, there were magazines to cover any part of one\u0026rsquo;s holiday preparations. Whether that\u0026rsquo;s decorating, baking, dressing, or just getting ideas for Christmas, it\u0026rsquo;s all there. It was fun browsing through a few of them and realizing just how important \u0026ldquo;home\u0026rdquo; is at this special time of year. \u0026ldquo;For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home.\u0026rdquo; ~W.J. Ronald Tucker\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2703\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There\u0026rsquo;s a kind of glory to them when they\u0026rsquo;re all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.”\n― Andy Rooney, Andy Rooney: 60 Years of Wisdom and Wit[/caption]\nThere\u0026rsquo;s something warm and friendly about having a Christmas tree to brighten one\u0026rsquo;s home and heart at Christmas-time. It\u0026rsquo;s really the pivotal element among all the items of decor one could have for the Season. The last three verses of the well-known Christmas tree song \u0026ldquo;Oh Christmas tree\u0026rdquo; describe well the sentiments I feel about the Christmas tree.\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, You\u0026rsquo;ll ever be unchanging! A symbol of goodwill and love You\u0026rsquo;ll ever be unchanging\nEach shining light Each silver bell No one alive spreads cheer so well\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, You\u0026rsquo;ll ever be unchanging\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2704\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] For in the true nature of things,\nif we rightly consider,\nevery green tree is far more glorious\nthan if it were made of gold and silver. ~\n~ Martin Luther King ~[/caption]\nEven though we bring the whole tree in, we still want to have the branches too. Decorating with evergreens in pots is very popular and beautiful both outside and inside. In the above collage, you can see some of the evergreen arrangements that were on sale at the garden centre. Here\u0026rsquo;s a little history for you: \u0026quot; Evergreen trees and other plants that stay green all year round have always carried a special meaning for the various peoples of the world. Long before the advent of Christianity, peoples of many ancient civilizations decorated their homes with pine, spruce, and fir trees. In many of these cultures, it was believed that evergreen boughs, hung over doors and windows, would fend off witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and diseases. Ancient peoples who worshiped the sun as a god believed that winter came when the sun god became sick and weak. The celebration of the winter solstice marked the time when the sun god would begin to regain his strength and evergreens served as reminders of the coming spring when the land would be green again.\u0026quot; (blogcritics.org) I\u0026rsquo;m glad that we can enjoy our evergreens today without all the old beliefs.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2705\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,\u0026hellip;He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim ‘ere he drove out of sight, ‘Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.’” Clement Clarke Moore, 1779-1863[/caption]\nThis old-fashioned carriage was part of the Christmas display at Plant World. I immediately thought of Santa Claus and how he would be coming to town. I thought of all the little boys and girls who were eagerly looking forward to seeing him. Christmas has a way of transporting us back in time and I thought too of the time when Santa Claus was such an important figure in my own life. \u0026ldquo;Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.\u0026rdquo; (Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus) A little girl wondered long age if there was a Santa Claus and wrote a letter to a newspaper asking. That is part of the reply that she received. What would Christmas be without Santa Claus?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2706\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] My first copies of Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn still have some blue-spruce needles scattered in the pages. They smell of Christmas still.”\n~ Charlton Heston (1923- ), American film actor.[/caption]\nChildren love stories and there are plenty out there to read to your little ones before Christmas. The above images were taken in Chapters/Indigo. If you\u0026rsquo;re having trouble deciding what to get your little boy or girl, I would suggest a nice book or two. They don\u0026rsquo;t have to be books about Christmas - just ones they can enjoy long after Christmas.\nHope that you enjoyed the collages and Christmas tidbits and that the Christmas spirit is making it\u0026rsquo;s way into your heart too.\nHome-made arrangements can be fun decorating projects.\n","permalink":"/posts/a-holly-jolly-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2687\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/A-holly-jolly-christmas/i-fcPrfsD/0/Ldpw8p4gzp8GXxJtthpKs889CdZ8ZH3b5MfSjr9v8/D/Evergreen-Arrangements-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"“Traditions have been replaced by lifestyles.” – Lars Svendsen, A Philosophy of Boredom\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/A-holly-jolly-christmas/i-fcPrfsD/0/Ldpw8p4gzp8GXxJtthpKs889CdZ8ZH3b5MfSjr9v8/D/Evergreen-Arrangements-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “Traditions have been replaced by lifestyles.”\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                             – Lars Svendsen, A Philosophy of Boredom[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristmas is just around the corner.  I was trying to figure out what it was that impelled me to go over to the nearby Garden Centre on Friday and buy some evergreen branches.  I did hear that Santa was coming to town in Toronto on Sunday and that the Santa Claus Parade was taking place.  But was it that?  \u0026ldquo;No!\u0026rdquo;  I had begun to feel Christmassy. Christmas had begun in my heart. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.\u0026rdquo; (W T Ellis)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Holly, Jolly Christmas!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2662\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] To live in hearts we leave behind\nIs not to die.\n~Thomas Campbell, \u0026ldquo;Hallowed Ground\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\nWhat a way to remember one\u0026rsquo;s dead! The Day of the Dead or Dia de Muertos celebrations took place here in Toronto yesterday at Harbourfront and is taking place again today. It\u0026rsquo;s a two day Festival which has its roots in Mexico. The atmosphere was festive rather than mournful - although all the paraphernalia surrounding death was visible there. \u0026ldquo;The Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place over the first two days of November. Its origins are a mixture of Native American traditions and a set of Catholic holidays. While the holiday\u0026rsquo;s observances include spending time in cemeteries, making shrines to the dead, and displaying artistic representations of skulls and skeletons, the occasion is festive, rather than morbid. Death isn\u0026rsquo;t seen as the end of one\u0026rsquo;s life, but as a natural part of the life cycle; the dead continue to exist much as they did in their lives, and come back to visit the living every year.\u0026rdquo; (Factmonster.com) Would that we would all be like the Mexicans who are able to have joyful and celebratory feelings about death and dying. This is truly a blessing.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2663\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] The Ballet Folkloric Puro Mexico performed many beautiful dances for the Festival.[/caption]\nIn almost all cultures, there is a reverence, respect, and love for the dead which translates into family members visiting and tending graves, taking flowers, and offering prayers and thoughts for the dead. This happens all year. In Mexico, All Souls Day (November 2nd) is a public holiday. All Souls’ Day (Los Fieles Difuntos), on November 2, and All Saints’ Day ( Día de Todos los Santos), on November 1, are bigger than Halloween in Mexico. It\u0026rsquo;s also called the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). I would imagine that a celebration of this nature would call for lots of preparation and that this would take place over a period of a few months before.\nAll Saints Day and All Souls Day, as we here in Canada know it, is a day when there are services in Catholic/Protestant churches and usually the names of deceased relatives in the parish are read out as part of the service. It is also a time to honour all the departed. Many people also visit the graves of their loved ones and take flowers. It is generally a sad day for most people. There doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem to be the same joyfulness in the celebration as in Mexico or, at least, I don\u0026rsquo;t get that sense when I go to church. It reminds me of what Steve Jobs said in his address to the graduating classes at Stanford. \u0026ldquo;No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don\u0026rsquo;t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life\u0026rsquo;s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2664\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Ofrendas are set up to remember and honor the memory of their ancestors. Before setting an altar, they thoroughly clean their house. We must remember they are going to have very important “visitors”.\nThe ofrenda is set on a table, covered with a fine tablecloth, preferably white. Then the papel picado, cut tissue paper, is set over the cloth. (inside-Mexico.com)[/caption]\nBack to the Day of the Dead festivities at Harbourfront and what I learnt and saw there. Ofrendas or altars at Harbourfront were customized according to who they were for. As you can see above, there was one there for Pablo Picasso. On Picasso\u0026rsquo;s, there are photographs, art work and newspaper clippings, along with food, fruit, flowers, candles, and sugar skulls. Although Picasso was a Catholic, I don\u0026rsquo;t see any cross or other religious symbol on his altar. His ofrendas was artistically put-together because he was an artist. It was thoughtfully put together to honour his memory and the legacy that he left.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2667\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] The \u0026lsquo;ofrenda\u0026rsquo; or offering is any item placed on the altar which represents a gift to the deceased: be it their favorite food, a particular smell or a shot of tequila, ofrendas are our way of showing our love towards deceased relatives. The altar is a complex creation with incredible symbolism as each elements carries specific meaning. Here are the most important elements and what they mean. (latintimes.com)[/caption]\nThe ofrenda above is for Amalia Navarro who was a well-known choreographer in Mexico and was instrumental in founding Mexico\u0026rsquo;s Ballet Moderno. She is highly esteemed by all dancers. There\u0026rsquo;s a photo of her there as well as the usual ofrendas items such as flowers, fruit, candles, and skulls. There\u0026rsquo;s also a hat, some folded clothing, boots, ornaments, dolls, and other personal items. Perhaps, there\u0026rsquo;s a lot more known about her as a result of who she was. There was a huge cross on her ofrenda which is only partly showing in this image. As you have probably gathered by now, one\u0026rsquo;s religious or non/religious affiliation is also a factor in the kind of ofrenda that is prepared for you. What you see in the image above is only part of her ofrenda. Below you are able to see another part.\nYou can see the Virgin Mary here and the two memorial candles on either side. This altar had different tiers and was huge. You can also see a papel picado cut-out right behind the Virgin Mary. It is a very popular art form in Mexico using paper and is used by Mexicans to decorate. Many different centres were set up for different activities.\nIn the Kids\u0026rsquo; Crafts area at Harbourfront, old and young alike were learning different crafts such as flores de muertos (marigolds), and masks. There was also Day of the Dead Facepainting. Another popular area was the Calavera (Sugar Skull) Decorating. There were many other activities listed on the program but time did not permit to try them all.\nLast, but not least, the Mariachi Los Gallos, which is noted to be one of Canada\u0026rsquo;s best mariachi bands gave an excellent performance in the Brigantine Room. Their grand finale was \u0026ldquo;Cielito Lindo\u0026rdquo; which the audience had been asking for and left everyone happy. There was also a Mexican jam session (folk) with two separate groups which was absolutely delightful. I gathered they were from the Veracruz area. They spoke no English but had a very capable bilingual leader who had been a student of theirs. I will share a few images of these two groups below to bring this post to a close.\nI realize that we can learn so much from other cultures and countries about how they experience life and death. We may even be able to incorporate some of these in our own practices. Our own thoughts and feelings about such an important happening in life - about death - may even change. I know mine did. I definitely want more singing and dancing when my time comes. Hope you enjoyed \u0026ldquo;Day of the Dead.\u0026rdquo;\nAnd when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.” ― Maya Angelou\n","permalink":"/posts/day-of-the-dead/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2662\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Day-of-the-dead/i-jjsG6bp/0/K7QwktVfZQwC5tfPGR5G4QRQz9JsP682C3PfhTjvL/D/Recently-Updated36-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die. ~Thomas Campbell, \u0026ldquo;Hallowed Ground\u0026rdquo;\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Day-of-the-dead/i-jjsG6bp/0/K7QwktVfZQwC5tfPGR5G4QRQz9JsP682C3PfhTjvL/D/Recently-Updated36-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e To live in hearts we leave behind\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                             Is not to die.\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                      ~Thomas Campbell, \u0026ldquo;Hallowed Ground\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat a way to remember one\u0026rsquo;s dead!  The Day of the Dead or Dia de Muertos celebrations took place here in Toronto yesterday at Harbourfront and is taking place again today.  It\u0026rsquo;s a two day Festival which has its roots in Mexico.  The atmosphere was festive rather than mournful - although all the paraphernalia surrounding death was visible there. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place over the first two days of November. Its origins are a mixture of Native American traditions and a set of Catholic holidays. While the holiday\u0026rsquo;s observances include\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003espending\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003etime in cemeteries, making shrines to the dead, and displaying artistic representations of skulls and skeletons, the occasion is festive, rather than morbid. Death isn\u0026rsquo;t seen as the end of one\u0026rsquo;s life, but as a natural part of the life cycle; the dead continue to exist much as they did in their lives, and come back to visit the living every year.\u0026rdquo; (Factmonster.com)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  Would that we would all be like the Mexicans who are able to have joyful and celebratory feelings about death and dying.  This is truly a blessing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"Day of the Dead\""},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2645\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”\n― Confucius, The Book of Rites[/caption]\nWhen two gifted Curtis Institute graduates take to the stage and combine their talents, you know you\u0026rsquo;re in for a memorable musical treat. Teng Li, the Principal violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Meng-Chieh Liu, an international concert pianist, gave a rare performance last Thursday at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. It was the first time I experienced the viola as a musical instrument in its own right.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2647\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart..”\n― Pablo Casals[/caption]\nAs a child, I was familiar with the name \u0026ldquo;viola\u0026rdquo; and knew it was a stringed instrument but had never had the opportunity to hear it played as a solo instrument in the way I did last Thursday. \u0026ldquo;The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is slightly larger than a violin in size and has a lower and deeper sound than a violin. Since the 18th century it has been the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.\u0026rdquo; (Wikipedia) Teng Li performed standing throughout the concert and holding the viola as a violinist would hold a violin. The viola she was playing on was a 1703 Amati viola. She did one viola solo: \u0026ldquo;The Moon Reflected in Er-Quan.\u0026rdquo; It is considered a classic in Chinese music.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2648\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something.\n~ Frank Zappa[/caption]\nWalter Hall is an intimate, small auditorium, in the Faculty of Music Building and has wonderful acoustics. It is one of Toronto\u0026rsquo;s best for solo performances and chamber music. The audience for this concert consisted of students, faculty, and the general public, whose applause was loud and bold after each well-chosen composition. I learned that Teng Li is also on the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto which explains all the \u0026ldquo;cat calls\u0026rdquo; at the end of the Concert - a well-loved teacher.\nMeng-Chieh Liu has a busy schedule for the 2015-16 season and has performed and is slated to perform with the China Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (Taipei) and National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (Taichung). Liu was born in Taiwan and was accepted at the Curtis Institute at the age of 13. Teng Li was accepted at the Curtis Institute at the age of 16. Whether it\u0026rsquo;s coincidence or fate that brought these two together, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t really matter. These super-talented musicians filled the air at Walter Hall with what they had sculpted into that musical performance.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2650\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Music gives soul to the universe\nwings to the mind\nflight to the imagination\nand life to everything\u0026rdquo; (Plato)[/caption]\nThe program included works by Jongen, Ullmann, Hua, and Hindemith who were composers I was unfamiliar with. However, the program notes gave the necessary background information about the composers and their work. This project was the brainchild of Teng Li who was inspired by Paul Hindemith\u0026rsquo;s Viola Sonata (1939). She decided to research this period in history. \u0026ldquo;In this project, I wanted to showcase the works of different composers at that point in history to express how human beings from all walks of life can be affected during such horrific times.\u0026rdquo; I would say that both Teng Li on viola and Meng-Chieh Liu on piano, did a splendid job of showcasing their own artistry and skill as well as this difficult period of history. Attending the Concert has been a wonderful learning experience for me both about the viola and about how the upheavals during this time affected people\u0026rsquo;s emotions and their music.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2652\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Through music we may wander where we will in time, and find friends in every century.”\n― Helen Thompson[/caption]\nI left the Edward Johnson Building feeling the energies that Teng Li and Meng-Chieh Liu expressed in the four movements of the Sonata for Viola and Piano by Hindemith - animation, anger, passion, and power. Their body movements and expressions matched what they were feeling and it was delightful to get caught up in these powerful energies as an audience member. I look forward to other performances and hope this opportunity comes around again.\nI was fortunate to find a YouTube video clip from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra\u0026rsquo;s Chinese New Year Concert 2015. You can see Teng Li playing the viola here. Enjoy!\nhttps://youtu.be/Fiyl_wIMoJ4\n","permalink":"/posts/a-viola-concert/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2645\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/A-viola-concert/i-hM73C2z/0/Kntc39Z2CTd9xwxKDfSHzPJXZM5gZWqHK6dh9jDCf/D/Recently-Updated30-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” ― Confucius, The Book of Rites\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/A-viola-concert/i-hM73C2z/0/Kntc39Z2CTd9xwxKDfSHzPJXZM5gZWqHK6dh9jDCf/D/Recently-Updated30-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                ― Confucius, The Book of Rites[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen two gifted Curtis Institute  graduates take to the stage and combine their talents, you know you\u0026rsquo;re in for a  memorable musical treat.  Teng Li, the Principal violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Meng-Chieh Liu, an international concert pianist, gave a rare performance last Thursday at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto.  It was the first time I experienced the viola  as a musical instrument in its own right.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Viola Concert"},{"content":"United Nations Day celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter which occurred on October 24, 1945. The United Nations is an international organization engaged in the diplomatic and peaceful communication between the countries of the world. The UN oversees issues like human rights, international security, political freedoms and democracy. Their end goal is the achievement of world peace. United Nations Day is observed on October 24th each year.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2633\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “The United Nations, whose membership comprises almost all the states in the world, is founded on the principle of the equal worth of every human being.”\nKofi Annan quotes (Ghanaian diplomat, seventh secretary-general of the United Nations, 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.)[/caption]\nMy calendar shows that today is United Nations Day and it\u0026rsquo;s a big year because the UN celebrates its 70th Birthday/Anniversary. There are 193 countries that belong to the UN. I decided to use postcards that I bought on some of my trips abroad for the collages in this post. Several years ago, I was very fortunate to visit the Food and Agricultural Organization Headquarters of the UN in Rome - and what a visit it was. Eradicating world hunger is no easy task.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2634\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon[/caption]\nOn October 20th, BBC News carried a headline article: Migrant Crisis: Arrivals to Greece top 500,000. The UNHCR is seeking donations so that they can assist the refugees arriving in Europe now. \u0026ldquo;UNHCR is working hard in Italy, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Turkey and other countries in Europe to provide life-saving aid—water, food, sleeping mats—and protection to those who desperately need our help. We are also advocating with governments and European Union organizations to take collective responsibility for and action on this unprecedented crisis.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2635\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;We will not enjoy security without development, we will not enjoy development without security, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights.\u0026rdquo;\n—UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan[/caption]\nOn October 30th, 1970, Fiji became a member of the United Nations. The postcards in the above collage are from the Yasawa Islands where I spent 5 days.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2636\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;We must understand the role of human rights as empowering of individuals and communities. By protecting these rights, we can help prevent the many conflicts based on poverty, discrimination and exclusion (social, economic and political) that continue to plague humanity and destroy decades of development efforts. The vicious circle of human rights violations that lead to conflicts-which in turn lead to more violations-must be broken. I believe we can break it only by ensuring respect for all human rights.\u0026rdquo;\n—former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson[/caption]\nAn article in a Guyana newspaper stated that the country was going to ask for UN help to resolve the border dispute with neighbouring Venezuela.\nGEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana\u0026rsquo;s government says it plans to formally ask the United Nations to intervene and help resolve an escalating border dispute with neighboring Venezuela. Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge said in a statement Saturday that it is time for what he called a \u0026ldquo;judicial settlement.\u0026rdquo; As you can tell from what you\u0026rsquo;ve read in this post so far, the UN does good work.\nWithout much ado, I will share the other post cards that I bought on visits to other countries with you. After that, I will wrap-up this post by saying what were some of the events that took place to mark this special 70th Anniversary celebration of the UN.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2637\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Today, we have more than 110,000 men and women deployed in conflict zones around the world. They come from nearly 120 countries \u0026hellip; Thanks to their efforts, life-saving humanitarian assistance can be delivered and economic development can begin. \u0026quot;\n-- Ban Ki-moon[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2638\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “The primary, the fundamental, the essential purpose of the United Nations is to keep peace. Everything it does which helps prevent World War III is good. Everything which does not further that goal, either directly or indirectly, is at best superfluous.”\n-- Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.[/caption]\nA monument \u0026ldquo;Enlightened Universe\u0026rdquo; was unveiled today in New York\u0026rsquo;s Central Park. The monument is an interactive sculpture formed by a sphere and surrounded by a spiral of 70 figures - one for each of the 70 years since the UN was created. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will make opening remarks and will be joined by UN officials, staff, diplomats, city officials, and global citizens. (un.org)\n\u0026ldquo;Turn the World Blue\u0026rdquo; has over 60 countries all over the world lighting up buildings, statues, bridges, etc. to mark this 70th Birthday celebration. Watch landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, New York\u0026rsquo;s Empire State Building, Tokyo\u0026rsquo;s SkyTree Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Diana The Huntress Fountain in Mexico, the Hermitage in Russia, Edinburgh Castle and Central Hall Westminster in the UK, and Alhambra in Spain, light blue to help mark the founding of the UN. (un.org)\nThe United Nations Symphony Orchestra will give a concert on November 20th in celebration of this 70th Anniversary. It will be a concert of classical music. (un.org)\nSince I had the opportunity to visit the UN\u0026rsquo;s Food and Agricultural Organization headquarters in Rome a few years ago, I\u0026rsquo;m a big UN fan. Hope you enjoyed the post and the images - all postcards of my own.\nIn many respects, the world is shifting beneath our feet. Yet the Charter remains a firm foundation for shared progress. —Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon\n","permalink":"/posts/united-nations-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited Nations Day celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter which occurred on October 24, 1945. The United Nations is an international organization engaged in the diplomatic and peaceful communication between the countries of the world. The UN oversees issues like human rights, international security, political freedoms and democracy. Their end goal is the achievement of world peace. United Nations Day is observed on October 24th each year.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"United Nations Day"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2625\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;480\u0026rdquo;] “The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.”\n― Czesław Miłosz, The Issa Valley[/caption]\nAnother colouring page finished! What good use could this be put to? This could be used for sharing poetry - my father\u0026rsquo;s. It\u0026rsquo;s no accident that this desire to share and remember should take place at this time. After all, we remembered five days ago that he\u0026rsquo;s been gone fifteen years. He would love his poetry on a page that I had coloured - he was that type of man! I remember when I started to learn to play the accordion shortly before he died - and he told me that he listened when I was practicing and how many pieces I could play - and there was a pride in his voice. I didn\u0026rsquo;t show my appreciation as much as I should have at the time. I understand now why it was important for him to say these things.\nThis poem was the one we chose for the cover of the Order of Service for his funeral. It does make sense. We\u0026rsquo;re all on this journey called life and there is an end to the journey for each and every one of us. How must we live in the in-between? I believe it is with welcome in our hearts. Don\u0026rsquo;t those flowers look great? I wish that I had started colouring way back in time - maybe the Order of Service would have looked something like this. This short poem is a favourite of mine. Many times when I aspire to \u0026ldquo;greatness,\u0026rdquo; this poem reminds me that it\u0026rsquo;s alright if I go along life\u0026rsquo;s pathway unnoticed. What the Master plan is, I don\u0026rsquo;t know, but I have to trust that there is one. My flowers provide a lovely backdrop to \u0026ldquo;Little Wayside Flower\u0026rdquo; and I\u0026rsquo;m glad that, although I didn\u0026rsquo;t plan it, it\u0026rsquo;s worked out this way. Colouring pages can come in useful.\nThank you for all the poems and letters, Daddy! You couldn\u0026rsquo;t have left us a better gift.\n","permalink":"/posts/remembering-with-poetry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2625\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;480\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Remembering-with-poetry/i-kFC3qmf/0/KvNFshFzSrGsHLxnwZ9k3CdKrNLHWkRQXb7XVV383/D/DSC02009-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Czesław Miłosz “The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.” ― Czesław Miłosz, The Issa Valley\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Remembering-with-poetry/i-kFC3qmf/0/KvNFshFzSrGsHLxnwZ9k3CdKrNLHWkRQXb7XVV383/D/DSC02009-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.”\u003cbr\u003e\n― Czesław Miłosz, The Issa Valley[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother colouring page finished!  What good use could this be put to?  This could be used for sharing poetry - my father\u0026rsquo;s. It\u0026rsquo;s no accident that this desire to share and remember should take place at this time.  After all, we remembered five days ago that he\u0026rsquo;s been gone fifteen years.  He would love his poetry on a page that I had coloured - he was that type of man!  I remember when I started to learn to play the accordion shortly before he died - and he told me that he listened when I was practicing and how many pieces I could play - and there was a pride in his voice.  I didn\u0026rsquo;t show my appreciation as much as I should have at the time.  I understand now why it was important for him to say these things.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Remembering with Poetry"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2601\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air — explode softly — and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth — boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn’t go cheap, either — not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum[/caption]\nHave you been to a bookstore lately? I was at Chapters/Indigo a few weeks ago and was delighted to see all the beautiful colouring books for adults. I was thrilled at the thought that I finally had public permission to let my inner child out. There were titles there like Mandala Magic, Blossom Magic, Eastern Magic, Winter Magic, and a wholesome array of other titles. There was something to suit everyone\u0026rsquo;s taste - from conservative themes to those wanting something more eclectic.\nIn an interesting Guardian article entitled \u0026ldquo;Adult colouring-in books: the latest weapon against stress and anxiety\u0026rdquo; by Zoe Williams, the following information is given: \u0026ldquo;Five of Amazon’s top 10 last week were adult colouring-in books, as were six of Brazil’s top 10 non-fiction list. Last year in France, the combined colouring-in industry sold 3.5m books.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m glad that I joined the band-wagon. As you can see from the above two collages, I chose Magic Garden. My first colouring activity was the page with the sunflowers. I used pencil crayons, markers, and pastels. It was fun and did ward off any stress and anxiety I was experiencing at the time. My sunflowers made me happy.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2603\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\nWhy do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? No. ~Pablo Picasso[/caption]\nColouring is good therapy. Carl Jung was one of the first psychologists to use colouring with his patients to help them to relax. He used mandalas for this work and I read that he himself used to colour every morning. Antoni Martinez, a psychologist, had this to say in an article from the Huffington Post: \u0026ldquo;We can use it to enter into a more creative, freer state,\u0026rdquo; he assures. We can also use it to connect with how we feel, since depending on our mood we choose different colors or intensity. \u0026ldquo;I myself have practiced that. I recommend it in a quiet environment, even with chill music. Let the color and the lines flow.\u0026rdquo; I did experience that free-flowing feeling, especially in relation to my choice of colours and their intensity.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2605\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.\nHenri Matisse[/caption]\nI chose the page with leaves next because of all the beautiful Fall colours in view at this time of year. I used lots of orange, brown, and yellow, as well as red, to portray this season\u0026rsquo;s colours. When I leafed through my colouring book, I consciously chose these pages. They seemed to be what my soul and spirit were calling me to. These are the only two I\u0026rsquo;ve had fun doing so far and am sharing with you in this post.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2604\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite - only a sense of existence. Well, anything for variety. I am ready to try this for the next ten thousand years, and exhaust it. How sweet to think of! My extremities well charred, and my intellectual part too, so that there is no danger of worm or rot for a long while. My breath is sweet to me. O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.” - Henry David Thoreau[/caption]\nSince it\u0026rsquo;s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, I thought to add some Thanksgiving words to my last collage above and to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. Among all my other blessings, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to add my new colouring book. Are you inspired to get on the bandwagon too for some colouring-in fun?\n","permalink":"/posts/colouring-in-fun/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2601\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Colouring-in-fun/i-229LcCJ/0/KbMsCzMgMG7Sn2h8MXWJQDgZJF7VZWpgvXXrgkh7G/D/Recently-Updated14-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air — explode softly — and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth — boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn’t go cheap, either — not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Colouring-in-fun/i-229LcCJ/0/KbMsCzMgMG7Sn2h8MXWJQDgZJF7VZWpgvXXrgkh7G/D/Recently-Updated14-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air — explode softly — and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth — boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn’t go cheap, either — not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Colouring-in Fun"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2569\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”\n― George R.R. Martin[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s nice to discover new things about oneself. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that I was so enraptured by sunsets until I moved recently. In my old home, I rarely saw the sunset. In my new home, watching the sunset has become a nightly ritual - something I don\u0026rsquo;t like to miss. It\u0026rsquo;s a spectacular light show watching the kaleidoscope of changing colours. I\u0026rsquo;ve had to run for my camera spontaneously on so many occasions with the feeling that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t let the moment pass uncaptured. I\u0026rsquo;m not sunstruck; I\u0026rsquo;m sunset struck! It\u0026rsquo;s such a wonderful joy to see the vast array of colours and all the changes taking place so quickly before my very eyes. Twilight time has become very important for me.\nFrom time immemorial, artists have tried to capture the beauty of the sunset on canvas and photographers of all calibers and persuasions as well. All these images were taken from the balcony of the condo. While I usually like to collage the images for my posts, I just couldn\u0026rsquo;t do this for the sunset. The sunset is beautiful on its own. Psychology Today says \u0026quot; A glorious sunset is the epitome of fleeting beauty. For a few minutes, the sky is a spectacle of color — and then it’s over. Yet the psychological effects of admiring the sunset may persist long after the color has faded.\u0026quot; This is true for me. My excitement and happiness with regard to the sunset comes from looking forward to seeing it, seeing it, and enjoying the \u0026ldquo;afterglow\u0026rdquo; in my own heart and being. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing like Nature to boost one\u0026rsquo;s spirit and bring peace and calm at the end of a day.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2572\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] Each day is born with a sunrise\nand ends in a sunset, the same way we\nopen our eyes to see the light,\nand close them to hear the dark.\nYou have no control over\nhow your story begins or ends.\nBut by now, you should know that\nall things have an ending.\nEvery spark returns to darkness.\nEvery sound returns to silence.\nAnd every flower returns to sleep\nwith the earth.\nThe journey of the sun\nand moon is predictable.\nBut yours,\nis your ultimate\nART.”\n― Suzy Kassem[/caption]\nMy new love affair with sunsets is purely aesthetic and sensual. It has to do with feelings that arise within me on viewing the changes taking place in the sky as the sun sets at the end of the day. Sunsets are mesmerizing. \u0026ldquo;The colors of the sunset result from a phenomenon called scattering. Molecules and small particles in the atmosphere change the direction of light rays, causing them to scatter. Scattering affects the color of light coming from the sky, but the details are determined by the wavelength of the light and the size of the particle.. \u0026quot; (science daily.com) The three images below were all taken of the same sunset on the same evening and show the \u0026ldquo;scattering\u0026rdquo; that took place that evening.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2575\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] The point is that when I see a sunset or a waterfall or something, for a split second it\u0026rsquo;s so great, because for a little bit I\u0026rsquo;m out of my brain, and it\u0026rsquo;s got nothing to do with me. I\u0026rsquo;m not trying to figure it out, you know what I mean? And I wonder if I can somehow find a way to maintain that mind stillness.\n~ Chris Evans[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2576\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] When I admire the wonder of a sunset my soul expands in the worship of the creator. \u0026ndash; Mahatma Gandhi[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2577\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] Bursts of gold on lavender melting into saffron. It\u0026rsquo;s the time of day when the sky looks like it has been spray-painted by a graffiti artist. \u0026ndash; Mia Kirshner[/caption]\nFor some people, sunset has another connotation. Older people often refer to their time of life as the \u0026ldquo;sunset years.\u0026rdquo; They relate the setting of the sun with decline and death. Sunset imagery abounds in poetry and writing of all genres. On Ronald Reagan\u0026rsquo;s diagnosis with Alzheimer\u0026rsquo;s, he wrote a letter in which he said: \u0026ldquo;I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.\u0026rdquo; [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2596\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them.”\n― John Ruskin[/caption]\nAt sunset, while it\u0026rsquo;s true that the sun is gone from sight and darkness descends, the sun hasn\u0026rsquo;t really gone anywhere. From my geography lessons, I recall that it is the earth that is rotating. \u0026ldquo;The Earth, which is the third planet from the Sun, takes 24 hours to rotate. This is what causes day and night. As the Earth rotates, it also moves, or revolves, around the Sun. The Earth’s path around the Sun is called its orbit. It takes the Earth one year, or 365 1/4 days, to completely orbit the Sun.\u0026rdquo; (kids eclipse.com) This is an intelligent Universe, isn\u0026rsquo;t it - and precise.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2582\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn. \u0026ndash; Ralph Waldo Emerson[/caption]\nSince I was just expressing how delighted I am to be in a location now where I have the opportunity to view sunsets, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure if I should have brought up the \u0026ldquo;sunset years\u0026rdquo; imagery. However, since I am sixty-six, I decided to touch on it. At sixty-six, sunset for me, represents a time to appreciate Nature\u0026rsquo;s artistry and to think of the light, energy, and warmth that the sun gives to my life and to all life. On waking up in the morning, the first thing I do is draw the curtains to see whether the sun is out. I feel happier when I see the sun. When the sun goes down at night, in its most spectacular way, it\u0026rsquo;s a time to end the day in a more rested state. It\u0026rsquo;s a \u0026ldquo;down\u0026rdquo; time for me too - a time to relax and take it easy, as well as enjoy the moonlight and the starlight. The \u0026ldquo;sunset years\u0026rdquo; imagery doesn\u0026rsquo;t make a lot of sense to me now. I only see beauty in the sunset.\nHope you liked the sunset images! The last one below is one I took when I was on an evening boat cruise this past summer. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist adding it here.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2584\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;] Sunset is so marvellous that even the sun itself watches it every day in the reflections of the infinite oceans! \u0026ndash; Mehmet Murat Ildan[/caption]\nNOTE: Since we\u0026rsquo;re talking solar system here - I\u0026rsquo;m mentioning something with regard to the moon since the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse takes place tomorrow night and many will be watching. The moon has no light of its own. It\u0026rsquo;s the light of the sun that reflects off the moon. Earth\u0026rsquo;s shadow will block the sun\u0026rsquo;s light and an eclipse will occur. Hope you\u0026rsquo;re able to catch a glimpse of the blood moon!\n","permalink":"/posts/sunset-struck/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2569\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Sunset-struck/i-8TJdd85/0/Lv2mZM8PjXbX2nW7wGVbjVbvWXtSsTZBH3VSPwj6T/D/DSC00905-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"“When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.” ― George R.R. Martin\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Sunset-struck/i-8TJdd85/0/Lv2mZM8PjXbX2nW7wGVbjVbvWXtSsTZBH3VSPwj6T/D/DSC00905-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.”\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                         ― George R.R. Martin[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s nice to discover new things about oneself.  I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that I was so enraptured by sunsets until I moved recently.  In my old home, I rarely saw the sunset.  In my new home, watching the sunset has become a nightly ritual - something I don\u0026rsquo;t like to miss.  It\u0026rsquo;s a spectacular light show watching the kaleidoscope of changing colours. I\u0026rsquo;ve had to run for my camera spontaneously on so many occasions with the feeling that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t let the moment pass uncaptured.  I\u0026rsquo;m not sunstruck; I\u0026rsquo;m sunset struck!  It\u0026rsquo;s such a wonderful joy to see the vast array of colours and all the changes taking place so quickly before my very eyes.  Twilight time has become very important for me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sunset Struck!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2540\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all.\n- Anonymous[/caption]\nIt was \u0026ldquo;Mabuhay\u0026rdquo; time in Toronto at the end of August. The Philippine Independence Day Council\u0026rsquo;s Mabuhay Philippines Festival was held at David Pecaut Square. It was a very colourful and beautiful event which I enjoyed immensely. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know what the word mabuhay meant so I decided to find out. \u0026ldquo;This is our eternal greeting to everyone here and abroad, our salute to life as we raise our San Miguel beers. The word roughly can be translated to mean “to be alive, to live life!” It is a call to bring that sense of celebratory joy to everything about life…and that is why the resonance of the DOT slogan “ Its more fun in the Philippines! Mabuhay encompasses all the colorful fiestas of our country, where community seeks to come together to celebrate something. Even funeral wakes are a way to bring people together for poker and mah-jong!\u0026rdquo; (echonewspost.com)\nBy the way, the acronym DOT means Department of Tourism. All the costumed participants did the Philippines proud that day. Of all the street fairs I\u0026rsquo;ve been to for summer, this was the best for ethnic dress and also for entertainment. Different regions of the Philippines were represented. I\u0026rsquo;m into all things Pinoy since I have always had many friends from the Philippines.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2542\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Filipinos are very fond of music. They use various materials to create sound. They love performing dances (Tiniking and Carinosa) and group singing during festive celebrations. Settlers from Spain introduced to them a variety of musical instruments like the ukulele, trumpet, drums and violin. Most of their music is contemporary and they have also learned to write their own songs based on real life events. People are also fond of folklore, which was influenced by the early church and Spanish literature. Jose Rizal, the country\u0026rsquo;s national hero, is famous for his literature and novels inspired from the independence story of the country. (http://blog.globalizationpartners.com/the-philippines-culture-and-tradition.aspx)[/caption]\nThe tinikling dance (above) was my favourite. This is considered the traditional dance of the Philippines. Bamboo poles are placed on the floor by some of the dancers and moved while making a cllicking sound. The dancers who are standing move gracefully in between and over these bamboo poles. It looks like it would take a lot of skill and practice to perform this dance. All the dancers maneuvered beautifully throughout the performance and delighted the onlookers.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2549\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;480\u0026rdquo;] Tinikling - This is the most popular and best known of the Philippine dances and honored as the Philippine national dance. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird\u0026rsquo;s legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. Tinikling means\u0026quot;bamboo dance\u0026quot; in English.\nConsidered as one of the oldest dances from the Philippines, this dance was originated in the islands of Leyte in the Visayan Islands. People of Leyte describe the tikling bird as one of the most unique in its movements - walking around and between the tree branches and some grass stems. This bird was named \u0026ldquo;tikling\u0026rdquo; from which the Tinikling dance got its name. Because of the creativeness of the people, they imitate this bird by using bamboo poles. (dance.net)[/caption]\nThe above image shows that this tinikliing dancer had a beautiful head-dress and fans in both hands.\nApart from all the festivity going on, there was another dynamic that was playing itself out that day unexpectedly. I didn\u0026rsquo;t realize that this Festival would provide me with such a steep learning curve about culture and give me so much room for thought. It is said that \u0026ldquo;beauty is in the eye of the beholder\u0026rdquo; but I found out that culture is too. We all have different lenses through which we view the world around us. While I was in awe of all the colourful costumes and was happily enjoying the Festival, I didn\u0026rsquo;t realize my Filipina friend was disappointed by the event.\nThere was something missing for her. I gathered that the something missing was historical information and \u0026ldquo;spirit.\u0026rdquo; She wondered out loud whether it was just ethnic dress, dance, and music, that the Festival was all about. I gathered that she was also disappointed with the turn-out. Maybe she expected it to be a bigger Festival than it was. She was visiting from California. We didn\u0026rsquo;t stay for the parade.\nThrough my lens, several important aspects of \u0026ldquo;culture\u0026rdquo; were present - such as language, food, dress, dance and music. To have the very young children participating as well as Senior Citizens definitely covered the gamut of the culture\u0026rsquo;s age groups. Through a festival such as this, new stories would be made - another important aspect of culture. \u0026ldquo;There are many realities. There are many versions of what may appear obvious. Whatever appears as the unshakeable truth, its exact opposite may also be true in another context. After all, one\u0026rsquo;s reality is but perception, viewed through various prisms of context.” ― Amish Tripathi, The Immortals of Meluha\nThe context in which I viewed the culture was that of an outsider - a visitor. The context in which she viewed the Filipino culture was as an insider - someone born and raised there.\n“How long have you been away from the country?\u0026rdquo; Laruja asked Ibarra.\n\u0026ldquo;Almost seven years.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;Then you have probably forgotten all about it.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Quite the contrary. Even if my country does seem to have forgotten me, I have always thought about it.” ― José Rizal, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)\nJose Rizal is considered to be one of the national heroes of the Philippines and was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion. I have heard of this work \u0026ldquo;Touch Me Not\u0026rdquo; from my Filipino friends and the above is an excerpt from the book. There is a lot of national pride when this book is spoken of and when Jose Rizal\u0026rsquo;s name comes up. The Filipinos in Toronto have not forgotten their country as was evident there that day and as you can see from the images.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2553\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Binasuan, a dance originating in the Philippines, primarily involves three drinking glasses that a Binasuan dancer (usually a woman) gracefully balances\u0026ndash;on her head and in the palms of both her hands\u0026ndash;as she moves. Each glass is half-full with rice wine, and a Binasuan dancer\u0026rsquo;s skill is determined by her ability not to drop a glass or spill any wine over the course of her performance.\n(ehow.com)[/caption]\nThe Binasuan dance was my second favourite dance and none of the dancers dropped their glasses. It was very impressive when they got down on the floor with them.\nThere is a place in the Philippines called Negrense and this is what Wikipedia has to say about it - Negros (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈneɡros]) is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas. It is the third largest island in the country, with a land area of 13,328.4 square kilometres (5,146.1 sq mi). Inhabitants of the island are called Negrenses, the name of the Filipino island means Blacks in the Spanish language.\nThe sleeves on the dresses these lovely ladies are wearing are called \u0026ldquo;butterfly\u0026rdquo; sleeves and are traditional. \u0026ldquo;On special occasions, urban women may wear the terno, a long dress characterized by broad “butterfly” sleeves that rise slightly at the shoulders and extend about to the elbow. Many of the smaller ethnic groups have characteristic attire for events of special cultural significance.\u0026rdquo; I admired all the different styles of dress at this Festival and how proud the participants seemed to be about sharing their cultural background with others. It was obvious that the dressing up made the participants happy.\nLast, but not least, there was the food. No cultural festival would be complete without native food. Pancit is one of my favourite dishes. However, I had some Ukoy while I was there at the suggestion of my friend. Ukoy is a shrimp fritter that\u0026rsquo;s served with a tangy vinegar dipping sauce. It was delicious. I also had a mango smoothie.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2556\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Cuisine in the Philippines is as rich as its culture and history. Having been a colony of Spain for 300 years and of the U.S.A. for several decades, the Filipino cuisine can be considered a salad bowl of Spanish, American and Malayan cooking influences. Due to their frequent interaction with Chinese people then and now, there is also community know-how on cooking Chinese dishes—with a Filipino touch. (famous wonders.com)[/caption]\nIt was wonderful to experience the diversity of this culture right here in Toronto. It takes a lot of planning and hard work to put together an elaborate fiesta of this nature and I\u0026rsquo;m grateful to organizations like the Philippine Independence Day Council ( PIDC) for such a lovely smorgasbord of culture in one venue.\n\u0026ldquo;Mabuhay\u0026rdquo; Note Pinoy is an informal demonym referring to the Filipino people in the Philippines and overseas Filipinos around the world. Filipinos usually refer to themselves as Pinoy or sometimes the feminine Pinay. (Wikipedia)\n","permalink":"/posts/mabuhay/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2540\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Mabuhay/i-CtXRKj7/0/Km7S5bbxss9wCtQgR49479kqh4dKqBDw74whXWsR4/D/Recently-Updated5-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all. - Anonymous\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Mabuhay/i-CtXRKj7/0/Km7S5bbxss9wCtQgR49479kqh4dKqBDw74whXWsR4/D/Recently-Updated5-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all.\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                                        - Anonymous[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was \u0026ldquo;Mabuhay\u0026rdquo; time in Toronto at the end of August. The Philippine Independence Day Council\u0026rsquo;s Mabuhay Philippines Festival was held at David Pecaut Square.  It was a very colourful and beautiful event which I enjoyed immensely.  I didn\u0026rsquo;t know what the word mabuhay meant so I decided to find out.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;This is our eternal greeting to everyone here and abroad, our salute to life as we raise our San Miguel beers. The word roughly can be translated to mean “to be alive, to live life!” It is a call to bring that sense of celebratory joy to everything about life…and that is why the resonance of the DOT slogan “ Its more fun in the Philippines! Mabuhay encompasses all the colorful fiestas of our country, where community seeks to come together to  celebrate something. Even funeral wakes are a way to bring people together for poker and mah-jong!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e  (echonewspost.com)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mabuhay!"},{"content":"“Hula is the art of Hawaiian dance, which expresses all we see, smell, taste, touch, feel, and experience. It is joy, sorrow, courage, and fear. ” – Robert Cazimero\nSometimes we don\u0026rsquo;t have to cross the ocean to have that \u0026ldquo;aloha\u0026rdquo; feeling. Last Saturday there was an amazing Hawaiian themed afternoon at the Grenadier right here in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s west end. It was a beautiful day and hula dancers graced the outdoor patio entertaining everyone with their gentle swaying movements. A professional hula dancer together with a vibrant, spirited musical accompanist, entertained in the social area upstairs as well. Two parties - both Hawaiian - taking place in the same building. The spirit of aloha abounded here. \u0026ldquo;The real meaning of Aloha in Hawaiian is that of Love, Peace, and Compassion. It’s the guidelines of how to live – a life of Aloha is one when the heart is so full it is overflowing with the ability to influence others around you with your spirit.\u0026rdquo; (Local\u0026rsquo;s Guide to Kauai) The staff at the Grenadier definitely created that Aloha spirit.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2531\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] “A’a i ka hula, waiho i ka maka’u i ka hale= Dare to dance, leave shame at home. ”\n– Hawaiian Saying**\u0026quot;**[/caption]\nThe hula dancers were amazing as well as the guests. \u0026ldquo;Hula is a traditional form of dance developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the original settlers of the islands. This form of dance illustrates stories, meaning and history of the Hawaiian culture. This complex form of art requires many effortless hand motions and body movements used to represent the words in a song or chant.\u0026rdquo; (indyhula.org) In keeping with the Hawaiian quote below the above collage, everyone seemed to have left shame at home. Many dared to dance and have lots of fun. Those who didn\u0026rsquo;t dare to dance were visited by the beautiful dancer at their tables demonstrating the hula hand movements. Most people tried these movements out and enjoyed swaying to the music in their chairs or clapping their hands. The singer/accompanist said at the end: \u0026ldquo;You people know how to party\u0026rdquo; and the last song he sang was the popular \u0026ldquo;Aloha\u0026rdquo; song. Aloha also means \u0026ldquo;hello\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;goodbye\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2530\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] Whilst Elvis Presley movies may have brought hula to a greater public awareness, the dances seen in these types of movies, although entertaining, have little resemblance to the depth of spirit,grace, elegance, or sacredness that personifies this ancient art.\nThe hula kahiko, or ancient form of the dance, was and still is performed in traditional costume, accompanied by chanting and traditional percussion instruments, whilst the hula \u0026lsquo;auana, or modern version of the dance, is more likely to be accompanied by modern instruments such as the ukelele and guitar. The costumes also are more modern, ranging from simple skirts and tops to elaborate Victorian outfits and, for the hotel circuit, plastic \u0026ldquo;grass\u0026rdquo; skirts and coconut bras. The hula has 3 purposes: to entertain, to inspire and to instruct. It is a cultural vehicle for social and historical commentary and passing of information. The dances and chants contain a magic that transcends their external power and beauty, filling both dancer and audience with Aloha. (huna.org)[/caption]\nHamburgers, hotdogs, and beverages were provided for this lovely summer barbecue. Leis were given out to everyone. The spirit of aloha abounded here. Fond memories of my aloha time in Hawaii over thirty-three years ago came back to me. In the picture below, the dancer was at my table and posed and smiled beautifully for me to capture this image.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s good to know that the terms \u0026ldquo;aloha\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;hula\u0026rdquo; have such deep meaning and significance for the people of Hawaii. It always helps to foster good-will and peaceful relations between cultures when understanding and appreciation of customs exists. It was nice to experience this right here in Toronto.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2529\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] As the Hawaiians say, Hele me kahau ‘oli — go with joy.\n– Gilbert M. Grosvenor[/caption]\nIt was fun putting together these collages after the party and writing this post.\n\u0026ldquo;Aloha\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/aloha/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Hula is the art of Hawaiian dance, which expresses all we see, smell, taste, touch, feel, and experience. It is joy, sorrow, courage, and fear. ”\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e– Robert Cazimero\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Aloha/i-n4ZFhRw/0/Kdcn4PmMcFM9SzWLvjN72dWZqj7wBQrMQ6WpH6LHh/D/Recently-Updated2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Recently Updated2\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Aloha/i-n4ZFhRw/0/Kdcn4PmMcFM9SzWLvjN72dWZqj7wBQrMQ6WpH6LHh/D/Recently-Updated2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eSometimes we don\u0026rsquo;t have to cross the ocean to have that \u0026ldquo;aloha\u0026rdquo; feeling.  Last Saturday there was an amazing Hawaiian themed afternoon at the Grenadier right here in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s west end.  It was a beautiful day and hula dancers graced the outdoor patio entertaining everyone with their gentle swaying movements.  A professional hula dancer together with a vibrant, spirited musical accompanist, entertained in the social area upstairs as well.  Two parties - both Hawaiian - taking place in the same building. The spirit of aloha abounded here.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eThe real meaning of Aloha in Hawaiian is that of Love, Peace, and Compassion. It’s the guidelines of how to live – a life of Aloha is one when the heart is so full it is overflowing with the ability to influence others around you with your spirit.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e (Local\u0026rsquo;s Guide to Kauai)  The staff at the Grenadier definitely created that Aloha spirit.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Aloha!"},{"content":"\nThe poem below is a new discovery for me. I came across it on Facebook a few days ago and was fascinated by the insights that the poet, Rose Milligan, was able to present in these four stanzas. I was curious to find out who she was but there wasn\u0026rsquo;t a plethora of information available on her.\nDust If You Must\nDust if you must. But wouldn’t it be better, To paint a picture, or write a letter,\nBake a cake, or plant a seed? Ponder the difference between want and need.\nDust if you must. But there is not much time With rivers to swim and mountains to climb! Music to hear, and books to read, Friends to cherish and life to lead.\nDust if you must. But the world’s out there With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, A flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come round again.\nDust if you must. But bear in mind, Old age will come and it’s not kind. And when you go, and go you must, You, yourself, will make more dust.\n– – – written by Mrs. Rose Milligan\nOnly a woman would write a poem like this, I thought. As a woman myself and having done my share of dusting, sweeping, mopping, and all the other household tasks necessary to keep a house clean, this poem is refreshing. I think it should be recommended reading in Women\u0026rsquo;s Studies groups everywhere.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1356\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Housework is work directly opposed to the possibility of human self-actualization. —Ann Oakley[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s so easy to get bogged down by housework and the responsibilities of house and home. Throughout the poem, we are being told of all the wonderful experiences and opportunities in living that we ought not to miss out on by spending lots of time on what is extraneous. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1759\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacation-less class. (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)[/caption]\nMany people have read books like \u0026ldquo;The Power of Now\u0026rdquo; extolling the virtues of living in the present and whether Rose Milligan read books like these or not is not something that I know. However, she certainly understands that the time to live is \u0026ldquo;now.\u0026rdquo; Rose Milligan realized and penned beautifully, especially for us women, the importance of enjoying one\u0026rsquo;s life while one is able to. Old age does come and one does return to dust.\nWords of wisdom from a woman whose bio is hard to find! I can\u0026rsquo;t help thinking that she herself may have been bogged down with housework or saw her mother or grandmother this way and decided to impart these words to the wise. Take the learning from this and enjoy all the precious moments - let the dusting wait sometimes. Life is too short.\nTo bring this post to a close, there\u0026rsquo;s another poem that is all about travelling lightly on our journey through life - also by a woman. She was very close to the end of her life when she wrote this and there is some wisdom to be gained here from reading this. There\u0026rsquo;s certainly more to life than dusting and housework.\nI\u0026rsquo;d Pick More Daisies\nIf I had my life to live over, I\u0026rsquo;d try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would ber sillier than I have been on this trip. I know of very few things I would take seriously. I would be crazier. I would be less hygienic. I would take more chances. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets. I would burn more gasoline. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of those people who lives prophylactically and sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I\u0026rsquo;ve had my moments and, if I had it to do over, I\u0026rsquo;d have more of them. In fact, I\u0026rsquo;d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after the other, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I have been one of those people who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would go places and do things and travel lighter than I have. If I had my life to live over, I would start bare-footed earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would play hookey more. I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t make such good grades except by accident. I would ride on more merry-go-rounds. I\u0026rsquo;d pick more daisies.\nNadine Stair, 87 Louisville, Kentucky\n","permalink":"/posts/dust-if-you-must/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Dust-if-you-must/i-skPbRPR/0/LBDDh8gpLwjk7s3MCbmFZ64JGvrKLhMt9x6K6vvDN/D/House-Proud-001-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"House Proud-001\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Dust-if-you-must/i-skPbRPR/0/LBDDh8gpLwjk7s3MCbmFZ64JGvrKLhMt9x6K6vvDN/D/House-Proud-001-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poem below is a new discovery for me.  I came across it on Facebook a few days ago and was fascinated by the insights that the poet, Rose Milligan, was able to present in these four stanzas.  I was curious to find out who she was but there wasn\u0026rsquo;t a plethora of information available on her.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDust If You Must\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDust if you must.\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBut wouldn’t it be better,\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eTo paint a picture, or write a letter,\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dust If You Must"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2487\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me\nAs I gaze upon the sea!\nAll the old romantic legends,\nAll my dreams, come back to me.\n(Henry Wadford Longfellow)[/caption]\nBeautiful pictures take us on journeys we might never pursue ourselves. Artistic expression comes out of the artist on to the canvas or computer and we decide for ourselves whether it has an emotional appeal for us or not. It\u0026rsquo;s not always a conscious decision but rather something that takes place within our hearts, souls, and spirits. Just as we choose that \u0026ldquo;Like\u0026rdquo; button so frequently on Facebook to express our approval of what we feel about a certain image, a \u0026ldquo;Like\u0026rdquo; happens within our hearts on viewing a beautiful image. The artist\u0026rsquo;s rendition resonates within us on a deep level within. \u0026ldquo;The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.\u0026rdquo; ~ Aristotle\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2492\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Look at the cherry blossoms!\nTheir color and scent fall with them,\nAre gone forever,\nYet mindless\nThe spring comes again.”\n~ Ikkyu[/caption]\nThe art work featured in this post appeals to me on a deep level and I hope you too will like this offering. The artist, Ronald Janki, paints with a rich palette of colors and in a variety of styles. The poetry/sayings beneath each picture were my own findings and help to express what the image brought up for me within my own soul and spirit.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2494\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;The sun was hidden while I cried,\nI wandered lost, in sight unseen.\nWhen there upon the fence I spied\nHibiscus red, and leaves of green.\u0026rdquo;\n~ (itchyfish.com)[/caption]\nMany artists, at one time or another, paint flowers. Nature is a universal theme. The above paintings are in a different style to the one below - which brings to my mind Impressionist Art. \u0026ldquo;Impressionist art is a style in which the artist captures the image of an object as someone would see it if they just caught a glimpse of it. They paint the pictures with a lot of color and most of their pictures are outdoor scenes. Their pictures are very bright and vibrant. The artists like to capture their images without detail but with bold colors. Some of the greatest impressionist artists were Edouard Manet, Camille Pissaro, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot and Pierre Auguste Renoir.\u0026rdquo; (Impressionism - Arts Movement Directory)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2495\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\nImpressionism is a beautiful thing\nEvery speck of paint has a delicate ring\nThe human eye is a handy device\nFor It receives the signals of this art, so nice\nRenoir and Monet, Cezanne and Colin\nCamille Pisaro was also a win\nImpressionist artists designed all of this stuff\nThese paintings, this art, its all far from gruff\nThe characteristic mist that conquers the brush\nEach storke full of beauty, ever so lush\nEmotions and skill are thrown into one\nThey become a painting, restrictions all shun\n~ Lucy (Internet)[/caption]\nHope this gave you that Impressionist feeling too!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2496\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;What do you do when things go wrong? Oh! You sing a song.\u0026rdquo; –Snow White[/caption]\nThe artist has children and a grandchild so he paints many Disney pictures. His children\u0026rsquo;s paintings are very popular with them and with other children and their parents as well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2497\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;So come with me where dreams are born and time is never planned. Just think of happy things and your heart will fly on wings forever in never never land.\u0026rdquo;\n~Peter Pan[/caption]\nThe painting below is one he did for Christmas and is a favourite of mine. The fire and the children sitting around it with their toys captures the spirit of Christmas very well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2498\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Chestnuts roasting on an open fire\nJack Frost nipping at your nose (yeah)\nYuletide carols being sung by a choir\nAnd folks dressed up like Eskimos\n~ (Metro Lyrics)[/caption]\nBefore sharing the last set of Ronald Janki\u0026rsquo;s paintings that I\u0026rsquo;ve chosen for this post, here is what Oscar Wilde had to say about Art and Life. Perhaps it will give you some room for thought about how art plays itself out in your own life. \u0026ldquo;Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life . . . Life holds the mirror up to Art, and either reproduces some strange type imagined by a painter or sculptor, or realises in fact what has been dreamed in fiction. . . . For what is Nature? Nature is no great mother who has borne us. She is our creation. It is in our brain that she quickens to life. Things are because we see them, and what we see, and how we see it, depends on the Arts that have influenced us. . . . At present, people see fogs, not because there are fogs, but because poets and painters have taught them the mysterious loveliness of such effects. There may have been fogs for centuries in London. I dare say there were. But no one saw them, and so we do not know anything about them. They did not exist till Art had invented them. Now, it must be admitted, fogs are carried to excess. They have become the mere mannerism of a clique, and the exaggerated realism of their method gives dull people bronchitis. Where the cultured catch an effect, the uncultured catch cold.\u0026rdquo; ~Oscar Wilde, \u0026lsquo;The Decay of Lying: An Observation\u0026rsquo;, 188 on the question of how art affects your own life.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2499\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Sittin\u0026rsquo; here a thousand miles from nowhere\nPeople, I\u0026rsquo;m in my one room country little shack\nI\u0026rsquo;m sittin\u0026rsquo; here a thousand miles from nowhere\nPeople, I\u0026rsquo;m in my own own one room country little shack\nAll my worries and companion\nIs an old is an old \u0026rsquo;leven foot cotton sack\n(allthelyrics.com)[/caption]\nThese aren\u0026rsquo;t the kind of shacks that we see in Canada yet people in many parts of the world live in places like these. This is definitely a case where Life holds the mirror up to Art, don\u0026rsquo;t you think?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2500\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] fattened lambs no longer\nlaze in sun - market day dawns\n~ Linda Jackson[/caption]\nThe above painting is a scene from Stabroek Market, Guyana. The clock is a very prominent feature of this market building. The artist has captured this building very well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2501\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Or in the Fall\nWhen motley colours seem to vie\nFor pride of place and honour high\nAnd the competing hues outspread\nTheir brown, their yellow\nand flamboyant red?\n~ Excerpt from a poem \u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves\u0026rdquo; by Robert Janki[/caption]\nThe artist\u0026rsquo;s father wrote poetry as does the artist. In the poem \u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves,\u0026rdquo; his father was reflecting on when the leaves show their true colors - comparing the seasons. This verse fits very well with the painting.\nRonald Janki\u0026rsquo;s digital art encompasses a whole range of artistic expression and I hope what you saw here gives you a greater sense of respect for digital art and artists. John Maeda, says: \u0026ldquo;If there were a prerequisite for the future successful digital creative, it would be the passion for discovery.\u0026rdquo;\nRonald Janki has certainly been taking a marvellous journey of creative discovery and it\u0026rsquo;s been wonderful sharing a small part of this journey with you. You can see more of Ronald Janki\u0026rsquo;s work at: Simply Spectacular Designs.\n","permalink":"/posts/in-pursuit-of-art/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2487\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/In-pursuit-of-art/i-j9gZxcC/0/NKFXk2P73hxsVwwQ599MvQ4J9MjFgxZ4fR6cTfLQd/D/paintings-ronald-janki-33-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me As I gaze upon the sea! All the old romantic legends, All my dreams, come back to me. (Henry Wadford Longfellow)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/paintings-ronald-janki-33-1024x617.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me\u003cbr\u003e\n     As I gaze upon the sea!\u003cbr\u003e\n     All the old romantic legends,\u003cbr\u003e\n     All my dreams, come back to me.\u003cbr\u003e\n                                                                                                          (Henry Wadford Longfellow)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeautiful pictures take us on journeys we might never pursue ourselves.  Artistic expression comes out of the artist on to the canvas or computer and we decide for ourselves whether it has an emotional appeal for us or not.  It\u0026rsquo;s not always a conscious decision but rather something that takes place within our hearts, souls,  and spirits. Just as we choose that \u0026ldquo;Like\u0026rdquo; button so frequently on Facebook to express our approval of what we feel about a certain image, a \u0026ldquo;Like\u0026rdquo; happens within our hearts  on viewing a beautiful image. The artist\u0026rsquo;s rendition resonates within us on a deep level within. \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eThe aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.\u0026rdquo; ~ Aristotle\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"In Pursuit of Art"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2471\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Making a big life change is pretty scary. But know what’s even scarier? Regret.\u0026rdquo; (Zig Ziglar)[/caption]\nDownsizing has been a big job. I\u0026rsquo;ve missed blogging during the time that this important life change has been taking place. It hasn\u0026rsquo;t been one life change really but several, each one hinging on the other.\nDownsizing has been about letting go, more and more, day by day, of all that had captured my heart in its weary yearning for the ownership of house and home. At an earlier, younger time of life, was the time when I had the desire and dream of having my own house and I would do anything to realize this. Fortune smiled and this exciting event happened - not only once but twice. Along with all the responsibilities came the joy of owning one\u0026rsquo;s own home. It was fun decorating and acquiring all the accoutrements to make this home truly beautiful and reflective of each family member\u0026rsquo;s individual personality and taste.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2152\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Roses in Our Garden[/caption]\nLittle did I realize then that one day this longed for possession would no longer have the same appeal for me. We outgrow what we once grew into. This age and phase was calling me to a different way of living and being. I didn\u0026rsquo;t want the accoutrements clutter and responsibility that came with \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; anymore. \u0026ldquo;A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life; he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days.\u0026rdquo; Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)\nBig to small was the order of the day. The house was put up for sale. We received many offers and the new owner is a very young person. She\u0026rsquo;s up to the responsibility and task of home ownership and we\u0026rsquo;re happy that she loves this house and is overjoyed to make it her home. And so life changes, and we\u0026rsquo;ve moved on.\nThis is a different phase and stage of life and our new home which we are renting has turned out to be beyond our wildest expectations. We have less space but we don\u0026rsquo;t need as much anymore and that is a nice feeling. We don\u0026rsquo;t have all the clutter and we realize that we don\u0026rsquo;t need as much as we thought we did. Downsizing externally is good but downsizing internally is even better. \u0026ldquo;To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter … to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life.\u0026rdquo;— John Burroughs\nThe most important learning of this time is truly that when we closed the door of our last home, another door opened up for us. We have beautiful views from our new home, lovely sunrises and sunsets, and most of all the opportunity to see that this is a time for gladness and new opportunities appropriate to this time of life. Just as all the other phases of life came with their lessons and learning, so does this time. It\u0026rsquo;s all part of a lifetime.\nThere are no regrets - just looking forward to what\u0026rsquo;s ahead and the growth and opportunities of this time - and more beautiful sunsets!\n","permalink":"/posts/big-to-small/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2471\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;800\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Big-to-small/i-HdjMsgM/0/NWtNtjdt5gJR6p7RPkTB53wHvMRs2kGJDqwDnN55h/D/5p-WijgKRkeCAOTwLg2lig-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\u0026ldquo;\u0026ldquo;Making a big life change is pretty scary. But know what’s even scarier? Regret\u0026rdquo; (Zig Ziglar)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Big-to-small/i-HdjMsgM/0/NWtNtjdt5gJR6p7RPkTB53wHvMRs2kGJDqwDnN55h/D/5p-WijgKRkeCAOTwLg2lig-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u0026ldquo;Making a big life change is pretty scary. But know what’s even scarier? Regret.\u0026rdquo; (Zig Ziglar)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDownsizing has been a big job.  I\u0026rsquo;ve missed blogging during the time that this important life change has been taking place.  It hasn\u0026rsquo;t been one life change really but several, each one hinging on the other.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Big to Small"},{"content":"This book found me. \u0026ldquo;The Grace in Aging\u0026rdquo; 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 \u0026ldquo;The Grace in Aging.\u0026rdquo; The concerns here are not about what\u0026rsquo;s on the outside but what\u0026rsquo;s on the inside.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2457\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Aging can offer us the time to deliberately reorient ourselves toward the inner life, an infinitely more reliable refuge than anything the world can offer. To open these inner vistas is to enter a time of awakening, to lighten our attachment to self, the cause of all of our unease. We have the opportunity to, first, recognize that living attached to our own sense of self, is a small, confined, and stressed way to live, and, then, to wholeheartedly engage in practices that will free that myopic attachment. (Pg.3 of the Introduction)[/caption]\nThere are all kinds of \u0026ldquo;jokes\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;jibes\u0026rdquo; out there about seniors, aging, and old age. In our culture, we tend to see this phase of life as less important than the phases experienced before. Many people talk about the aged as though they are just sitting around waiting for death to happen. It is refreshing that the author gives us the opportunity to open ourselves to the deeper learning that we can avail ourselves to at this age and the wisdom we can derive from this inward journey. The author is mainly coming from a Buddhist perspective but doesn\u0026rsquo;t discount the wisdom of other traditions.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2458\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These aging years of ours, if we wish to use them wisely, are a time to be cautious. Caution with regard to how we fill this newly emptied time and space will allow us to explode into bold freedom, into deep and utter acceptance, into the simply enjoyment of being. Caution now with regard to our habits will allow us to achieve fearlessness in the face of both living and dying. (Pg. 107)[/caption]\nAging is about living and it is also about dying. Usually, we are very uncomfortable with any talk of death. We talk about those who have died and the viewings, funerals, memorial services, and the like we have attended. Any talk about the preparation and the work of dying is avoided in the circles of people that I know. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that this book offers an opportunity for looking at both living and dying.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2459\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] If you want to identify me,ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for. (Thomas Merton)[/caption]\nIn the Afterword of the book, the author talks about doing an inventory to see where we are. Some of the kinds of questions that she lists are:\nWhat do I need to clear up or let go of to be more peaceful?\nWhat are my resistances to vulnerability?\nWhat are my resistances to being fully present?\nWhat are my distractions?\nWhat are my fears?\nHow deep is my gratitude?\nHow generous is my heart?\nThose are just a few of the questions. I feel that it\u0026rsquo;s important to do this kind of work if one is able. I don\u0026rsquo;t know Kathleen Dowling Singh and have never read any of her other books so my endorsement of this book as a good read is unbiased. I hope whatever little information you have gleaned from what I have said here may have you wanting to read more. You will not be disappointed.\nI found this information about the author on her web page:\nKathleen Dowling Singh is trained academically in transpersonal psychology and works as a mentor for deep psychospiritual growth work. She lectures widely throughout the United States on spirituality at the end of life, spiritual transformation in the midst of life, and meditative and contemplative practices. Kathleen is the author of The Grace in Dying: How We are Transformed Spiritually as we Die (HarperOne, 1998), a book named one of Amazon’s Top Ten Books in Spirituality the year it was published and recognized as a landmark in the field. The Grace in Aging: Awaken as You Grow Older. WisdomPublications, 2014) has struck a chord with sincere practitioners who wish to use their aging years for spiritual maturation and ripening. It was named one of the best of 2014 by Spirituality and Practice Magazine.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s all for \u0026ldquo;The Grace in Aging.\u0026rdquo; May we all find grace in our aging.\n","permalink":"/posts/recommended-reading-for-baby-boomers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Recommended-reading-for-baby-boomers/i-rqs7pjV/0/MCWfNw7FhFkfkpp2L3rT8W58DTcwKvL8cdZg29Hkb/D/Grace-in-Aging-Collage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Grace in Aging Collage (for blog)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Grace-in-Aging-Collage-for-blog-1024x616.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThis book found me.  \u0026ldquo;The Grace in Aging\u0026rdquo; 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 \u0026ldquo;The Grace in Aging.\u0026rdquo;  The concerns here are not about what\u0026rsquo;s on the outside but what\u0026rsquo;s on the inside.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Recommended Reading for Baby Boomers"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2443\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed[/caption]\nMost of us are fortunate to be able to travel today to many parts of the world. It\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;re off to some place to \u0026ldquo;take lots of pictures.\u0026rdquo; To have the experience of being in a different place is unsurpassed joy but we also need those images so that when we\u0026rsquo;re back home, we can relive those moments in a different way - hopefully with happy memories.\nThe faraway place that you see in the above collage is Fiji. \u0026ldquo;Fiji FEE-jee, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,100 nautical miles northeast of New Zealand\u0026rsquo;s North Island.\u0026quot; (Wikipedia) I enjoyed the many different aspects of Fiji. While the beaches are unspoiled and Fiji is a popular tourist destination, there is poverty and political unrest there as well. That\u0026rsquo;s all part of the learning that comes from visiting another country. We see everything for ourselves.\nThis post is called \u0026ldquo;Far Away Places\u0026rdquo; because I fondly remember singing this song in our Glee Club at school and some of you may remember it too. Here are the lyrics along with some other collages of faraway places I visited and was reminiscing about.\nFar away places with strange soundin\u0026rsquo; names Far away over the sea Those far away places with the strange soundin\u0026rsquo; names Are callin\u0026rsquo;, callin\u0026rsquo; me\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2445\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Rome is the capital of the Italian Republic.\nIt is the most populous and largest municipality in Italy and is among Europe’s major capitals in terms of the amount of terrain it covers.\nHISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL RICHES\nIt is the city with the highest concentration of historical and architectural riches in the world. Its historical centre, outlined by the enclosing Aurelian Walls, layering nearly three thousand years of antiquity, is an invaluable testimony to the European western world’s cultural, artistic and historical legacy and in 1980 it was, together with the Holy See’s property beyond the confines of the Vatican State as well as the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List .\nRome, the heart of Catholic Christianity, is the only city in the world to host an entire foreign state within its confines, the enclave of the Vatican City, and it is for this very reason that it is often referred to as the capital of two States.\nOver 16% of the world’s cultural treasures are located in Rome (70% in all of Italy). (turismoroma)[/caption]\nGoin\u0026rsquo; to China or maybe Siam I want to see for myself Those far away places I\u0026rsquo;ve been readin\u0026rsquo; about In a book that I took from the shelf\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2446\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Holland? Or the Netherlands? And what’s the difference between the two? The Netherlands is often referred to as Holland. Nevertheless, the official name of the country is the (Kingdom of the) Netherlands. The Netherlands consists out of twelve provinces. Two of them, North and South Holland, are the two provinces that together make Holland. Due to the maritime and economic power of these provinces in the 17th century, the Netherlands became known worldwide as Holland. To make matters even more confusing the inhabitants of the Netherlands are called Dutch. Internationally, ‘Holland’ is often used to indicate the Netherlands. Holland is also the brand that is used to promote business and leisure trips to the Netherlands. We have chosen Holland as brand name because Holland is internationally well-known, popular and an accessible name for our country. Furthermore Holland stands for all our country’s positive elements, the elements that attract foreign leisure and business travellers. Holland also sounds more hospitable than the rather official ‘the Netherlands’. (holland.com)[/caption]\nThe Holland collage was made using Holland postcards that I photographed in my garden in Toronto. National dress is worn in Holland at folkloric events. It was fascinating to travel in Holland and to visit the Gouda cheese factory in the City of Gouda. I grew up eating Gouda cheese. Another favorite spot in Holland was the fishing village of Volendam. It was nice sitting near the water eating pommes de frites and fish.\nI start gettin\u0026rsquo; restless whenever I hear The whistle of a train I pray for the day I can get underway And look for those castles in Spain\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2447\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] India\u0026rsquo;s Golden Temple was one of the highlights of my visit there. \u0026ldquo;The Harmandir Sahib, also Darbar Sahib and informally referred to as the \u0026ldquo;Golden Temple\u0026rdquo;, is the holiest Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. The city was founded in 1574 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das.\u0026rdquo; (Wikipedia)[/caption]\nThey call me a dreamer, well, maybe I am But I know that I\u0026rsquo;m burnin\u0026rsquo; to see Those far away places with the strange soundin\u0026rsquo; names Callin\u0026rsquo;, callin\u0026rsquo; me\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2448\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] New Zealand was a fascinating place to visit. This collage shows the Hot Springs at Rotorua where there is also a Maori Village that I visited.\n\u0026ldquo;The volcanic zone of Rotorua and Taupō is famous for its mud pools that bubble like porridge, geysers spurting steam, and cascading terraces, which form as minerals from the hot springs precipitate on the rocks. Whakarewarewa has 500 hot springs and seven geysers. New Zealand’s largest geyser is Pōhutu, reaching 20 metres or more. Thousands of people visit every year. The only other place where you can see such big geysers is Yellowstone National Park in the USA. (teara.gov.nz)[/caption]\nI pray for the day when I\u0026rsquo;ll find a way Those far away places to see Those far away places with the strange soundin\u0026rsquo; names Callin\u0026rsquo;, callin\u0026rsquo; me Callin\u0026rsquo;, callin\u0026rsquo;, callin\u0026rsquo; me\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2449\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Barbados has it all: beach resorts from humble to grand, smashing nightlife, a Unesco World Heritage capitol, Bridgetown, a beautiful interior dotted with gardens, wild surf on the lonely east coast and a proud and welcoming populace.\u0026rdquo; (Lonely Planet)[/caption]\nI did step on to many sandy beaches in Barbados and it was heavenly! There\u0026rsquo;s a lot more to \u0026ldquo;Bajan life\u0026rdquo; though than just beaches. Travel has a way of opening us to a greater awareness of the world around us and the people that inhabit it. It\u0026rsquo;s an education all by itself. These are some of the faraway places that I was fortunate to visit and I hope you enjoyed your visit with me.\n“One must travel, to learn.” ― Mark Twain\n","permalink":"/posts/far-away-places/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2443\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Far-away-places/i-RfPQcsp/0/Lh22JRD5pmZ7b664SjTcFp8sgGBnsTKWzq2dDbC2w/D/Fiji-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Fiji-for-blog-1024x587.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of us are fortunate to be able to travel today to many parts of the world.  It\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;re off to some place to  \u0026ldquo;take lots of pictures.\u0026rdquo;  To have the experience of being in a different place is unsurpassed joy but we also need those images so that when we\u0026rsquo;re back home, we can relive those moments in a different way -  hopefully with happy memories.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Far Away Places"},{"content":"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\u0026rsquo;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 \u0026ldquo;We Look with Uncertainty\u0026rdquo; was shared in this newsletter prefaced by these words: \u0026ldquo;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:\nWE LOOK WITH UNCERTAINTY\nWe look with uncertainty beyond the old choices for clear-cut answers to a softer, more permeable aliveness which is every moment at the brink of death; for something new is being born in us if we but let it. We stand at a new doorway, awaiting that which comes… daring to be human creatures, vulnerable to the beauty of existence. Learning to love.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful and poignant reminder that new choices and new opportunities await in the newness of this year and that I can still open my heart to all that is being offered. For those of you who haven\u0026rsquo;t heard about Gratefulness.org, it\u0026rsquo;s an online community for Grateful Living. You can light candles there and send e-cards as well. It\u0026rsquo;s worth taking a look at.\nThe next poem I found on the internet is an acrostic which spells out the words \u0026ldquo;Happy New Year.\u0026rdquo;\nHappy New Year Author: Catherine Pulsifer\nH appiness depends upon your outlook on life. - Find the good in all situations A ttitude is just as important as ability.- Keep your attitude positive P assion find yours this year! - Do what you love and you will never work P ositive thoughts make everything easier.- Stay focused and stay positive Y ou are unique, with special gifts, use them. - Never forget you have talent\nN ew beginnings with a new year. E nthusiasm a true secret of success. W ishes may they turn into goals.\nY ears go by too quickly, enjoy them.- Wisdom from your elders, listen E nergy may you have lots of it. - Take care of yourself A ppreciation of life, don\u0026rsquo;t take it for granted. - Live each day R elax take the time to relax in this coming year.- Keep a balance in your life.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2436\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you\u0026rsquo;ve always wanted to do but couldn\u0026rsquo;t find the time.\u0026rdquo; (Anne Landers) [/caption]\nAs I look at the last collage (above), I think back to the year not so long ago that I felt that I wanted to try my hand at painting - and I did. I also remember the day when the forsythias in the garden were in glorious splendour and I had the urge to take this particular painting out and put it among the bushes and take some photos. As time goes by and I advance in years, it\u0026rsquo;s good to do those things that I had always wanted to do but never had the time to do. Days and years go by too quickly.\nYou may be feeling the same way and I hope that these poems and the above quote give you that extra boost to make this New Year a special one. They certainly helped to jolt me out of my complacency.\n","permalink":"/posts/poems-for-a-new-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Poems-for-a-new-year/i-DFkS5t4/0/MkKpxC5vz9vQM2Rbcq7TxVxs4DDjvq4bHQh8jNMJt/D/Canada-Blooms-2013-tulip-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Canada Blooms 2013 tulip collage\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Canada-Blooms-2013-tulip-collage-1024x590.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eMy 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\u0026rsquo;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 \u0026ldquo;We Look with Uncertainty\u0026rdquo; was shared in this newsletter prefaced by these words:  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;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:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Poems for a New Year"},{"content":"“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” ― Rumi\nI 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\u0026rsquo;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 \u0026ldquo;letting go\u0026rdquo; stage of life or some other process at work is not quite clear to me.\nHowever, as one who likes to capture images and a blogger, I immediately reached for my camera and started to take pictures of the broken vase. I held several of the pieces and admired the art work even in it\u0026rsquo;s broken state. I also thought that these broken shards might be grist for the mill for a post although I didn\u0026rsquo;t quite know how.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2428\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Don\u0026rsquo;t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”\n― Rumi, The Essential Rumi[/caption]\nMy own story around these broken pieces of a vase is that when material things get broken, it\u0026rsquo;s not that bad. These things are replaceable. The far greater loss is when we experience brokenness in our own lives and the life of loved ones. These might be sickness, death, broken relationships, or financial setbacks. \u0026ldquo;A life loss is a separation from a significant person, place, item, or event. There are small life losses and major life losses. Small life losses might include a change in plans, a frustration, a misplaced item, a forgotten activity or event, or a disappointment. Major life losses might include a divorce, a move to a different city or location, the death of a person or pet, a severe illness, a catastrophic event, or a violent experience. All persons experience numerous life losses, small and major, throughout their lives. To cope with and resolve all life losses, people need to develop skills through which they process the cognitive and emotional impact of the loss and incorporate methods of resolution or completion within their lives. People who can incorporate each loss in a positive way in their life develop strength of character and self-confidence which helps them cope with other losses.\u0026rdquo; (The Stephan Center)\nPutting together the broken pieces of our own lives is an arduous process that requires a lot of hard work and patience combined with strong support systems. We often wonder through the process whether and when the long night of sorrow will end. Will we be happy again?\n“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” ― Rumi\nFrom my life experience and observation of the experiences of others, after a certain time, new experiences follow. The person who was devastated by a divorce falls in love again and marries someone else. Another person who had a bad prognosis after cancer treatment goes into remission. The neighbor who had the miscarriage becomes pregnant again and brings the baby to full term, and so on. Life gives second chances and even if in a particular situation, there isn\u0026rsquo;t a second chance, there\u0026rsquo;s a different kind of learning. Persons living with cancer have told me how much the illness is teaching them. Through the brokenness, there is transformation.\n“Every great loss demands that we choose life again. We need to grieve in order to do this. The pain we have not grieved over will always stand between us and life. When we don’t grieve, a part of us becomes caught in the past like Lot’s wife who, because she looked back, was turned into a pillar of salt. Grieving is not about forgetting. Grieving allows us to heal, to remember with love rather than pain. It is a sorting process. One by one you let go of the things that are gone and you mourn for them. One by one you take hold of the things that have become a part of who you are and build again.” ~ Rachel Naomi Remen\nWe don\u0026rsquo;t choose the broken pieces that come to us in life but they come anyhow. Rumi says \u0026ldquo;don\u0026rsquo;t grieve\u0026rdquo; and Rachel Naomi Remen says \u0026ldquo;we need to grieve.\u0026rdquo; These are all insights and like everything else in life, we need to sift through and decide what makes sense to us and what doesn\u0026rsquo;t. This is what has evolved for the story \u0026ldquo;Broken Pieces\u0026rdquo; that has come out of my broken vase.\n","permalink":"/posts/broken-pieces/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e― Rumi\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Broken-pieces/i-KVBwB64/0/KDVWgmcCZJV8JtLC9pWWbbPg949gPbVQkHqKQF8Vk/D/Broken-Vase-HDR-ish-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Broken Vase (HDR-ish)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Broken-Vase-HDR-ish-1024x587.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eI 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\u0026rsquo;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 \u0026ldquo;letting go\u0026rdquo; stage of life or some other process at work is not quite clear to me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Broken Pieces"},{"content":"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 \u0026ldquo;Frederick Buechner\u0026rdquo; 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 \u0026ldquo;rescuer\u0026rdquo; role, the quote resonated with me.\n“Stop trying to protect, to rescue, to judge, to manage the lives around you . . . remember that the lives of others are not your business. They are their business. They are God’s business . . . even your own life is not your business. It also is God’s business. Leave it to God. It is an astonishing thought. It can become a life-transforming thought . . . unclench the fists of your spirit and take it easy . . . What deadens us most to God’s presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more crucial to true spiritual comfort . . . than being able from time to time to stop that chatter . . . ” The blog post I was reading happened to be on \u0026ldquo;spirituality\u0026rdquo; which can be a loaded word these days. Most people I speak with prefer to see themselves as spiritual rather than religious. Obviously, to be spiritual is better than to be religious. When we aren\u0026rsquo;t prone to \u0026ldquo;rescuing,\u0026rdquo; we may be prone to \u0026ldquo;fixing\u0026rdquo; or some other dysfunctional behaviour. That human chatter Buechner speaks of is indeed hard to silence. Minding one\u0026rsquo;s own business is easier said than done. Don\u0026rsquo;t you agree?\nAccording to Wikipedia, Carl Frederick Buechner is an American writer and theologian. Born July 11, 1926 in New York City, he is an ordained Presbyterian minister and the author of more than thirty published books thus far. His work encompasses different genres, including fiction, autobiography, essays and sermons, and his career has spanned six decades. Buechner\u0026rsquo;s books have been translated into many languages for publication around the world. He is best known for his works A Long Day\u0026rsquo;s Dying (his first work, published in 1950).\nHere are a few more Buechner quotes that I found that resonate with my present state of awareness and that may peak your interest too.\n“What we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else. It is important to tell at least from time to time the secret of who we truly and fully are . . . because otherwise we run the risk of losing track of who we truly and fully are and little by little come to accept instead the highly edited version which we put forth in hope that the world will find it more acceptable than the real thing. It is important to tell our secrets too because it makes it easier . . . for other people to tell us a secret or two of their own . . . ” “Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace.” ","permalink":"/posts/buechner-quotes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Buechner-quotes/i-c6B6whX/0/MQgMHZLhMx8G6wv6jKqJ8NZ5MXLFcBkMWCb7mBQ2G/D/Buechner-Quotes-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Buechner Quotes 1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Buechner-Quotes-1-1024x589.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThere 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 \u0026ldquo;Frederick Buechner\u0026rdquo; 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 \u0026ldquo;rescuer\u0026rdquo; role, the quote resonated with me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Buechner Quotes"},{"content":"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck\nThis is the time of year when it\u0026rsquo;s easy to feel \u0026ldquo;down\u0026rdquo; 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\u0026rsquo;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.\nI was feeling very shut-in for the last week or so although I went out a few times. I found myself needing a quick lift and despite having lots of comfort food, hot tea, and lighted candles, my spirit was asking for something more. Florida or the Caribbean was not an option. I decided to revisit my collages and look through those where my body, soul, and spirit, were nourished by the memory of summer scenes.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2411\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Who has not dreamed a world of bliss on a bright, sunny noon like this?\n-- William Howitt[/caption]\nThis collage brought back wonderful warm memories of sitting out on the porch and walking in the garden when the roses were in bloom. Cali, my cat, loves being outside in the summer, as you can see.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2412\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Centre Island comprises 600 acres of parkland off the shore of downtown Toronto. Just a few minutes away by ferry, Centre Island is home to Centreville Amusement Park and other family-friendly attractions, loads of green space, bicycle paths, eateries and more.[/caption]\nOne of my favourite excursions in the summer is a visit to Centre Island. It\u0026rsquo;s not a long journey and yet one feels relaxed and happy from a visit there.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2413\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is a year-round entertainment complex that features live music and dance shows, family activities, food festivals and art exhibitions. Run by a non-profit organization, this 10-acre (4-hectare) waterfront complex hosts some 4,000 events a year in and around multipurpose venues. (Expedia)[/caption]\nWe went to Harbourfront in the early afternoon when it was sunny and bright and stayed there by the lake until it got late and the sun went down. It\u0026rsquo;s always a fun place to visit, day or night. Every weekend in the summer, Harbourfront features a cultural event which covers the music, food, and artifacts of a different country or area of the world. On this particular weekend, the South Asian Festival was on.\nAt Harbourfront, there are many boat cruises that one can go on and a variety of boats to choose from. There are lunch cruises and dinner cruises and some people even charter the boats for parties or events such as weddings. We went once on the Tall Ship \u0026ldquo;Kajama\u0026rdquo; for a birthday celebration after having a fabulous dim-sum lunch at \u0026ldquo;Pearl\u0026rdquo; right at Harbourfront. Seeing the pictures of the lake helps me to forget all the snow outside and to think, that in a few months, it will be possible to go and sit by the lake again.\nSummer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. -- Henry James\nIf the winter\u0026rsquo;s feeling a bit long for you or too cold, I hope these images have taken your mind off of the season for a while and perked your soul and spirit up. The bright orange/red flowers above are called \u0026ldquo;Ixora.\u0026rdquo;\nThink Spring!\n","permalink":"/posts/winter-blahs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Winter-blahs/i-KQtS55R/0/M4QJH5S6LqrQhDtPvPfr6NVq2jZv7qcWpPRpTJMpH/D/Winter-blahs-post-collage-icicles-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Winter blahs post collage (icicles)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Winter-blahs-post-collage-icicles-1024x589.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the time of year when it\u0026rsquo;s easy to feel \u0026ldquo;down\u0026rdquo; 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\u0026rsquo;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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Winter Blahs!"},{"content":"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden (Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe)\nAs 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\u0026rsquo;t so long ago when I began \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; and wasn\u0026rsquo;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 \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; a totally new look just before Christmas and is hosting this blog.\nWhen I decided to select ten collages and call them the \u0026ldquo;Top Ten Collages of 2014\u0026rdquo;, it was more an exercise in fun than anything else. Some of you may have liked and enjoyed other collages more than these. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy these as well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2367\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering \u0026lsquo;it will be happier\u0026rsquo;\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; - Alfred Tennyson[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Happy New Year\u0026rdquo; is on everyone\u0026rsquo;s lips these past few days and we are indeed all hoping for a happy one. On the threshold of this brand new year 2015, we are eager for change. If the past year was a good one, we hope the next will be even better and, if we had our share of sadness and disappointment, we are longing for a reprieve from that state. “_But now that so much is changing, isn\u0026rsquo;t it time for us to change? Couldn\u0026rsquo;t we try to gradually develop and slowly take upon ourselves, little by little, our part in the great task of love?\u0026quot; (Rainer Maria Rilke) O_ur family celebrated our birthdays in the Yorkville area of Toronto last summer and the above images were taken there.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2368\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; class=\u0026quot; \u0026ldquo;] Observe constantly that all things take place by change. (Marcus Aurelius)[/caption]\nNature is our best teacher. May we be as resilient as Nature and adapt to the changes that are ahead of us in the New Year 2015. I like the vibrancy of the colors in this collage and notice that whatever stage of change has taken place in the landscape, it is all very beautiful.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2378\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right..”― Oprah Winfrey[/caption]\nThis was from my post on East Indian jewelry which was completely experimental in that I took these images in the garden. I married my two passions - jewelry and flowers. I liked the combination and change was involved here.\nI like this collage because my friend, Inge, looks so happy, and I love the colors as well. Even clowns fall ill as she did just before Christmas. Illness reminds us that we are all very fragile even when our lives are moving along in a happy, orderly way. I did a post in the Fall on Inge called \u0026ldquo;A Caring Clown\u0026rdquo; and this is one of the collages from there. Sickness brings many changes and suffering as well. We need compassion for ourselves and others when these kinds of changes occur - often uninvited. Compassion is definitely something I need to cultivate more of in the New Year. \u0026ldquo;Everyone alive has suffered. It is the wisdom gained from our wounds and from our own experiences of suffering that makes us able to heal. Becoming expert has turned out to be less important than remembering and trusting the wholeness in myself and everyone else. Expertise cures, but wounded people can best be healed by other wounded people. Only other wounded people can understand what is needed, for the healing of suffering is compassion, not expertise.\u0026rdquo; (Rachel Naomi Remen) Fun in the New Year! If you haven\u0026rsquo; been to Ripley`s Aquarium of Canada yet, this could be one of your fun things to do. Having fun is a very important part of our task here. “In the end, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter how many breaths you take, but how many moments took your breath away.” (Shing Xiong). My son and I had a wonderful visit to the Aquarium at Easter time. When I touched the stingrays, I was a bit breathless!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2371\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] May your dreams ride on the wings of angels who know their way home to the skies.\n-- Anonymous[/caption]\nThis Ukrainian Orthodox wedding in August was rich with tradition. Dreams are a big part of what newly-wed couples hold in their hearts concerning their future together. On the threshold of 2015, we also hold many dreams and hopes in our own hearts for a bright and prosperous year ahead. As I went through the collages, this one struck me as being a definite ``Top Ten`` inclusion.\nAs this post is soon coming to its end, I should mention here that I quickly perused my collages for this year and chose the ones you see here - but not in any particular order. I was just looking for ten collages. The above is comprised of images I took on my visit to ROM Revealed (Royal Ontario Museum) earlier this year. I have many favorites from that visit as you can tell.\nLast, but not least, is the final in the \u0026ldquo;Top Ten of 2014.\u0026rdquo; These images were taken at a Lithuanian Independence Day Party at which most of the women were wearing beautiful amber (gintaras) jewelry from the Mother Country. I particularly loved the delicate setting of the large piece of amber that the lady on the left was wearing and how it matched her outfit.\nHope you liked all the collages!\nWhatever your New Year (2015) holds for you, may you be given the strength, courage, and resilience, for all the changing scenes of life. Happy New Year to you and yours!\n“For last year\u0026rsquo;s words belong to last year\u0026rsquo;s language And next year\u0026rsquo;s words await another voice.” (T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets) ","permalink":"/posts/top-ten-collages-of-2014/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Top-ten-collages-of-2014/i-rTsZBf3/0/LfJqDg2vKTmL9hHLCqVgPtmRDphD7mNQFgz5KPtBM/D/Mums-the-Word-Top-Ten-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Mum\u0026rsquo;s the Word (Top Ten 1)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Mums-the-Word-Top-Ten-1-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAs 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\u0026rsquo;t so long ago when I began \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; and wasn\u0026rsquo;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 \u0026ldquo;Late Blooms\u0026rdquo; a totally new look just before Christmas and is hosting this blog.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Top Ten Collages of 2014"},{"content":"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\u0026rsquo;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.\nMany churches and communities have \u0026ldquo;Blue Christmas Services\u0026rdquo; to address the reality of loneliness in people\u0026rsquo;s lives. Loss is a part of life and it can be difficult during the Season when everyone is saying: \u0026ldquo;Merry Christmas\u0026rdquo; to generate this merry feeling. We can try to be sensitive to those around us for whom this is a hard time of year. This would be in keeping with the Christmas spirit of giving and sharing. Our gifts don\u0026rsquo;t have to be store-bought but can be gifts of time, listening, and compassion.\nAs you\u0026rsquo;re reading this, your life\u0026rsquo;s getting shorter. Its ticking away. I\u0026rsquo;m not saying this to frighten you. Or even scare you. Though it may. I\u0026rsquo;m saying this to awaken you. To inspire you. To rise you out of your deep slumber. To really know you wont live forever. To share your unique gifts. To ignite your great inner fire. To ignite your great inner strength. To ignite your great inner light. To shine. Brightly shine. To awaken your great inner beauty. To motivate. Yourself and others. To love. Yourself and others. To paint. To write. To teach. To innovate. To sing. To dance. To care. To feel. To listen. To learn. To laugh. The clocks ticking. The world needs you. Make your move. The above quote is by Mike Litman and it may serve to be a motivating force to offer a part of yourself to someone in need during this Season.\nThe special magic of Christmas is it\u0026rsquo;s ability to bring back a child-like delight in our hearts for things, places, and people we had all but forgotten. Many grown children who don\u0026rsquo;t remember their families many times throughout the year, make special efforts to be with them at Christmas-time. They feel a certain nostalgia for home at this time. Our memories of Christmases past may be filled with happiness or loss, but can be a mixture of both as well. If it helps at all, for those who are lonely at this time, just remember the Christmas Story. Mary and Joseph were alone and had to make-do with what they had. They did not have the luxury of a hospital and medical personnel when Jesus was born. The inn-keeper was kind enough to give them a place in the barn.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2353\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Do give books – religious or otherwise – for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.”\n~ Lenore Hershey[/caption]\nA good book can be a good friend. We\u0026rsquo;re lucky that we have many fine libraries in Toronto and can find good books that we are able to borrow. I always have a stack of books waiting to be read and I like to give books as gifts. In fact, I bought several books to give as gifts to children this Christmas. Indigo in the Manulife Centre is my favorite book store. The children\u0026rsquo;s books in the above collage were taken in that store.\nA little sugar, a lot of spice,\nA woman shaped him … Oh so Nice,\nHe’s made of dough, and golden tan,\nThe closest thing to a perfect man. ~~~ Come sit at my table and share with me,\nWarm gingerbread cookies and cinnamon tea. ~~~ Fashioned in love was this special gift,\nsimply to give your heart a lift. ~~~ Gingerbread girls are the sweetest by far,\nstuffed to give where you are. ~~~ Gingerbread people are the sweetest things,\nand I wish you all the happiness this one brings.\nThe above collage with the gingerbread cookies is a special memory for me. Since these particular family members will not be here this Christmas, I looked back in my photos today and fondly remembered that special night decorating gingerbread cookies. This is also a good way to dispel any loneliness one may be feeling at this time. By remembering some very good time together, it\u0026rsquo;s easier to be happy and grateful for having had such a good time. Even if we are far away from loved ones at Christmas, the most important thing is to know that they are happy and they will be happy when they know that we are happy.\nHaving said all the above, it isn\u0026rsquo;t always easy to be happy during the Christmas Season. Good feelings can\u0026rsquo;t be bought in a store. If you can show some small act of kindness to someone going through a hard time this Christmas, please do! This will make your Christmas worthwhile.\nMerry Christmas!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2355\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control. We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then we can help.\nJan Schakowsky[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/christmas-loneliness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Christmas-loneliness/i-mpkNtgh/0/KN9QSDBn9PHpXJMHncQwmKs7qPnxKh3XscFHrZ7R4/D/Christmas-2014-with-Ellen-Burstyn-quote-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Christmas 2014 (with Ellen Burstyn quote)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Christmas-2014-with-Ellen-Burstyn-quote-1024x636.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAt 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\u0026rsquo;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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas Loneliness"},{"content":"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\u0026rsquo;s a fun place to visit. They have beautiful Christmas decor.\n“The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There\u0026rsquo;s a kind of glory to them when they\u0026rsquo;re all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.” ― Andy Rooney\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2330\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas time\u0026rsquo;s for dreaming\nThoughts of long ago…\nHolidays of childhood,\nMemories all aglow.\u0026ndash;Alice Kennelly Roberts (\u0026ldquo;Christmas Time Is…\u0026rdquo;)[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2332\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The world\u0026rsquo;s alive with Christmas joy!\nCome join the merry throng.\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll find upon your lips a smile,\nWithin your heart a song.\u0026ndash;Nadine Brothers Lybarger (\u0026ldquo;A Joyful Christmas\u0026rdquo;)[/caption]\nFor many, dance will be a big part of their Christmas celebrations. The well-loved \u0026ldquo;Nutcracker\u0026rdquo; will be performed in many venues all over the world during the Christmas Season. There will also be dancing at parties and gatherings with family and friends. It\u0026rsquo;s all part of the merriment and enjoyment of the holidays. The collage below has many ballet dancers.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2334\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Let that day be lost to us on which we did not dance once!\n--Friedrich Nietzsche[/caption]\nThe ornaments in the collage below are for those who prefer a more modern touch. They are beautiful in their own way and I\u0026rsquo;m sure many people decorate their trees with them.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2331\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There\u0026rsquo;s a beauty when it\u0026rsquo;s Christmas,\nAll the world is different then;\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no place for petty hatred\nIn the hearts and minds of men.\nThat is why my heart is happy\nAnd my mind can hold a dream,\nFor I keep a part of Christmas\nWith its peace and joy supreme\u0026ndash;Garnett Ann Schultz (\u0026ldquo;I Keep a Part of Christmas\u0026rdquo;)[/caption]\nThe last few years my Dad was around for Christmas, he was well aware of the passing of time and of each Christmas. After all the festivities on Christmas day, before he went up at night, he would say \u0026ldquo;another Christmas.\u0026rdquo; We do become more reflective as we grow older and we understand in a way that we didn\u0026rsquo;t when we were younger, that the time to enjoy is when we\u0026rsquo;re here. I find myself saying \u0026ldquo;another Christmas\u0026rdquo; myself now before I go up - even if I don\u0026rsquo;t voice it to anyone. It\u0026rsquo;s with gratitude.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2338\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This Christmas, celebrate the season as though it were your last. One day, you\u0026rsquo;ll be right.\u0026ndash;Kathleen M. Carroll (A Catholic Christmas)[/caption]\nWhether you have a big Christmas tree or small one, or none at all, may you have a blessed and joyous Christmas whatever you do. Whatever your Christmas ornaments look like, they are yours to enjoy. Enjoy every Christmas moment and surround yourself with those who want to sing, dance, and enjoy life. Every moment is precious.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2339\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; class=\u0026quot; \u0026ldquo;] Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you\u0026rsquo;re going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.\nAnne Lamott[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/christmas-tree-decorations/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOne 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\u0026rsquo;s a fun place to visit.  They have beautiful Christmas decor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e“The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There\u0026rsquo;s a kind of glory to them when they\u0026rsquo;re all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.”\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e― Andy Rooney\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas Tree Decorations"},{"content":"\nToronto\u0026rsquo;s Allan Gardens is worth a visit over the holidays. As you can see from the above collage, the theme this year is musical. There\u0026rsquo;s someone playing a piano and to the right, there\u0026rsquo;s another musician with a bass instrument. \u0026ldquo;During the Victorian Christmas Show, the conservatory is decorated and filled with thousands of flowering plants and over 40 different varieties of poinsettias. The opening on the first Sunday in December features Christmas carollers, horse and wagon rides, hot apple cider and freshly baked cookies. The show runs until the end of December and the conservatory is opened late on weekends and can be viewed by candlelight.\u0026rdquo; (Wikipedia)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2300\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart\u0026hellip;filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.\u0026ndash;Bess Streeter Aldrich (Song of Years)[/caption]\nOn the opposite side of the musicians in the first collage were these ladies who I want to believe were the singers. Christmas carolling and music is a big part of Christmas celebrations everywhere. This is my interpretation of the display I saw there as there weren\u0026rsquo;t any handouts about what the gardeners/artists actually had in mind. As you can see from the pictures, their attire was florally beautiful. \u0026quot;In Victorian England there was a tradition in which groups of singers traveled from house to house, singing carols or songs, for which they were often rewarded with money, mince pies, or a glass of a warm drink. Often money was collected and given to charity. Earlier Christmas caroling was known as wassailing.\u0026quot; (Victoriana.com)\nThe other way to view this part of the display is to think that this is a fine Concert Hall and that this musical group is putting on a Christmas Concert. They are certainly dressed for the part, don\u0026rsquo;t you think? On the same side with the ladies and behind them was a male performer. This collage also gives glimpses of other parts of the Conservatory. There were poinsettias of all species and colors intermingled with the other greenhouse plants, as well as hanging baskets. It was a riot of Christmas colour.\nDecorating at home\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_4963\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] The legend of the poinsettia comes from Mexico. It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo. They were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival. Each year a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties. The two children loved Christmas, but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents. They especially wished that they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing.\nOne Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. Of course they were teased by other children when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers and so we see them today.\n(just4kidsmagazine.com)[/caption]\nAt home, I love decorating with poinsettias too. If you don\u0026rsquo;t put up any other decorations for Christmas, a few poinsettias will bring joy and the feeling of Christmas into your heart and home. The small poinsettia arrangement above is my own. A few branches fell off some plants we bought and I put them in a small container with a few pieces of Christmas greenery. They made me so happy!\nAll three carollers/performers are together in this collage and lots of greenery and red bows are draped around the windows and doors. There\u0026rsquo;s even a Christmas tree draped with red. It was a good time.\nThis collage shows a part of the Allan Gardens Conservatory. \u0026quot;Allan Gardens (founded in 1858) is one of the oldest parks in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has a conservatory (greenhouse), a playground and two fenced off-leash areas for dogs. It is operated by Toronto Parks who also run Centennial Park Conservatory. It is open every day of the year and is free.\u0026quot; (Wikipedia)\nHope you enjoyed your visit to Allan Gardens with me! Merry Christmas!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2312\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas\u0026ndash;that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance\u0026ndash;a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.\u0026ndash;Augusta E. Rundel[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/a-victorian-christmas-at-allan-gardens/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/A-victorian-christmas-at-allan-gardens/i-HHtmMhT/0/LX9XxLQmKkmXVkGgJt9BN65Lf8f5kchRdkFHWxzjt/D/Allan-Gardens-Christmas-Display-Blog-6-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Allan Gardens Christmas Display (Blog 6)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Allan-Gardens-Christmas-Display-Blog-6-1024x579.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToronto\u0026rsquo;s Allan Gardens is worth a visit over the holidays.   As you can see from the above collage, the theme this year is musical.  There\u0026rsquo;s someone playing a piano and to the right, there\u0026rsquo;s another musician with a bass instrument.  \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;During the Victorian Christmas Show, the conservatory is decorated and filled with thousands of flowering plants and over 40 different varieties of poinsettias.  The opening on the first Sunday in December features Christmas carollers, horse and wagon rides, hot apple cider and freshly baked cookies. The show runs until the end of December and the conservatory is opened late on weekends and can be viewed by candlelight.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e  (Wikipedia)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Victorian Christmas at Allan Gardens"},{"content":"Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion. -Ralph Sockman\nIt\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to see the Christmas lights and decorations around Toronto as the big day approaches. Toronto\u0026rsquo;s City Hall Square is ablaze with lights and many skaters were on the rink the evening I was there. \u0026ldquo;Located in front of City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square is an events landmark in the centre of the city. During the summer, the square is in motion daily, with people watching concerts and dance performances, viewing art at outdoor exhibitions, shopping for fresh produce at the farmers’ market one afternoon a week, attending weekly children’s events or sitting mesmerized by the fountain, eating lunch. The Peace Garden is a small green haven in the square, ideal for quiet contemplation or reading. In the winter months, the reflecting pool becomes a skating rink, with skates available for rental. Ice skating during the winter months runs from mid-November to mid-March each year.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2286\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Buddy: I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands.[/caption]\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re going to go ice-skating over the holidays, Nathan Phillips Square would be a good choice as you can see from the collages.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2287\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!” ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol[/caption]\nAlthough I no longer frequent malls now as much as I used to, I have to admit it was fun to see all the decorations in the Eaton Centre. That \u0026ldquo;childlike\u0026rdquo; delight in the lights and decorations still remains with me - the \u0026ldquo;wonder\u0026rdquo; of the Season.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2289\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace. ~Agnes M. Pahro[/caption]\nChristmas greenery and real Christmas trees were all part of the Christmas scenery in the Centre. \u0026ldquo;Evergreens were a symbol of rebirth from ancient times. Egyptians brought green palm branches into their homes on the winter solstice as a symbol of life\u0026rsquo;s triumph over death. The Romans decorated with evergreens during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of their god of agriculture. In Northern Europe the pagans observed the Soltice festival of Jul - a two month feast beginning in November with prickly pine branches hung around around doorways and windows to keep away demonic spirits. But the sacred trees of the druids and norsemen were deciduous oaks, not evergreen conifers.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2290\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Let Christmas not become a thing\nMerely of merchant\u0026rsquo;s trafficking,\nOf tinsel, bell and holly wreath\nAnd surface pleasure, but beneath\nThe childish glamour, let us find\nNourishment for soul and mind.\nLet us follow kinder ways\nThrough our teeming human maze,\nAnd help the age of peace to come\nFrom a Dreamer\u0026rsquo;s martyrdom.\n~Madeline Morse[/caption]\nThe above collage shows what Christmas at Holt Renfrew looks like!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2291\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\nChristmas — that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance — a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved. ~Augusta E. Rundel[/caption]\nWilliams-Sonoma is a fine cookware store and when I stopped by in there last Saturday, I took these images. I had some nice hot apple cider while I was there.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2292\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before… .What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching God’s [back] fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.”\nJan L. Richardson, Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas[/caption]Last Sunday, November 30th, was the first Sunday in Advent. My friend, who is German, had an Advent party. All four candles of the Advent wreath were lit as is her custom, and there was a lot of good food to eat and drink.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2295\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.[/caption]\nThere\u0026rsquo;s always Jagermeister at her parties.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2296\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree!\nThy leaves are so unchanging\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nThy leaves are so unchanging\nNot only green when summer\u0026rsquo;s here,\nBut also when it\u0026rsquo;s cold and drear.\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nThy leaves are so unchanging!\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nSuch pleasure do you bring me!\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nSuch pleasure do you bring me!\nFor every year this Christmas tree,\nBrings to us such joy and glee.\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nSuch pleasure do you bring me!\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll never be unchanging!\nA symbol of goodwill and love\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll ever be unchanging\nEach shining light\nEach silver bell\nNo one alive spreads cheer so well\nOh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll ever be unchanging.[/caption]\nThe most beautiful Christmas tree I\u0026rsquo;ve seen so far for this season is the one in the above collage. This one stands in the lobby of the King Edward Hotel where some friends and I had the Nutcracker Tea a few days ago.\nThese are some of the sights and signs of Christmas in Toronto as I captured and experienced them. Hope you enjoyed.\n","permalink":"/posts/christmas-in-toronto/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChristmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion. -Ralph Sockman\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Christmas-in-toronto/i-65vDHJs/0/L6CvWkGDJm6vVGwR2zntXJRf93p9PSngmBxpNCmx3/D/December-2014-Lighting-Up-in-the-Square-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"December 2014 Lighting Up in the Square\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/December-2014-Lighting-Up-in-the-Square-1024x620.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to see the Christmas lights and decorations around Toronto as the big day approaches.  Toronto\u0026rsquo;s City Hall Square is ablaze with lights and many skaters were on the rink the evening I was there.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eLocated in front of City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square is an events landmark in the centre of the city. During the summer, the square is in motion daily, with people watching concerts and dance performances, viewing art at outdoor exhibitions, shopping for fresh produce at the farmers’ market one afternoon a week, attending weekly children’s events or sitting mesmerized by the fountain, eating lunch. The Peace Garden is a small green haven in the square, ideal for quiet contemplation or reading. In the winter months, the reflecting pool becomes a skating rink, with skates available for rental.  Ice skating during the winter months runs from mid-November to mid-March each year.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas in Toronto"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2276\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens[/caption]\nI had never expected to be as doting towards my cat as I am. Whether that is due to my never having had a cat before or to needing the companionship of a cat at my age, I don\u0026rsquo;t know. When I saw Cali comfortably sleeping in all these different poses, I had to grab my camera and take these images. I found a lovely poem on sleeping cats which I\u0026rsquo;m going to share with you below.\nCats\nCats sleep, anywhere, Any table, any chair Top of piano, window-ledge, In the middle, on the edge, Open drawer, empty shoe, Anybody\u0026rsquo;s lap will do, Fitted in a cardboard box, In the cupboard, with your frocks- Anywhere! They don\u0026rsquo;t care! Cats sleep anywhere.\nElanor Farjeon (1881-1965)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2277\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\na poem from\nOLD POSSUM\u0026rsquo;S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS\nThe Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,\nIt isn\u0026rsquo;t just one of your holiday games;\nYou may think at first I\u0026rsquo;m mad as a hatter\nWhen I tell you a cat must have\nTHREE DIFFERENT NAMES.\nFirst of all, there\u0026rsquo;s the name\nthat the family use daily,\nSuch as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,\nSuch as Victor or Jonathan, George, Bill Bailey \u0026ndash; All of them sensible everyday names.\nThere are fancier names\nif you think they sound sweeter,\nSome for the gentlemen, some for the dames;\nSuch as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter \u0026ndash; But all of them sensible everyday names.\nBut I tell you,\na cat needs a name that\u0026rsquo;s particular,\nA name that\u0026rsquo;s peculiar, and more dignified,\nElse how can he keep his tail perpendicular,\nOr spread out his whiskers,\nor cherish his pride?\nOf names of this kind I can give you a quorum,\nSuch as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat\nSuch as Bambalurina or else Jellylorum \u0026ndash; Names that never belong to more than one cat.\nBut above and beyond\nthere\u0026rsquo;s still one name left over,\nAnd that is the name that you will not guess;\nThe name no human research can discover \u0026ndash; But the CAT HIMSELF KNOWS,\nand will never confess.\nWhen you notice a cat in profound meditation,\nThe reason, I tell you, is always the same.\nHis mind is engaged in rapt contemplation\nOf the thought,\nOf the thought,\nOf the thought of his name:\nHis ineffable effable\nEffanineffable\nDeep and inscrutable singular name.\n- T. S. Eliot, \u0026ldquo;The Naming of Cats\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\nMy cat is a Calico and her name is Cali. She knows her name because when I call her, she wags her tail. She\u0026rsquo;s adorable especially when she\u0026rsquo;s sleeping. You can see how cute she is from the pictures. Calico is not a breed of cat but a species.\nA bit of trivia here: There is a Calico Cat Teahouse in Nanaimo, B.C. This is what their website says about them.\nThe Calico Cat Tea House is Nanaimo\u0026rsquo;s premier tea house. Originally built in 1910, this character home has an exquisite charm all of its own; you\u0026rsquo;ll even find the original stained glass windows and fireplace. You are invited by the proprietor, Heather Frank, to come and enjoy warm hospitality, exquisite homemade food and even have your tea leaves read by one of our professional tea leaf readers! And, if you\u0026rsquo;re really lucky, you might even get a glimpse of our friendly ghost!\nTea Leaf Readings One aspect of the Calico Cat Tea House that keeps our loyal customers coming back time and time again are our insightful, world-class Tea Leaf Readers. Choose a 10, 20 or 30 minute reading with one of our experienced readers and then enjoy a delicious meal to cap off the visit. Our Tea Leaf Readings are very popular, so we do recommend you phone ahead and make reservations! We also offerDinner Parties, please phone for details.\nA Bite to Eat What would a Tea House be without wonderful food? We aim to impress and our wonderful kitchen staff and team of servers is proof of that. Whether you\u0026rsquo;re enjoying one of our heartyAfternoon Tea for Two, a delicious scone (a perennial favourite!) or any other selection from our menu, full of soups, salads, sandwiches, crepes and more, you\u0026rsquo;re sure to leave satisfied. Choose from over a dozen different types of tea while you enjoy your meal and Tea Leaf Reading and afterwards why not top everything off with a home-cooked desert from our always popular desert menu!\nThis place sounds nice but there\u0026rsquo;s no mention of any calico cats there - too bad! We\u0026rsquo;ll just have to be content with my precious Cali now.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2278\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cali\u0026rsquo;s wide awake here.[/caption]\nCat Kisses\nSandpaper kisses On a cheek or a chin - That is the way for a day to begin!\nSandpaper kisses A cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock That\u0026rsquo;s covered in fur!\nAuthor Unknown\nHope you enjoyed \u0026ldquo;A Sleeping Calico.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/a-sleeping-calico/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2276\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/A-sleeping-calico/i-9BCnKf2/0/L7BKDnVvWSgnr4JsP43zK7MndhdGSQnhG6GPrWzV3/D/Cali-Sleeping-post-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Cali-Sleeping-post-1024x581.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had never expected to be as doting towards my cat as I am.  Whether that is due to my never having had a cat before or to needing the companionship of a cat at my age, I don\u0026rsquo;t know.  When I saw Cali comfortably sleeping in all these different poses, I had to grab my camera and take these images.  I found a lovely poem on sleeping cats which I\u0026rsquo;m going to share with you below.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Sleeping Calico"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2261\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider\u0026rsquo;s web. ~Pablo Picasso[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s almost thirty years since I\u0026rsquo;ve been living across the street from a talented and gifted artist who is not only a neighbor but a friend. Ingrid Whitaker\u0026rsquo;s paintings, pottery, ceramic sculptures, and mosaics, have been an inspiration to me. Many artists specialize in one medium but Ingrid is truly an all-rounder. The images in the above collage were taken at the Bloor West Village Art Tour at which Ingrid was an exhibitor.\nIngrid has taught Art and exhibited in both Canada and Europe. She and her husband lived three years in Switzerland recently and travelled extensively in Europe during that time. In the above collage, the two images on the right depict European scenes. Many of Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s paintings since living in Europe depict the architecture and street life she saw there.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2263\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] A mosaic artist works to create art from small pieces of tile, glass, or stone. This sort of artist may create mosaics from original ideas or from a client’s specifications. Some mosaic artists might also work to preserve and restore ancient mosaic artwork found in ancient churches and other buildings. Before any tiles or chips can be laid, a mosaic artist must first get an idea of how he wants the finished piece to look. In order to do this, he will usually draw or sketch his design beforehand on a piece of paper. That design can then be drawn on the object that will be covered with tiles. If the object that is to be covered with tiles is flat, a mosaic artist will also usually lay the tiles on the surface to ensure that they fit properly and look right. When preparing the tiles, some may need to be cut or snipped. This is usually done to make smaller or specifically shaped pieces. Mosaic artists usually use special tools for this task, including glass cutters and tile nippers.\n(The Art Career Project)[/caption]\nAren\u0026rsquo;t the above mosaics beautiful? I took these images at the Bloor West Village Art Tour. Ingrid has been kind enough to lend me her tile nippers on occasion. Seeing her mosaics inspired me to try doing mosaics. Anything artistic that I have tried my hand at has come from knowing her and seeing her art work.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2260\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” (Michelangelo)[/caption]\nMy pictures don\u0026rsquo;t do justice to these ceramic sculptures but, hopefully, they give you the idea of the size and artistry that\u0026rsquo;s involved here. \u0026ldquo;Sculptures are three-dimensional pieces of art that is finished on all sides because they are seen from all angles. This makes this art form different from paintings and other finished art products. Clay sculptures are made on a potter’s wheel and must be finished in an oven. The figure or form is hollowed out because a solid, thick piece of clay will not harden in the oven. Typically, clay is about one-half of an inch thick on all parts of the sculpture. This makes the item somewhat strong and durable.\u0026rdquo; (Ceramic Sculpture) These sculptures look very strong and durable but I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t want to knock them over. They are so beautiful!\nI own the above pieces of Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s art work. The vase and milk jug are precious to me for personal reasons. When my father died in 2000, Ingrid made the lovely vase and brought it over a few days after the funeral which she attended. It is in memory of my father and she printed that on the bottom and put his name on there too. Whenever I put flowers in there, I remember my father and I remember her kindness and her thoughtfulness in making this loving gesture to me at this time of loss.\nAs for the milk jug, there is a story behind that too. In 1992, a few months after my mother died, there was a big show at a Gallery where some of Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s work was on display. This show took place inside and outside the Gallery space and displayed the work of many artists. Ingrid invited me to go along with her because she thought it would be nice for me to have an evening out. She told me it would be very pretty when it got dark and the garden was lit up - and it was. This was a wonderful display of care and kindness to me since I hadn\u0026rsquo;t been going many places since my Mum died.\nThere were many beautiful pieces of Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s work there and I was thrilled to see the work of the other artists as well. The milk jug was one of the smaller items on display that Ingrid made and I decided to buy it. I liked the fish on it. At home, we immediately started to put our bags of milk in there and threw out the plastic container we used previously. We have enjoyed using it since 1992. It\u0026rsquo;s nice to have fine things to use in one\u0026rsquo;s own home every day.\nAs for the bowl, this item was bought at last year\u0026rsquo;s Bloor West Village Art Tour. It is for my son and his wife but they are presently residing in England and haven\u0026rsquo;t been able to take it with them yet. They were here last Christmas and we used it as our salad bowl on Christmas day. Bowl isn\u0026rsquo;t printed on it. The color and the designs on it were what caught my eye.\nIngrid also had cards for her last show. The above two were my favorites. These cards are sitting on the ledge above the fireplace in my home. The one to the right with the wintry scene is of a painting she did last winter on a snowy day. She is looking across the street to the house she can see from her window and this is the view she has. My own house shows slightly to the right. The original painting was sold and Ingrid had to paint another one for the neighbors who wanted to buy it.\nI\u0026rsquo;m very fortunate to have such a talented and gifted artist close to me who is a wonderful role model, neighbor, and friend. I think that Emile Zola\u0026rsquo;s quote sums up what I want to say in this post about Ingrid: \u0026ldquo;The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you enjoyed this post and the collages! I was snooping around today in Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s garden and on her porch and took the images in the collage below. From my front window, I can see some of the pottery that she has out and it\u0026rsquo;s easy to tell that this home belongs to an artist. Looking forward to all Ingrid\u0026rsquo;s future shows, tours, and exhibitions.\n","permalink":"/posts/an-artist-friend-and-neighbor/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2261\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/An-artist-friend-and-neighbor/i-hDtJSzn/0/MPVw9CzxQchBGWjsCCf5R9j57rtZxBwhPsx4rJ9ZC/D/Ingrids-Art-Show-3-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider\u0026rsquo;s web. ~Pablo Picasso \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Ingrids-Art-Show-3-1024x606.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider\u0026rsquo;s web. ~Pablo Picasso[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An Artist Friend and Neighbor"},{"content":"Romance is one of the sacred temples that dot the landscape of life. (Marianne Williamson)\nA friend and I were in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Distillery District for the production \u0026ldquo;A Tender Thing\u0026rdquo; at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. As we made our way to the theatre, we came across a wedding party dotting the landscape replete with their umbrellas, as it was a rainy afternoon. What occasion speaks more about romance than a wedding?\nAfter the performance, we came across a couple kissing right in front of Archeo Restaurant and my friend said \u0026ldquo;no kissing\u0026rdquo; jokingly to them. The gentleman turned around and said \u0026ldquo;we have to kiss because today is our 25th wedding anniverary.\u0026rdquo; He\u0026rsquo;s wearing a red shirt and romantically kissing his wife. Romance is alive and well in some quarters of Toronto. Isn\u0026rsquo;t that nice?\nArcheo Trattoria is a fine Italian restaurant and I myself attended a beautiful wedding there which was a very romantic affair. \u0026quot;****Love doesn\u0026rsquo;t make the world go round, Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.\u0026quot; (Franklin P. Jones) The food was exquisite and the next collage gives you the picture.\nRomance itself has undergone many changes as have other things in life. I find it interesting that the younger people in romantic relationships definitely see themselves as equals and want to share and share alike. Many romantic relationships and what people called \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; in a bygone era were not evenly weighed. In Soul Stories by Gary Zukav, he describes what most couples today want. This bodes well for \u0026ldquo;romance\u0026rdquo; and keeping \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; alive - whether it\u0026rsquo;s in the Distillery District or any other place.\n\u0026hellip; The new female and the new male are partners on a journey of spiritual growth. They want to make the journey. Their love and trust keep them together. Their intuition guides them. They consult with each other. They are friends. They laugh a lot. They are equals.\nThat is what a spiritual partnership is: a partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth. Hope you enjoyed this post and here\u0026rsquo;s to \u0026ldquo;romance\u0026rdquo; everywhere!\n","permalink":"/posts/romance/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomance is one of the sacred temples that dot the landscape of life. (Marianne Williamson)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Romance/i-FTvdxZM/0/MsvT9wDNHPwSqvgKchrm5nFgT3xdHW7qWCFmTdnBC/D/Romance-for-blog-post-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Romance (for blog post)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Romance-for-blog-post-1024x587.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA friend and I were in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Distillery District for the production \u0026ldquo;A Tender Thing\u0026rdquo; at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.  As we made our way to the theatre, we came across a wedding party dotting the landscape replete with their umbrellas, as it was a rainy afternoon.  What occasion speaks more about romance than a wedding?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Romance in the Distillery District"},{"content":"Success is one of those abstract concepts that affect our lives in a myriad number of ways from cradle to grave. Depending on our upbringing, education, economic circumstances, social relationships, and life experiences, we hold many different views of what it is to be successful in life. As children, we mainly view success with regard to how we perform in school. How we perform then continues to be the yardstick to measure success in life.\nOn the occasion of the major success of a family member, I handed over a copy of a poem called \u0026ldquo;Success\u0026rdquo; by Nivedita Chatterjee to the celebrant. This was at the end of the evening when all the celebrating was over. I was fortunate to find it on the internet and I felt that it offered a very sobering definition of success and one that the graduate might want to keep in mind. You will find it below the next collage.\nIf I were to be not myself, then I would rather not want this success,If I were to unlearn all my values and principles, then what is the use of learning the tactics of this success, If I were to barter the blissful moments with my loved ones, for this maddening race, then I would prefer, this success, to not to be chased. If my smile and emotions have to be fake, then I would rather not socialize just for the heck (of it) . Yes, it is important even for me to have success, The realization of aspirations is what is my success. The utilization of skills and tapping of potential, is what is my success.. The zeal to learn and always wanting to improve, is what is my success.. To compete with none but myself, is what is my success.. The satisfaction of giving and contributing, is my success.. I want this success and am moving only towards this SUCCESS! ! Nivedita Chatterjee Since my blog is a photo blog and the topic of success is an abstract concept, I decided to use images that I took at the Ripley\u0026rsquo;s Aquarium in Toronto. It is fitting too in that the graduate in question and I spent a wonderful time here at the Aquarium - the one I shared the \u0026ldquo;Success\u0026rdquo; poem with. We even got to touch the stingrays.\nHope you enjoyed the collages and that the poem gives you some room for thought.\n","permalink":"/posts/success/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Success/i-sB8DtPT/0/KTQQzmvBw2xdhXSqGcVmT7nD6srPx6pX428N3NdCj/D/Aquarium-for-Success-Poem-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Aquarium (for Success Poem)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Aquarium-for-Success-Poem-1024x582.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eSuccess is one of those abstract concepts that affect our lives in a myriad number of ways from cradle to grave.  Depending on our upbringing, education, economic circumstances, social relationships, and life experiences, we hold many different views of what it is to be successful in life.  As children, we mainly view success with regard to how we perform in school.  How we perform  then continues to be the yardstick to measure success in life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Success"},{"content":"Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend in Toronto. However, I was in Niagara Falls last evening and it was very pretty and cold as well. As you can see from the above collage, the snowfall we had yesterday stayed on some of the branches of the trees there and gave that white, picturesque, wintry scene. And who isn\u0026rsquo;t dreaming of a white Christmas? To top it all off, the Show at Fallsview last night by Kenny Rogers was half his hit tunes and half Christmas music. That got me right into the Christmas spirit. He sang \u0026ldquo;Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,\u0026rdquo; as well as many other favorite hits. All the decor in the collages are images that I took in the Christmas store at Niagara. There were many people hustling and bustling in there trying to take in the sights of Christmas and many serious shoppers as well. As far as Christmas decor goes, there is decor in every color, size, and shape. You don\u0026rsquo;t need to worry these days that you will run out of ideas for decorating your tree or home. The above ornaments are all pink as you can see. This Christmas tree was one of my favorite ones there. I will be adding other collages over the next little while to this post. For now, I will just share the lyrics to \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas\u0026rdquo; with you. Perhaps you are having your own little epiphanies wherever you are about the onset of the Christmas Holidays. Watch out for the other collages!\nIt\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Everywhere you go; Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again With candy canes and silver lanes aglow. It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Toys in every store But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be On your own front door.\nA pair of hopalong boots and a pistol that shoots Is the wish of Barney and Ben; Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk Is the hope of Janice and Jen; And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again. School days school days dear old golden rules day don\u0026rsquo;t have to study don\u0026rsquo;t have to go look out the window it\u0026rsquo;s starting to snow\nIt\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas\nEverywhere you go;\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well,\nThe sturdy kind that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mind the snow.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas;\nSoon the bells will start,\nAnd the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing\nRight within your heart.\nWhen we think of Christmas, the colors red and green flash in our minds immediately. They are lovely colors and brighten our spirits when December is upon us and it is wintry and cold outside. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know the origin behind the use of these colors and decided to find out. There are different stories about this but I liked this one particularly. It comes from Sensational Color which is internet-based:\nPINE GREEN \u0026amp; APPLE RED\nI think the most likely root of the red and green tradition dates back to the 1300s when Adam and Eve’s Day was celebrated on December 24th. Each year on this day churches traditionally presented a Paradise Play depicting the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.\nNow you can’t have a story about Adam and Eve without an apple tree but since it wasn’t easy to find a real tree full of ripe, red apples during the winter apples someone came up with the idea of fastening apples to the branches of a pine tree. This decorated pine tree represented the Tree of Good and Evil. But the tree wasn’t only seen in the play. Churches began adding a tree donning red apples into their Christmas displays.\nThe decorated tree that began as a prop for the Paradise play was so popular especially in Germany, that people began to put pine trees up in their homes during the holiday, decorating them with red apples, as the church folks had done and the tradition of having a Christmas treee was born.\nThe idea spread and both Christmas trees and the color combination of red and green were well on its way to becoming official symbols of the Christmas holiday.\nHave a very Merry Christmas!\nIsn\u0026rsquo;t that a lovely story about the origin of using red and green at Christmas time?\nAs I left the Fallsview Casino, I saw some staff just putting up one of the indoor trees. The huge outdoor tree is standing but has not yet been lit up. I can\u0026rsquo;t wait to see how pretty they will look when they are all decorated. The Christmas card in the right hand corner is one I made and recently sent to someone special in Colombia. As you can tell, preparations are well underway for Christmas 2014.\nHow about ballet dancer ornaments?\nOr do you fancy peacock colored ones?\nWhat would Christmas be without the angels?\n“The earth has grown old with its burden of care but at Christmas it always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung.” (Phillip Brooks) That\u0026rsquo;s all for \u0026ldquo;Looking like Christmas\u0026rdquo; and hope you liked the collages.\nBi Toronto. Going to see this ballet is a Christmas tradition for many families. This may be the reason why ballet dancer ornaments are so popular for many at Christmas. In the above collage, you can see some of the lovely ornaments\n","permalink":"/posts/looking-like-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Looking-like-christmas/i-mTpNMrg/0/NBJSGmsc6GTXg2z3v8bFkMK35j4b8kpBHGTCfg2XP/D/Niagara-Falls-Beginning-to-Look-Like-Christmas-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Niagara Falls (Beginning to Look Like Christmas)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Niagara-Falls-Beginning-to-Look-Like-Christmas-1024x590.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eSanta Claus is coming to town this weekend in Toronto.  However, I was in Niagara Falls last evening and it was very pretty and cold as well.   As you can see from the above collage, the snowfall we had yesterday stayed on some of the branches of the trees there and gave that white,  picturesque, wintry scene.  And who isn\u0026rsquo;t dreaming of a white Christmas? To top it all off, the Show at Fallsview last night by Kenny Rogers was half his hit tunes and half Christmas music.  That got me right into the Christmas spirit.  He sang \u0026ldquo;Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,\u0026rdquo; as well as many other favorite hits. \u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Looking-like-christmas/i-xWTVZVp/0/NG425FGTN3p54sg3ww8PzzNqrTmfFNbFbJtgH89Ks/D/Niagara-Falls-Christmas-Vignette-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Niagara Falls \u0026amp; Christmas (Vignette)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Niagara-Falls-Christmas-Vignette-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e All the decor in the collages are images that I took in the Christmas store at Niagara. There were many people hustling and bustling in there trying to take in the sights of Christmas and many serious shoppers as well. \u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Looking-like-christmas/i-gdZhbSQ/0/NcfcD8nsZX6cPtdMPm848zPGHKLqvP4PLcKXKkKLb/D/Niagara-Falls-Pink-Decor-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Niagara Falls (Pink Decor)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Niagara-Falls-Pink-Decor-1024x591.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAs far as Christmas decor goes, there is decor in every color, size, and shape.  You don\u0026rsquo;t need to worry these days that you will run out of ideas for decorating your tree or home.  The above ornaments are all pink as you can see.  This Christmas tree was one of my favorite ones there. I will be adding other collages over the next little while to this post.  For now, I will just share the lyrics to \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas\u0026rdquo; with you.  Perhaps you are having your own little epiphanies wherever you are about the onset of the Christmas Holidays.  Watch out for the other collages!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Looking like Christmas!"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;The arrival of a good clown exercises a more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than of twenty asses laden with drugs.\u0026rdquo; ~ Thomas Sydenham\nThe above photo is of my friend, Inge, who is eighty-six years young and a graduate of Ryerson\u0026rsquo;s Caring Clown Program. The photo is not mine but was one that Ryerson used on their 2013 Brochure for the Program.\nFor several years Inge\u0026rsquo;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.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2199\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Caring Clowns are a new breed of clown - \u0026ldquo;where it\u0026rsquo;s not so much about donning a funny costume or wearing a lot of heavy makeup, or even doing clever tricks. It\u0026rsquo;s more about the care you feel in your heart. And the love and compassion you share with others.\u0026rdquo;\n~ Lynda Del Grande, retired teacher and Caring Clown[/caption]\nThe above photos are mine and the right moment and time did come lately when Inge spoke about being a Caring Clown and was dressed up right in front of us - at ACT II Studio. \u0026ldquo;ACT II STUDIO is a theatre school and creative drama centre for older adults, 50 plus. It is part of the Seniors Education Programs in the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University. ACT II STUDIO has a history of developing socially relevant drama.\u0026rdquo;\nIt was a very special time for me as I admire Inge very much for her \u0026ldquo;joie de vivre.\u0026rdquo; She told us that she is a Hawaiian clown - wearing a muumuu, and Hawaiian leis around her neck and as her head-dress. She also wears a lovely bracelet and with her red nose and beautiful, warm smile, she\u0026rsquo;s a picture of beauty.\nCaring clowns are not scary. They play many different roles in the Long-Term Care Homes that they visit. Inge told me us that as soon as they arrive on the floor, they start singing the well-known song \u0026ldquo;When you\u0026rsquo;re smiling, when you\u0026rsquo;re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.\u0026rdquo; She invited us the audience to join with her in the singing at Ryerson that day. She told some stories of her actual experiences with patients in these facilities and while there are some patients who are easily responsive, there are those who are very hard to reach. It is challenging in many ways but she finds it to be very rewarding.\nThe above images were taken at Inge\u0026rsquo;s apartment where we shared in a more relaxed manner about the Clowning Program and she allowed me to look at some of her course material. One of her hand-outs \u0026ldquo;What is a caring Clown?\u0026rdquo; had this to say: \u0026ldquo;Caring Clowns have the ability to transform every day situations into a world of play and make believe. Connecting with their inner child, they engage in imaginative and spontaneous interactions and fun. Personal relationships are the essence of the work of a Caring Clown. By improvising moment by moment they treat each person, situation, time and place as unique. Most of all, Caring Clowns have a tradition of sharing their joy with everyone. It\u0026rsquo;s from this shared joy that makes their work therapeutic and healing.\u0026rdquo; (Lynda Del Grande, Caring Clown Program, 50+ Programs, Chang School, Ryerson University)\nI asked Inge what made her want to take theatrical courses at Ryerson. She shared with me how she wrote her first play in a refugee camp when she was seventeen years old and had it performed there as well. It was a huge success. In that same camp, she formed a choir and conducted it. As you can tell, there was always an actress inside of her since she was very young. She has taken courses in Ryerson\u0026rsquo;s Theatre Department for the last twelve years.\nPart of Inge\u0026rsquo;s program dealt with gerontological information on aging and dementia. It is inspiring to me that at the age of eighty-six, Inge is \u0026ldquo;ministering\u0026rdquo; to so many others both in her personal life and with ACT II. She holds the most beautiful parties at her apartment and at Christmas-time, she sometimes has about nine parties. She invites different groups over because she wears so many different hats and knows so many different people. I was once at a party she gave for her theatre group and recognized many faces at ACT II that day.\nLast year, Inge walked 1 km and raised over one thousand dollars for \u0026ldquo;The Toronto Challenge.\u0026rdquo; This is a fund-raising event organized by Toronto Long-Term Care Homes and Services. The money is raised for community agencies that improve the quality of life for older adults. Ryerson University\u0026rsquo;s Caring Clowns are a big part of this event. \u0026ldquo;Our clown presence is healing, empowering, and uplifting.\u0026rdquo; (Audrey Lowitz, Graduate, Caring Clown Program)\nThe above image was the cover of the Program for Inge\u0026rsquo;s Graduation which she shared with me. It\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to have a friend who\u0026rsquo;s so talented, kind, caring, and gentle and who\u0026rsquo;s part of such a wonderful movement.\n\u0026ldquo;Everyone wants to be near a gentle stream, a gentle person, a gentle pet, a gentle sweet clown. If I think of hard times I\u0026rsquo;ve been through, it is gentleness I have always wanted. Not people pleasing, sappy sweetness, but honest heartfelt gentleness \u0026ndash; to be hugged, to have someone hold my hand, or to care about me even for a minute with caring gentleness. Gentleness is what the heart seeks.\u0026rdquo; (Shobi Dobi)\nHope you enjoyed this post!\n","permalink":"/posts/a-caring-clown/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The arrival of a good clown exercises a more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than of twenty asses laden with drugs.\u0026rdquo; ~ Thomas Sydenham\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Caring Clown001\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Caring-Clown001-1024x484.jpg\"\u003eThe above photo is of my friend, Inge, who is eighty-six years young and a graduate of Ryerson\u0026rsquo;s Caring Clown Program.  The photo is not mine but was one that Ryerson used on their 2013 Brochure for the Program.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor several years Inge\u0026rsquo;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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Caring Clown"},{"content":"It doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem so long ago that I wrote the post \u0026ldquo;Summer\u0026rsquo;s Gone\u0026rdquo; and here I am writing about Thanksgiving. In Canada, this long holiday weekend falls in October. Fall is definitely here in all its beauty and the harvest has been reaped. The weather is cooler now and the colors have changed. Time does go by!\nIt\u0026rsquo;s fun to pick up the leaves and admire their colors. The ones I\u0026rsquo;m holding here are from the St. Martin\u0026rsquo;s church yard where I had stopped to take some pictures. My father died in October 2000 and as the date approaches, I\u0026rsquo;m thinking of him. He wrote a poem called \u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves\u0026rdquo; which I shared in its entirety in another post. In that poem, he was wondering when the leaves show their true colors. The first verse talks about Spring, and in the second, he\u0026rsquo;s wondering whether it\u0026rsquo;s in the Fall:\nOr in the Fall, when motley colors seem to vie\nFor pride of place and honor high\nAnd the competing hues outspread\nTheir brown, their yellow\nand flamboyant red?\nAll the cycles of Nature are beautiful in their own way. My Dad\u0026rsquo;s last verse says:\nIs not each day, each form,\nEach change its own true self,\nA rite of passage\nIn this mysterious scheme of things?\nWhich then are their true colors?\nI\u0026rsquo;m grateful that my father took the time to reflect and write his thoughts down and I hope you don\u0026rsquo;t mind me sharing that with you. Fall and Thanksgiving are synonymous since Thanksgiving is in Fall. Everyone spends Thanksgiving in their own way. The main thing is a grateful heart.\nHave a peaceful and happy one whatever you do! For those who are having turkey, here\u0026rsquo;s a poem for you:\nMay your stuffing be tasty\nMay your turkey plump,\nMay your potatoes and gravy\nHave nary a lump.\nMay your yams be delicious\nAnd your pies take the prize,\nAnd may your Thanksgiving dinner\nStay off your thighs!\n~Grandpa Jones\n","permalink":"/posts/thanksgiving-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem so long ago that I wrote the post  \u0026ldquo;Summer\u0026rsquo;s Gone\u0026rdquo; and here I am writing about Thanksgiving.  In Canada, this long holiday weekend falls in October. Fall is definitely here in all its beauty and the harvest has been reaped.  The weather is cooler now and the colors have changed.  Time does go by!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Thanksgiving-time/i-MTKc74q/0/LZHtN9NXV45mf29pWNScnTgC79V2k8cT84nvTvk3K/D/Happy-Thanksgiving-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Happy Thanksgiving (1)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Happy-Thanksgiving-1-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s fun to pick up the leaves and admire their colors.  The ones I\u0026rsquo;m holding here are from the St. Martin\u0026rsquo;s church yard where I had stopped to take some pictures. My father died in October 2000 and as the date approaches, I\u0026rsquo;m thinking of him.  He wrote a poem called \u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves\u0026rdquo; which I shared in its entirety in another post.  In that poem, he was wondering when the leaves show their true colors.  The first verse talks about Spring, and in the second, he\u0026rsquo;s wondering whether it\u0026rsquo;s in the Fall:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thanksgiving Time!"},{"content":"“Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” (Anonymous) Every couple wants their wedding to be memorable and to reflect their own tastes, styles, and traditions. While I\u0026rsquo;m very aware that a wedding is not a marriage, but only the start - these occasions come filled with a promise and hope for love, family, and life, that matches no other earthly celebration. All the images in the collages here were taken at memorable weddings of close family and friends. Enjoy!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2166\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Marriage is not a noun; it\u0026rsquo;s a verb. It isn\u0026rsquo;t something you get. It\u0026rsquo;s something you do. It\u0026rsquo;s the way you love your partner every day.\u0026rdquo; (Barbara De Angelis)[/caption]\nThis was a Disney themed wedding and roses were the flower of choice by this couple. Flowers are an essential part of decor and bring joy and happiness to all. \u0026ldquo;Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.\u0026rdquo; (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2167\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] When you wish upon a star\nMakes no difference who you are\nAnything your heart desires\nWill come to you.\nIf your heart is in your dream\nNo request is too extreme\nWhen you wish upon a star\nAs dreamers do.[/caption]\nThis bride chose a Disney cake because she\u0026rsquo;s a Disney fan. The colors on the cake matched the colors of the flowers. The caption on the cake is how all fairy-tales end: \u0026ldquo;And they lived happily ever after.\u0026rdquo; The cake was beautifully displayed and tasted good too.\nI like to do experimental things with my collages - so for the lettering in this collage, I photographed \u0026ldquo;pretty\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;roses\u0026rdquo; from a Gardening Magazine. I could have used my own Text function on the computer but it wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have been as pretty.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2176\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can\u0026rsquo;t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it\u0026rsquo;s going to get on by itself. You\u0026rsquo;ve got to keep watering it. You\u0026rsquo;ve got to really look after it and nurture it.\n-- John Lennon[/caption]\nThis wedding was at a Banquet Hall and, as you can see from the above collage, there were chandeliers and fabric delicately draped from the ceiling. The setting was beautiful and dinner was a sit-down affair. Time to move on to the next wedding now.\nIn the above collage, the scene has changed. This wedding is in the Ukrainian tradition and, instead of wedding cake, you can see bread. This wedding bread was made by a friend for the couple. You can also see the Ukrainian design on the table-cloth. There is a separate post called \u0026ldquo;The Korovai\u0026rdquo; about the wedding bread in case you are interested.\nFlowers were an important part of decor at this wedding too. They were beautiful and of many different varieties. \u0026ldquo;Love is the flower you\u0026rsquo;ve got to let grow.\u0026rdquo; - John Lennon said. There was much love here - the love of the couple for each other, the love of family, and the love of friends. May this love keep growing.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2172\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,\nor the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.\nI love you as certain dark things are to be loved,\nin secret, between the shadow and the soul.\nI love you as the plant that never blooms\nbut carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;\nthanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,\nrisen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.\nI love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.\nI love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;\nso I love you because I know no other way\nthan this: where I does not exist, nor you,\nso close that your hand on my chest is my hand,\nso close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.[/caption]\nThat\u0026rsquo;s by Pablo Neruda. This wedding was a very elegant affair and I hope the above collages captured this for you. The traditional Ukrainian wedding ceremony was held in a beautiful Ukrainian Orthodox Church with their own Banquet Hall a stone\u0026rsquo;s throw away. The table settings were exquisite and the dinner was sumptuous.\nThe next wedding is how weddings used to be long ago when weddings were kept at home. The family used their own space and did the decorating themselves.\nThis was a winter wedding and was indoors. Everything from the front door to the porch table (with snow on it) had some decoration. A wreath above the fireplace and decorations on the mirrors was all part of dressing up the home. It was fun.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2178\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] It was fun doing the flowers for this special day.[/caption]\nOn the piano, the window-sill, the hallway table - here, there, and everywhere - there were simple flower arrangements lovingly arranged by the family. There were two arrangements that had little lights in them.\nThere were only twenty guests at this wedding and the hallway table served as the bar.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2181\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] It was fun making the wedding cake and decorating it.[/caption]\nThis two-tiered wedding cake was baked and decorated at home. It was a traditional fruit cake and the fruit had been soaking in liquor for several months. The guests enjoyed it and especially the bride and groom who were pleased that the parents made it and decorated it.\nThe dinner was a buffet for this wedding and the food was home-cooked except for the Thai food which was ordered. On to the next wedding!\nThis was a \u0026ldquo;Destination Wedding\u0026rdquo; in Barbados. It was beautiful. The decor for a destination wedding is the sand and the sea and the palm trees. Everybody\u0026rsquo;s hair is wind-blown and nobody bothers about it. The flowers are tropical. The atmosphere is relaxed and a canopy is all that\u0026rsquo;s needed. The restaurant this wedding was held at was called \u0026ldquo;Tapas\u0026rdquo; and there were many different kinds of tapas (appetizers) as well as a served dinner. The next collage shows the spectacular view the guests had from the party area on the second floor.\nIsn\u0026rsquo;t this gorgeous?\nBecause this last collage was of the sea, this post will close with something from Anne Morrow Lindbergh\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Gifts from the Sea.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.\nThe only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you enjoyed this post and the collages! Weddings are serious business.\n","permalink":"/posts/wedding-decor-and-styles/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"once-in-a-while-right-in-the-middle-of-an-ordinary-life-love-gives-us-a-fairy-tale-anonymous\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.”\u003c/em\u003e  \u003cem\u003e(Anonymous)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Wedding-decor-and-styles/i-DRzH3nJ/0/LKZNdzc8gKhnVLPPCg2LqfLn9jHmkMGGktw5k8vDC/D/Wedding-Decor-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Wedding Decor 1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Wedding-Decor-1-1024x585.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Every couple wants their wedding to be memorable and to reflect their own tastes, styles, and traditions.  While I\u0026rsquo;m very aware that a wedding is not a marriage, but only the start - these occasions come filled with a promise and hope for love, family, and life, that matches no other earthly celebration.  All the images in the collages here were taken at  memorable weddings of close family and friends.  Enjoy!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wedding Decor and Styles"},{"content":"\nFall 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.\nIt referenced this beautiful poem called \u0026ldquo;Equinox\u0026rdquo; which I\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;s been and this poem lights the way to let go of it - the right way. Enjoy!\nEQUINOX\nThe Garden releases its last radiance, not as something failed, but as its full reason for being: to give continually, to its last bit of energetic being. Its giving is its beauty. It is a smile, it is the heart of love.\nSo the birdsong that surrounds me is given, not away, but into the world. It is given as rain, as sunlight, as snowfall and autumn leaves. It falls on our ears as what it is, with no deception, the complete truth of being.\nEven the smell of decay, drifting from the deer, dead by the side of the road, says: “This is what I am and no other. I do not pretend to be. Even in death I speak without deceit, even unto my flesh, my very bones.”\nBe tolerant of these songs, my musings on the way these things are. For I cannot give up this Summer except by giving myself as well, fully and completely,\ninto the praise of our mutual beauty, our total loving of the World.\n~ Richard Wehrman is the poet.\n","permalink":"/posts/summers-gone/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Summers-gone/i-GdGL7NN/0/KS4rJTbqpt88pCGzDMVKjpq2Jw6P9RHfDqmD3LCnX/D/Summers-Gone-roses-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Summer`s Gone (roses)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Summers-Gone-roses-1024x576.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFall 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.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt referenced this beautiful poem called \u0026ldquo;Equinox\u0026rdquo; which I\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;s been and this poem lights the way to let go of it - the right way.  Enjoy!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summer's Gone!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2132\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Gerrard\u0026rsquo;s India Bazaar - Toronto[/caption]\nCulture is transportable. There\u0026rsquo;s a huge Indian diaspora in Toronto and the Gerrard India Bazaar area is where many people shop for ethnic Indian clothing. I read that it\u0026rsquo;s the oldest and biggest bazaar in North America. Thousands of people were there recently for its Annual South Asian Festival. \u0026ldquo;The ethnic diversity of South Asian Canadians reflects the enormous cultural variability of South Asia\u0026rsquo;s people. About half of South Asian Canadians were born in India, where 14 major languages are spoken and hundreds of discrete ethnic groups exist.\u0026rdquo; (Canadian Encyclopedia) All the images for the collages in this post were taken in that area.\nWhile Indians have changed residence and made Canada their home, they still have cultural ties with their country of origin. This is very evident in the area of clothing. Many older Indians, particularly women, only wear Indian dress. Members of the younger generation have embraced the wearing of saris and lehengas for weddings and other special occasions. Bollywood has played a big role in this trend.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2133\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;The West sometimes doesn\u0026rsquo;t understand Bollywood, but they can definitely understand how Bollywood influences people.\u0026rdquo;\n(Anurag Kashyap)[/caption]\nBollywood movies play a huge role in fashion where the Indian diaspora all over the world is concerned. Toronto is no exception. According to Cameron Bailey, Co-Director of the Toronto International Film Festival: “Toronto audiences have been powerful champions for the promotion and growth of Indian Cinema abroad.” You can dazzle or be dazzled in Toronto by the different colors, designs, motifs, beads, stones, and other East Indian clothing effects - it\u0026rsquo;s all up to you. One thing is for sure with regard to the Indian diaspora in Toronto and world-wide - \u0026ldquo;there\u0026rsquo;s no going back.\u0026rdquo; While there may be visits to India from time to time, they have put down roots in new terrain - houses are bought, children and grandchildren are born, and a new life and new possibilities have emerged. There has been a moving on. “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit\nShall lure it back to cancel half a Line,\nNor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”\n― Omar Khayyam\n","permalink":"/posts/be-dazzled/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2132\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Be-dazzled/i-dmghTtr/0/KdTxqx8V6zjMwttsgjWnnfXqq8xQZwX3kJCVpzmFk/D/Be-Dazzled-4-Store-Windows-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Gerrard\u0026rsquo;s India Bazaar - Toronto\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Be-Dazzled-4-Store-Windows-1024x593.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Gerrard\u0026rsquo;s India Bazaar - Toronto[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCulture is transportable.  There\u0026rsquo;s a huge Indian diaspora in Toronto and the Gerrard India Bazaar area is where many people shop for ethnic Indian clothing.  I read that it\u0026rsquo;s the oldest and biggest bazaar in North America. Thousands of people were there recently for its Annual South Asian Festival.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eThe ethnic diversity of South Asian Canadians reflects the enormous cultural variability of South Asia\u0026rsquo;s people. About half of South Asian Canadians were born in India, where 14 major languages are spoken and hundreds of discrete ethnic groups exist.\u0026rdquo; (Canadian Encyclopedia)\u003c/em\u003e  All the images for the collages in this post were taken in that area.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Indian Dress in Toronto"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;Love doesn\u0026rsquo;t just sit there like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.\u0026rdquo; (Ursula K. LeGuin)\nAfter 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 \u0026ldquo;Korovai\u0026rdquo; is prominently displayed. According to the wedding program, \u0026ldquo;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.\u0026rdquo;\nBread has been referred to as the staff of life and, indeed, is a necessity for daily sustenance world-wide. Whether it\u0026rsquo;s pita, nan, challah, tortilla, or called by any other name, it is that person\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;daily bread.\u0026rdquo;\nThe symbolism behind the Korovai and what it represents is very significant. Newly married couples, along with all the rest of humankind, need the bounty of the earth and the love and support of others throughout a lifetime.\nMay this couple have the blessing of daily bread and the love and support of family and friends always. May their love be fresh and new every day!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2124\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Marriage is a promise. Not just between the couple but to the community at large, to generations past and to those yet to be born.” (Heritage.org)[/caption]\nHere\u0026rsquo;s to the Korovai and to tradition!\n","permalink":"/posts/the-korovai/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eLove doesn\u0026rsquo;t just sit there like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.\u0026rdquo;   (Ursula K. LeGuin)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/The-korovai/i-X536Ltf/0/NJfSQMxTt2pD2S82HDPW2cZ6fP2wWMpWmLvqGDzzf/D/Wedding-Decor-4-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Wedding Decor 4\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Wedding-Decor-4-1024x584.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter 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 \u0026ldquo;Korovai\u0026rdquo; is prominently displayed.  According to the wedding program, \u0026ldquo;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.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Korovai"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2100\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;If you think squash is a competitive activity, try flower arranging.\u0026rdquo; (Alan Bennett)[/caption]\nHydrangeas 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\u0026rsquo;Donohue) I\u0026rsquo;m hoping that my time here will become more and more of a creative endeavor - the enjoyable and fun kind. There\u0026rsquo;s no competition here because the hydrangeas are so beautiful!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2101\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Hydrangea is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia (from Japan to China, the Himalaya and Indonesia) and North and South America. Hydrangeas produce flowers from early spring to late autumn. The flowers of Hydrangea are carried in bunches, at the ends of the stems. Each individual Hydrangea flower is relatively small. However, the display of color is enhanced by a ring of modified bracts around each flower. In most species of Hydrangea the flowers are white, but in some species, can be blue, red, pink, or purple. In Hydrangea species the exact color often depends upon the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Acidic soils produce blue flowers, neutral soils produce pale cream petals, and alkaline soils result in pink or purple. (Flower Expert)[/caption]\nOur hydrangeas are white in July, but by the time August comes , they are mostly all green.\n“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Creation brings satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take organized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2103\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cats never strike a pose that isn’t photogenic. (Lillian Jackson Braun)[/caption]\nAs soon as I put hydrangeas on the coffee table, Cali jumps right up and starts smelling them, walking around them, and sitting on the table with them. She too loves hydrangeas.\nFlowers\u0026hellip; are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)\n\u0026ldquo;The actual flower is the plant\u0026rsquo;s highest fulfillment, and are not here exclusively for herbaria, county floras and plant geography: they are here first of all for delight.\u0026rdquo; - John Ruskin The sidewalk and front garden are a big mess this time of year with all the branches from the maples falling. They have acorns on them and as people go by, they step on them. We step on them too. There\u0026rsquo;s a lot of sweeping up to do. It\u0026rsquo;s a jolly good time for the squirrels who are storing them for the winter. They hide them and not all are found. Those that are deeply buried grow into big oak trees. \u0026ldquo;Oak trees come out of acorns, no matter how unlikely that seems. An acorn is just a tree\u0026rsquo;s way back into the ground. For another try. Another trip through. One life for another.\u0026rdquo;- Shirley Ann Grau\nADDING OTHER FLOWERS\nThe flowers that I added here are called \u0026ldquo;Black Eyed Susan.\u0026rdquo; If you\u0026rsquo;re using flowers from your own garden, it\u0026rsquo;s possible to add anything that is available and plentiful. The addition of these flowers give the arrangement added color, height, and fullness.\nThe container for my flower arrangements here is a pyrex dish that I use when I make flan. I started out with two hydrangea stems and added two Black-Eyed Susans. With a little bit of greenery added, that could be a simple arrangement. Hydrangea stems were added to fill the whole container. One, two, and then many Black-Eyed Susans were added. Your arrangements can be as simple or as fussy as you want them to be depending on the occasion and where you intend to place the blooms.\nIn this collage, the pyrex dish has been set on a cake stand and this shows the visual effect of having a raised arrangement. Pretty simple and lots of fun!\n“Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem or saying a prayer.” (Anne Morrow Lindbergh) Hope you enjoyed the collages!\n","permalink":"/posts/hydrangea-arrangements/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2100\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Hydrangea-arrangements/i-cN6FcJX/0/MkpxJNQ7kmFXLPLQP3rxRXMBtcsJ6HWvLdbNqfwn3/D/Hydrangea-Arrangements-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Of all the plants\u0026hellip; the Endless Summer (Hydrangea macrophylla) has generated the most volcanic enthusiasm - Michael Dirr, the author of \u0026lsquo;Manual of Woody Landscape Plants\u0026rsquo;.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Hydrangea-Arrangements-for-blog-1024x582.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u0026ldquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.searchquotes.com/quotation/If_you_think_squash_is_a_competitive_activity%2C_try_flower_arranging./59440/\" title=\"If you think squash is a competitive activity, try flower arranging.\"\u003eIf you think squash is a competitive activity, try flower arranging.\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rdquo; (Alan Bennett)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHydrangeas 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.  \u003cem\u003e“Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.” (\u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6224.John_O_Donohue\"\u003eJohn O\u0026rsquo;Donohue\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/em\u003e  I\u0026rsquo;m hoping that my time here will become more and more of a creative endeavor - the enjoyable and fun kind.  There\u0026rsquo;s no competition here because the hydrangeas are so beautiful!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hydrangea Arrangements"},{"content":"Breakfast Buffet\nRainbow Realm\nEnjoyable Edibles\nAmazing Abundance\nKitchen Kinship Falls Force\nAmple Aesthetics\nSumptuous Sustenance\nTranspired Today\nBreakfasts at home are usually cereal with fruit and some kind of bread and protein. Today\u0026rsquo;s breakfast was an elaborate choice of food - everything from the usual bread, eggs, muffins, bagels, and the like to congee, seafood omelettes, potato pancakes, and Tomato Provencal. That\u0026rsquo;s just naming a few.\nMy first course was Eggs Benedict, French Toast, Quiche, and Tomato Provencale (upper left). My friend had the plate below and the bowl with prunes and fruit. We had a spectacular view of Niagara Falls and shared food and friendship. Visits to Fallsview are always a wonderful treat for me since she invites me to go. What a friend! \u0026ldquo;Food brings people together on many different levels. It\u0026rsquo;s nourishment of the soul and body; it\u0026rsquo;s truly love.\u0026rdquo; (Giada De Laurentiis)\nThe last collage (below) is my second plate. The acrostic poem \u0026ldquo;BREAKFAST\u0026rdquo; was put together very hurriedly for this post. Hope you enjoyed and got the picture of how we broke the fast.\nThe French Toast was worth having twice!\n","permalink":"/posts/breaking-the-fast/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eBreakfast Buffet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRainbow Realm\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnjoyable Edibles\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Amazing Abundance\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Kitchen Kinship     \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Falls Force\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Ample Aesthetics\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Sumptuous Sustenance\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Transpired Today\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Breaking-the-fast/i-gqs57C3/0/KtPQSBR4jT9sFrCLv77KdxGx3XFzhgWX9Qkq8pKTk/D/Breakfast-at-Fallsview-with-hibiscus-flower-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Breakfast at Fallsview (with hibiscus flower)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Breakfast-at-Fallsview-with-hibiscus-flower-1024x608.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBreakfasts at home are usually cereal with fruit and some kind of bread and protein.  Today\u0026rsquo;s breakfast was an elaborate choice of food - everything from the usual bread, eggs, muffins, bagels, and the like to congee, seafood omelettes, potato pancakes, and Tomato Provencal.  That\u0026rsquo;s just naming a few.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Breaking the Fast"},{"content":"Age does not make us childish, as some say; it finds us true children. - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2081\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach[/caption]\nCelebrating 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\u0026rsquo;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. \u0026ldquo;Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.\u0026rdquo; (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.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2082\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Bloor-Yorkville.\nThis Toronto hotspot is strictly upper crust. One of Toronto’s most elegant shopping and dining areas, Bloor-Yorkville’s designer boutiques, antique shops and galleries are absolutely first class. The area features many small courtyards and alleyways, and a contemporary park located in the very heart of the neighbourhood. The park features a giant granite boulder, which brings the raw beauty of cottage country right into Toronto’s urban centre! It’s a great place to rest between shopping bouts. (Toronto Tourism)[/caption]\nAfter dinner, we strolled around the neighborhood and enjoyed the sights. It was a time to relax and continue the celebration of our years of life and we were doing this together. To forget about time and all the things that needed to be done was to feel like children again. It\u0026rsquo;s so easy to get caught up in \u0026ldquo;to do\u0026rdquo; lists, planning for \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; projects, and the like, as we make this journey through life. We forget to savor the little walks and talks, discoveries and enjoyable experiences in the \u0026ldquo;now\u0026rdquo; - as we did that evening. This is truly the time, if there\u0026rsquo;s to be any bonding as family, that it takes place. It\u0026rsquo;s never in the hustle and bustle and definitely not in some other time or place. “All I have is all I need and all I need is all I have in this moment.” (Byron Katie) [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2083\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “If wrinkles must be written upon our brow, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.” – James A. Garfield[/caption]\nMany people of my age talk about feeling old all the time. It didn\u0026rsquo;t feel as though I was sixty-five years old that evening. There was a playfulness in my soul and spirit - those parts of myself that I talk about but don\u0026rsquo;t really understand. I felt like a child again who was happy to have a birthday party. This was an adult party though without the party hats, games and treat bags. I seem to have gone past that part of the child and emerged with the childlike birthday feeling minus the need for \u0026ldquo;more.\u0026rdquo; It\u0026rsquo;s a good feeling and what a wonderful celebration we had celebrating our three birthdays together. \u0026ldquo;To life.\u0026rdquo;\n“People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation. To be entertained is a passive state\u0026ndash;it is to receive pleasure afforded by an amusing act or a spectacle\u0026hellip;. Celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one\u0026rsquo;s actions.\nSource: The Wisdom of Heschel” ― Abraham Joshua Heschel\nA truly transcendent evening!\n","permalink":"/posts/celebrating-life/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAge does not make us childish, as some say; it finds us true children.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e- \u003cstrong\u003eJohann Wolfgang Von Goethe\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2081\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Celebrating-life/i-XLfsN6B/0/Ks68WJQX8dk8mPJb75Qw7xZb2m9qvtzrJCVdkN5kD/D/Sassafrasz-1-with-frame-for-blog-food-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"“The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Sassafrasz-1-with-frame-for-blog-food-1024x587.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCelebrating 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\u0026rsquo;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.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eLove is, above all, the gift of oneself.\u0026rdquo; (Jean Anouilh)\u003c/em\u003e  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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Celebrating Life!"},{"content":"\nGardens are as different as the people who tend them. We are very fortunate in Toronto to have the great multicultural mix that we have that gives even our gardens an \u0026ldquo;ethnic\u0026rdquo; flair. My definition of an ethnic garden is a garden that sustains our souls and spirits and in which the seeds we plant give food and bring memories of the homeland we left behind.\nIt was a delightful experience for me to visit such a garden recently at my friend\u0026rsquo;s home. Hers is mainly a container garden. We had tea and Indian snacks in the garden. \u0026ldquo;T__he bird a nest the spider a web the human friendship.\u0026rdquo; (William Blake) As you can see in the above collage, as I was leaving, I cupped some flowers in my hand and invited her to put her hand there too and I named it \u0026ldquo;Friendship Garden.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2071\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Indian cooking has multiple uses for chilis, from snacks like bajji where the chilis are dipped in batter and fried to the notoriously hot vindaloo. Chilis are also dried and roasted and salted for later use (ooramirapakaya meaning chillies soaked in sour buttermilk and salt and dried ) as a side dish for rice varieties like daddojanam / Thayir sadam (curd rice) or Daal Rice ( Rice mixed with some kind of cooked lentils). The soaked and dried chillies are also used as a seasoning ingredient in recipes like kootu. In Turkish or Ottoman cuisine, chilis are widely used where it is known as Kırmızı Biber (Red Pepper) or Acı Biber (Hot Pepper). Sambal is dipping sauce made from chili peppers with many other ingredients such as garlic, onion, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar, which is very popular in Indonesia and Malaysia. Chili powder is an important spice in Persian cuisine and is used moderately in a variety of dishes.[/caption]\nAn important aspect of \u0026ldquo;ethnic\u0026rdquo; gardening is sharing the produce and sharing recipes on how to use the harvest of fruits and vegetables. My friend picked basil, peppers, and karela for me. We also talked about how she uses these in her Indian cooking. That is one type of bonding that took place there between the two of us. There\u0026rsquo;s another type of bonding that comes about while gardening - one is with the earth and the water used to nourish the plants, and the other is with our inner selves and the community we share our produce with. \u0026quot; Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. We nourish all those things when we eat well.\u0026quot; (Michael Pollan)\nAs you can see from the pepper collage, several varieties of pepper abound in this garden. It was fun for me to both touch and admire their freshness and color. My friend, like other avid gardeners, spends hours out in the garden. It is a form of exercise and relaxation for her. It brings many memories of her home country for her too. In addition, she will also have chilis for the whole year which she will preserve. The harvest from an ethnic garden can, depending on the produce, bring happiness and cost-saving for the future as well. She loves her chilis and uses them year-round.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2072\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The humble Bitter Gourd or Karela as it is called in India is one one the easiest vegetable plants to grow. It is a no fuss creeper with pretty yellow flowers and shiny green spiny fruits. Bitter gourd belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, same family as the melons and gourds – Pumpkins, Cucumber, Zucchini, watermelon etc. The scientific name for Bitter gourd is Mormodica charantia. There are various types of bitter gourd, there are oblong ones and there are short 6-8 cm ones which are slightly less bitter than the long variety. (Greenmylife)[/caption]\nMany ethnic people use karela or bitter melon. It\u0026rsquo;s very bitter but when cooked can be delicious. Many Indian dishes are made with karela. It\u0026rsquo;s very tasty stuffed with ground meat or shrimp. For health reasons, many ethnic people use this vegetable as well. My friend told me that it\u0026rsquo;s very good for diabetes and gave me some leaves which she told me to boil and drink every day.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2074\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The fruit contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose-lowering effect, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p.\nThese substances either work individually or together to help reduce blood sugar levels.\nIt is also known that bitter melon contains a lectin that reduces blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and suppressing appetite - similar to the effects of insulin in the brain.\nThis lectin is thought to be a major factor behind the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon. (diabetes.co.uk)[/caption]\nThis small ethnic garden yields an abundance of produce and brings joy to its owner, family, and friends. Ethnic gardens are bountiful and beautiful this time of year and my friend\u0026rsquo;s garden, like other ethnic gardens, is organic. “Odd as I am sure it will appear to some, I can think of no better form of personal involvement in the cure of the environment than that of gardening. A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world. He is producing something to eat, which makes him somewhat independent of the grocery business, but he is also enlarging, for himself, the meaning of food and the pleasure of eating.” (Wendell Berry) As you all know, the new or not so new buzzword, as far as gardens go, is \u0026ldquo;organic.\u0026rdquo; Last, but not least, the last collage shows that the fun didn\u0026rsquo;t end in my friend\u0026rsquo;s garden. Before I boiled the karela leaves, it was fun to play with the colors and make these arrangements. Hope you enjoy!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2070\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Karela Leaves \u0026amp; Chili Pepper Arrangements[/caption]\n“The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.\u0026quot; (Thomas Jefferson)\n","permalink":"/posts/an-ethnic-indo-canadian-kitchen-garden/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/An-ethnic-indo-canadian-kitchen-garden/i-csGPfMP/0/MtZkcZJxZfdLVMFPMp7mP9LBq3dmmTn66nd7kFB8j/D/Marilyns-Garden-4-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\" When a man sits down in front of a garden, or strolls around in it,  he steeps himself in delight.  Because the garden is a paradise  where a garden owner and a landscape gardener share the same dream in their common culture.  Man first made a garden to try to produce a paradise in this world.  The garden seems to be a paradise of the other world somewhere out of sight. - Masaaki Noda, Dialogue with a Garden  \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Marilyns-Garden-4-1024x631.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An Ethnic Indo-Canadian Kitchen Garden"},{"content":" “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\u0026rsquo;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.\nSixty-five years is a long life. From the moment we\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;t be anywhere near perfect or any kind of saint. In our human nature, there are flaws. \u0026ldquo;Thinking well is the greatest excellence and wisdom: to act and speak what is true, perceiving things according to their nature.\u0026rdquo; (Herakleitos)\nAll the concepts and ideas we carry about peace, love, charity, temperance and other virtues are ideals that we as human beings struggle to live up to. All the wisdom traditions talk and teach about these qualities and we are indeed fortunate if we can live up to some of them. It is my experience that in all cultures and sub-cultures globally, there are humans who act skilfully and those who act unskilfully. Because we\u0026rsquo;re learning as we go along, we can\u0026rsquo;t pretend to know how, for example, world peace will come about. I don\u0026rsquo;t know when it will be a reality either. When I was a teenager, I thought it would be achieved but at sixty-five, I\u0026rsquo;m not so sure. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a commonplace that wisdom is not the accumulation of information or data in the current sense of those words. Wisdom isn\u0026rsquo;t just knowing more. \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.for knowledge, add, for wisdom, take away. (Charles Wright)\nLife is a mystery in all ways. There\u0026rsquo;s the mystery of being born and the mystery of dying. We become preoccupied for a great many years of our lives with dying. From many authoritative sources, we get the concept that it is unnatural - something to overcome.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s great fear in death. We have to know where we\u0026rsquo;re going after this life. This can\u0026rsquo;t be the end. At sixty-five, I am daily evolving to a comfort level of not knowing. I\u0026rsquo;m finding that it\u0026rsquo;s becoming easier to be fine with the concept of life as mystery. Not so long ago, I myself was going to a place called heaven where I would live eternally. Now, it\u0026rsquo;s easier to say that I don\u0026rsquo;t know the answer to this mystery and I don\u0026rsquo;t have to know.\nIn all the quotes here, the word \u0026ldquo;wisdom\u0026rdquo; has been used. Although I\u0026rsquo;m not sure if people sixty-five and older have acquired wisdom as a result of aging, there are definitely all kinds of changes that take place. What we spent years getting to know and were very sure that we knew sometimes all has to go. We aren\u0026rsquo;t specializing in anything anymore - there\u0026rsquo;s no need to. \u0026ldquo;The wise, so the picture goes, understand things: and they see how it might be different. Their compassion is genuine but not highly demonstrative, and can manifest itself in odd ways. The wise are good at letting go.\u0026rdquo; (Lao Zi)\nThese are personal reflections on my turning sixty-five and a way to mark the occasion for myself. It is my hope that \u0026ldquo;wisdom\u0026rdquo; will transpire and I will evolve on my own journey and you on yours as well. Au Revoir!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2064\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;You can teach an old dog new tricks.\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/on-becoming-a-senior-citizen/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e “Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” (Betty Friedan) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/On-becoming-a-senior-citizen/i-6mvkkzb/0/M5pgsVVczGspmHKXbMvFScTXwdXMkjtDVd3KpkvnP/D/Senior-Citizen-blog-post-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Senior Citizen (blog post)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Senior-Citizen-blog-post-1024x612.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eLife happens.  The day has come that I am officially a Senior Citizen.  While I\u0026rsquo;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.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSixty-five years is a long life.  From the moment we\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;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\u0026rsquo;t be anywhere near perfect or any kind of saint.  In our human nature, there are flaws.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eThinking well is the greatest excellence and wisdom:  to act and speak what is true, perceiving things according to their nature.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e (Herakleitos)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Becoming a Senior Citizen"},{"content":"The images in the above collage were taken at the Cathedral which is also a parish church for the St. Lawrence neighborhood. I\u0026rsquo;ve visited the Cathedral before but never took a single picture. This time I had my camera along with me and stayed behind to take a few pictures. It\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful church and I\u0026rsquo;ll share the collages and save the story behind my visit for the end.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2046\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] St. James Cathedral is both a parish church ministering to the historic St. Lawrence neighbourhood and a cathedral (the church where the bishop\u0026rsquo;s chair or throne - the \u0026lsquo;cathedra\u0026rsquo; - is located), making it the spiritual centre of the diocese and a focal point for the civic life of Toronto, one of Canada\u0026rsquo;s most prominent cultural and financial centres.[/caption]\nA parishioner of the church sitting next to me told me that the above stained-glass is in the Tiffany-style. It`s very impressive.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2047\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The Cathedral is a symbol of God\u0026rsquo;s presence and love in the city. It has a three-fold mission: to provide a spiritual sanctuary and a place of worship in the fullness of the liturgical tradition of the Anglican Church; to offer a welcoming hospitality to everyone, healing, hope, and opportunities to learn so that together we can build a community in a troubled world; and to provide, as the seat of the Diocesan Bishop, a focal point for his ministry in the life of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto.[/caption]\nChurches, cathedrals, and stained-glass windows go together. St. James has its fair share of lovely stained-glass windows.\nThe beautiful stained glass windows that adorn St. James’ are remarkable works of art, radiating dazzling colour and light. From the panels above the high altar to the west porch window which depicts The Calling of St. James, these stunning windows illuminate the cathedral with vibrant light and energy while depicting biblical stories. (Toronto Journey) [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2048\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The St. James’ Cathedral that stands today was designed by architect Frederick Cumberland. The design of the towering cathedral reflects the early English Gothic Revival style of architecture. In the mid-19th century, it was the largest building in the city. In 1865, the bells were put in and the spire was completed in 1875. A year later, the clock tower was donated by the citizens of Toronto. In 1889, an organ console was installed which was modernized at the beginning of the 20th century by renowned Quebec organ builders Casavant Freres. St. James’ underwent major renovations in the early 80s and in 1997 the twelve change ringing bells (one of only two sets on the continent) were installed to celebrate the cathedral\u0026rsquo;s bicentennial.\n(Toronto Journey)[/caption]\nMy visit to St. James\u0026rsquo; Cathedral was a bit of a surprise even for me. As I was listening to one of the classical radio stations while cooking on Friday, July 11th, I heard that the choir of Trinity College Cambridge was in concert at the Cathedral the following day in the afternoon. It was announced that there might be some last minute tickets and the number to call was given. Serendipitously, I had been thinking of Cambridge University that particular week since my son had told me he was giving a paper there on the Friday. This was the said Friday.\nOn Saturday morning, I called the Cathedral and was told that the doors would be open at 3 p.m. and tickets would be on sale then. It was in that moment that I decided to go to the Concert. It was amazing! If you don\u0026rsquo;t believe it\u0026rsquo;s a small world - it really is!\nit\u0026rsquo;s a small world\nsaying\n› said to show your surprise that people or events in different places are connected : So you know my old science teacher ! Well, it\u0026rsquo;s certainly a small world , isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\n(Definition of it\u0026rsquo;s a small world from the Cambridge Advanced Learner\u0026rsquo;s Dictionary \u0026amp; Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)\nHope you enjoyed this post!\nReferences on the Cathedral - from St. James` Cathedral website)\n","permalink":"/posts/its-a-small-world/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/St.-James-Cathedral-Toronto-5.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"St. James\u0026rsquo; Cathedral Toronto Vignette with Stained Glass\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/St.-James-Cathedral-Toronto-5-1024x579.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe images in the above collage were taken at the Cathedral which is also a parish church for the St. Lawrence neighborhood.  I\u0026rsquo;ve visited the Cathedral before but never took a single picture.  This time I had my camera along with me and stayed behind to take a few pictures.  It\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful church and I\u0026rsquo;ll share the collages and save the story behind my visit for the end.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"It's a Small World!"},{"content":"“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t say any other way\u0026hellip; things I had no words for.” (Georgia O\u0026rsquo;Keeffe) The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition took place last weekend in Toronto. It\u0026rsquo;s a free art exhibition featuring over four hundred artists using all artistic forms. Hundreds of people visited and enjoyed the great variety of talent available in one place - Nathan Phillips Square. It was a lovely venue for this amazing show and a wonderful opportunity to talk to the artists themselves. As with all shows, we do have some art that appeals to us more than others. I will share some of my favorites below and hope you enjoy them. I\u0026rsquo;m sorry that after seeing so many exhibits and meeting so many artists, I don\u0026rsquo;t have the matching information about them for all their work. You can check the TOAE website for a listing of all the artists and their work.\nIt was a warm day interspersed with sun and cloud and as you can see from the above collage, some people took their shoes off and walked in the water to get to the booths on the other side. In winter, this pool of water is a skating rink.\nSome artists cleverly had their names as a prominent part of their exhibits and I used these as part of the collage to show who they were. I have a stack of business cards from various booths but can\u0026rsquo;t remember whose booth they were from. So as not to make any errors, some collages don\u0026rsquo;t have who the artist is.\nSomebody buying something, me holding a ring, and other TOAE images!\nThese tall glass sculptures attracted lots of attention and were impressive for their sheer size. Someone asked the artist if he wasn\u0026rsquo;t afraid that someone would knock something over and he said \u0026ldquo;no\u0026rdquo; - that they were safely anchored.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2031\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Matt Beasant is a Northwestern Ontario born and raised artist. Matt\u0026rsquo;s work is inspired by the forces and emotions that permeate nature. (Info. from his card)[/caption]\nI love birds so this was a fascinating booth to visit.\nApart from the beautiful colors and glazes that this artists\u0026rsquo;s pottery is endowed with - she had the best location and used her space wisely. She was very close to the water and there was a nice breeze coming into her booth. We spoke and I know she is French-Canadian.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know any of the artists personally so my choices are just based on my feelings about their art. They were all talented in their own areas of expertise.\nI love the way this artist blends colors and designs - simple and elegant!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2038\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “I work with multiple materials, such as fabrics, branches, wire, copper, paper and ceramic shards, creating an assemblage as part of a visual language suggesting a story. The narrative speaks of gathering the work of divergent cultures, histories and generations. Materials from around the world, created by many hands, are represented in a single multimedia assemblage. Fragile branches may be used as framing devices; tapering willow twigs and knotty grape vine tentacles are bent as if resisting the interstitial pull of perhaps a hundred different textiles, each attached with thread, strings, wire and weighted with smooth stones or other found objects. The assembled sculptural form may be reminiscent of a quilt, a canoe or a totem. I strive to have the materials form a new voice of a gathered people, a celebration of the human spirit in relation to its Creator, whether from secret spaces or the most flamboyant expressions.” (Alice Vander Vennen)[/caption]\nFor those of you who didn\u0026rsquo;t get there, hope you enjoyed the visit with me! You can find more information about the artists and their work at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition website. Here is some information I found on the curators and brings an end to this post:\nCurators Simone Rojas-Pick, Rui Pimenta, Elise Hodson\nExploring the relationships between art, the quotidian, and public spaces, artists have been invited to create innovative site-specific projects that offer a sense of critical play between the audience, and the civic square and outdoor art fair environment. By simply situating less conventional, disenfranchised art disciplines within the more familiar context of a commercial art fair, Art Now inevitably encourages its audience to think about the meaning of art itself.\nThe works assembled participate in ongoing dialogues surrounding the current issues shaping contemporary art, and the role of art fairs as agents in the commercialization of art. These projects, ranging from sculpture to performance, reimagine the role of art as a connecting node between publics and spaces, as a form of creative engagement with our everyday lived experiences. Provocative, challenging, and stimulating, these original interdisciplinary projects animate Nathan Phillips Square by pushing the scale and artistic rigor of an art fair beyond a 10’x10’ tented space.\n","permalink":"/posts/toronto-outdoor-art-exhibition-favorites/","summary":"\u003ch1 id=\"i-found-i-could-say-things-with-color-and-shapes-that-i-couldn\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t say any other way\u0026hellip; things I had no words for.”  (Georgia O\u0026rsquo;Keeffe)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Toronto-outdoor-art-exhibition-favorites/i-hDcNcN8/0/LJ7r998hWq4tRRkFjgPmnr5MhdCxSFM2JvQGBvMCd/D/City-Hall-TOAE-12-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"City Hall TOAE 1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/City-Hall-TOAE-12-1024x594.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition took place last weekend in Toronto.  It\u0026rsquo;s a free art exhibition featuring over four hundred artists using all artistic forms.  Hundreds of people visited and enjoyed the great variety of talent available in one place - Nathan Phillips Square.  It was a lovely venue for this amazing show and a wonderful opportunity to talk to the artists themselves.  As with all shows, we do have some art that appeals to us more than others.  I will share some of my favorites below and hope you enjoy them.  I\u0026rsquo;m sorry that after seeing so many exhibits and meeting so many artists, I don\u0026rsquo;t have the matching information about them for  all their work.  You can check the TOAE website for a listing of all the artists and their work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition Favorites"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2002\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “I’ve never thought of my jewellery as trophies. I’m here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty.” (Elizabeth Taylor)[/caption]\nWomen all over the world from time immemorial have loved to make themselves beautiful through adorning themselves with jewelry. This is even truer of East Indian women. They wear jewelry everywhere - in their hair, in their noses - and I\u0026rsquo;ve even seen older women wear bangles on their feet when I was a little girl.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a long history behind this as I discovered while doing this post: \u0026quot; You will be surprised to know that the history of Indian jewelry goes back to almost 5000 years. Since pre-historic times, people in India have had a penchant for adorning themselves with jewellery. Gold, silver, stones, gems, etc. were the defining aspects of Indian jewellery. The Indian jewelry is varied in styles and designs in accordance to the different regions. Different states have different styles of Indian jewelry that are unique to that state and are not found anywhere else. For instance, the delicate filigree work in silver is unique to Orissa and Andhra Pradesh; the Meenakari (jewelry enameling work) is popular in Rajasthan; the temple town of Nagercoil in south is famous for its famous temple jewelry; Delhi is famous for its Kundan jewelry and so on. Indian jewelry has a variety of ornaments in different styles and designs for just about every part of the body. In ancient times, people used to adorn themselves with necklaces, rings and anklets made of crude stones and other metals. As time passed by, people learnt the art of polishing metals like gold and silver and learnt to extract semi-precious stones and gems from the mines. As various ruling empires came, the rich kings wore jewelry that made them look like Gods. Every big and small piece of adornment was made of gold and precious stones like rings, earrings, bangles, chains, crowns, anklets, etc. India has been ruled by different empires over the past many years. All these empires have left an indelible mark on the jewelry styles as well. The Mughals gave their distinctive style of using precious stones and intricate carvings, the Rajputs had their enameled jewelry and so on. In the modern world, though new and sophisticated styles have emerged to cater to urban centers, the traditional style of jewelry is still in vogue and is usually the first choice in jewelry. In the contemporary Indian market, you will find a beautiful blend of traditional and modern jewelry in gold and silver that are decorated with gorgeous precious stones that never fail to attract and amuse buyers.\u0026quot;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2005\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These images were taken at a booth at the South Asian Festival in Toronto at Harbourfront.[/caption]\nGold and silver jewelry are lovely to own and wear but a lot of East Indian jewelry is costume jewelry. They are imitations of the real thing. The images in the first collage were taken in Toronto\u0026rsquo;s Little India area. There are fine jewelry stores there selling gold and silver jewelry as well as the stores selling saris, lenghas, and costume jewelry. It\u0026rsquo;s always fun to visit this area.\nIn my own little private world inside of me, I love beautiful things. I have been fortunate to have been gifted with many beautiful pieces of gold and silver jewelry given to me by my parents. Over the years of travelling, I have collected my own special pieces from many different areas of the world. What I am most passionate about, however, are flowers.\nSo I thought, why not combine my love of beautiful jewelry with my passion for flowers. My last two collages are out in the garden with a few pieces of my own East Indian jewelry. Hope you like the combination!\nThis necklace was bought in India where I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a wedding. The background image shows the necklace resting on a large hosta leaf. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it beautiful?\nIn the above collage, I hung the necklace on a branch that was close to these red flowers that are now in bloom. I was curious to see how this photo-shoot would turn out. \u0026ldquo;I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.\u0026rdquo; -Albert Einstein\nReference - Iloveindia (Internet)\n","permalink":"/posts/east-indian-jewelry-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2002\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/East-indian-jewelry-2/i-JcrCLRS/0/LwbVNczGK98JL892Xbxj47hPSJG3xJgQ54pQMb95N/D/Jewelry-East-Indian-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Jewelry should not upstage you. I pick one hot point on my body that I\u0026rsquo;m going to highlight. Let one area do the singing - you don\u0026rsquo;t want to hear three songs at once.\u0026quot; — PADMA LAKSHMI\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Jewelry-East-Indian-1024x587.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “I’ve never thought of my jewellery as trophies. I’m here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty.”  (Elizabeth Taylor)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Women all over the world from time immemorial have loved to make themselves beautiful through adorning themselves with jewelry.  This is even truer of East Indian women.  They wear jewelry everywhere - in their hair, in their noses - and I\u0026rsquo;ve even seen older women wear bangles on their feet when I was a little girl.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"East Indian Jewelry"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Today Canada is the most multicultural country in the world, and the home of immigrants of every ethnic and religious group from every country in the world. But less than 500 years ago, the only people living in Canada were the Aboriginal people of Canada. \u0026ldquo;Aboriginal\u0026rdquo; means the original inhabitants, the people who were here first. The words \u0026ldquo;Native\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Indigenous\u0026rdquo; are also used, and mean the same thing. Today they all collectively refer to themselves as the First Nations or First Peoples of Canada. However, there are many different cultural groups.\u0026rdquo; (First Nations Website)[/caption]\nAll the collages in this post were taken at the Royal Ontario Museum. They have a fine \u0026ldquo;First Nations\u0026rdquo; gallery. As another Canada Day comes around and we\u0026rsquo;re caught up in celebrating this great nation, it\u0026rsquo;s a good time to remember who were the first people to arrive here.\nWe have great respect for European, Egyptian, and other Old World cultures and the same respect ought to be accorded to Canada\u0026rsquo;s first settlers. Their art, artifacts, and other important aspects of their heritage must be cherished. The First Nations themselves have great respect for Nature and the land and we can learn many lessons about life from them. I look forward to the day when First Nations people will be represented at all levels of political and civic life across Canada. It is my hope that these images and this post contribute, in some small way, to an appreciation of our \u0026ldquo;First Nations.\u0026rdquo;\nNorval Morrisseau, by the way, is a First Nations artist, and his work \u0026ldquo;Migration\u0026rdquo; depicts how they may have travelled to Canada (above collage - lower right hand corner). Here is the rest of what he had to say: \u0026ldquo;Perhaps they came across the Bering Strait gradually in single family groups. There are legends about a migration in single and family groups; this is the picture which recalls this legend.\u0026rdquo; This tells us that family is very important to them.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1976\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;With a lot of my work, I try to create this dialogue between the settler culture and First Nations culture because we\u0026rsquo;ve been living together for hundreds of years now and we\u0026rsquo;ve been exchanging ideas and our cultures have been influencing each other. When I look at the art history\u0026hellip;there\u0026rsquo;s not much evidence of that because the art history as told and perpetuated in our museums is still very one sided.\u0026rdquo;\n--Kent Monkman, mixed media artist[/caption]\nKent Monkman\u0026rsquo;s work is not in the above collage but his quote is very interesting. We are all interdependent and are always influencing and being influenced by other cultures for better or worse. He is a First Nations artist of Cree and Irish ancestry and lives in Toronto. You can check his work out on the internet. It is impressive.\nI like all First Nations art and am happy to see that the Royal Ontario Museum has added Jane Ash Poitras to their First Nations Gallery. She is a Canadian of Cree descent and is a painter and printmaker. This is what she has to say about her work: \u0026hellip;each blank canvas is an invitation to a journey of discovery. I may begin with an idea of what the final destination—the completed painting—may be, but I’m always open to the unexpected. As Carl Beam said, the art of placement is a spiritual act. Each step in the creative process may reveal unexpected choices that require decisions. The final decision for each piece is to know when it is resolved, when it is finished. — Jane Ash Poitras (Wiki) You can see from her work what contemporary First Nations art is all about. I think she\u0026rsquo;s a very gifted artist.\nThe next collage includes Canada\u0026rsquo;s flag with it\u0026rsquo;s signature colors of red and white and the maple leaf. That image is from a book called \u0026ldquo;Canada Day.\u0026rdquo;\nHappy Canada Day everyone!\nMy Heart Soars By Chief Dan George The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, speaks to me.\nThe summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me.\nThe faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dew drop on the flower, speaks to me.\nThe strength of fire, the taste of salmon, the trail of the sun, And the life that never goes away, They speak to me. And my heart soars.\n\u0026ldquo;Chief Dan George, OC (July 24, 1899 – September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish band whose Indian reserve is located on Burrard Inlet in the southeast area of the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was also an author, poet, and an Academy Award-nominated actor. His best-known written work was \u0026ldquo;My Heart Soars\u0026rdquo;. (Wikipedia)\nAll references - Internet based.\n","permalink":"/posts/canada-day-reflections/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Canada-day-reflections/i-t8qM5Np/0/LBDBbZtRcr5RNttR4Dfxck7n75LfhNDHswvqgxKdP/D/Native-People-for-Canada-Day-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Today Canada is the most multi-cultural country in the world, and the home of immigrants of every ethnic and religious group from every country in the world. But less than 500 years ago, the only people living in Canada  were the Aboriginal people of Canada. \u0026ldquo;Aboriginal\u0026rdquo; means the original inhabitants, the people who were here first. The words \u0026ldquo;Native\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Indigenous\u0026rdquo; are also used, and mean the same thing. Today they all collectively refer to themselves as the First Nations or First Peoples of Canada. However, there are many different cultural groups.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Native-People-for-Canada-Day-1024x590.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u0026ldquo;Today Canada is the most multicultural country in the world, and the home of immigrants of every ethnic and religious group from every country in the world.  But less than 500 years ago, the only people living in Canada were the Aboriginal people of Canada. \u0026ldquo;Aboriginal\u0026rdquo; means the original inhabitants, the people who were here first. The words \u0026ldquo;Native\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Indigenous\u0026rdquo; are also used, and mean the same thing.  Today they all collectively refer to themselves as the First Nations or First Peoples of Canada. However, there are many different cultural groups.\u0026rdquo;  (First Nations Website)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Canada Day Reflections"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1951\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;And there are many ways to love clay.\u0026rdquo; (Kevin Browne, Executive Director \u0026amp; CEO)[/caption]\nThe Gardiner Museum is 30 years old this year. My very first visit was for Doors Open which took place in Toronto on May 24th and 25th. It was fascinating to visit as I had heard so much about the collection from friends. I wondered who the Gardiner\u0026rsquo;s were and this is what I found: \u0026ldquo;George Gardiner began collecting ceramics in 1976, initially to decorate his home. His interests were eclectic – Ancient Americas, 18th-century European, and Chinese – and his collections assumed significant dimensions. He was joined in this passion by his wife, Helen, a native of Kirkland Lake, Ont., who had studied at York University. In 1984 they co-founded the Gardiner Museum. The Gardiners’ hope, Helen later wrote, was that the Museum “would contribute in a meaningful way to the understanding and appreciation of ceramic art worldwide.” It\u0026rsquo;s a pleasure for me to share some of my collages from that visit with you. Hope you enjoy!\nThe top three are Viola Frey\u0026rsquo;s. She was American and as you can see her ceramic work is brightly colored. The plate on its own doesn\u0026rsquo;t really convey the intensity of color or size she uses in her work. The images on the left and right of the plate give a better idea.\nThe bottom left work is Betty Woodman\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Balustrade Relief Vase\u0026rdquo; and here is some information about her from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. \u0026ldquo;Betty Woodman began her career with clay as her chosen medium. The vase was her earliest – and over time, it has become her most salient – subject. For Woodman, the vase can be a vessel, a metaphor, or an art-historical reference. Her work alludes to and infuses numerous sources, including Minoan and Egyptian art, Greek and Etruscan sculpture, Tang Dynasty works, majolica and Sèvres porcelain, Italian Baroque architecture, and the paintings of Picasso and Matisse.\u0026rdquo;\nThe image on the lower right by Greg Payce is fascinating. It is called \u0026ldquo;Apparently\u0026rdquo; and if you look at the spaces between the vases, you will see silhouettes. Underlying the art of Greg Payce is a belief in the cultural significance of ceramics. His work references history, philosophy, poetry, painting, and architecture. His powerful vision and technical mastery transform these references into elegant contemporary work that delights and surprises viewers. (Gardiner Museum)\nSome interesting sculptures!\nLots of variety at The Gardiner!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1956\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;The Gardiner will radically shift your perception of ceramics.\u0026rdquo; (NOW Toronto)[/caption]\nAll references internet-based or from brochures collected at the Museum.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-gardiner-museum/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1951\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/The-gardiner-museum/i-HCxvbQx/0/LHw39Szrt9x2384Gnd3sq2vh523LnHSfShwLFd6Vm/D/Gardiner-Museum-plates-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\u0026ldquo;And there are many ways to love clay.\u0026rdquo;  (Kevin Browne, Executive Director \u0026amp; CEO)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Gardiner-Museum-plates-1024x592.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u0026ldquo;And there are many ways to love clay.\u0026rdquo; (Kevin Browne, Executive Director \u0026amp; CEO)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Gardiner Museum is 30 years old this year.  My very first visit was for Doors Open which took place in Toronto on May 24th and 25th.  It was fascinating to visit as I had heard so much about the collection from friends.  I wondered who the Gardiner\u0026rsquo;s were and this is what I found:  \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Gardiner began collecting ceramics in 1976, initially to decorate his home. His interests were eclectic – Ancient Americas, 18th-century European, and Chinese – and his collections assumed significant dimensions. He was joined in this passion by his wife, Helen, a native of Kirkland Lake, Ont., who had studied at York University. In 1984 they co-founded the Gardiner Museum. The Gardiners’ hope, Helen later wrote, was that the Museum “would contribute in a meaningful way to the understanding and appreciation of ceramic art worldwide.”\u003c/strong\u003e  \u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Gardiner Museum"},{"content":"\nThere\u0026rsquo;s so much confusion about what\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;healthy\u0026rdquo; to eat today and what kind of food we ought to be eating. Should we be on a gluten-free diet, stop eating eggs, eat more bananas to increase potassium, and what about terms like glycemic index, cholesterol, and pre-diabetes? With all the conflicting information coming from all sources - books, media, friends, relatives, and Dr. Oz, it was nice to attend \u0026ldquo;Demstifying Diets\u0026rdquo; at a local Health Centre yesterday. A Registered Dietitian was present and a Dietetic Intern actually presented the two-hour session. Krystyna was the Registered Dietician and Michelle was the Intern. A very serious topic such as our health and medical issues with regard to our eating habits was made to be fun.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1933\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] After the food talk came the cooking demo by Michelle and our time to taste the yummy Quinoa Salad with Dried Apricots and Baby Spinach.[/caption]\nMichelle\u0026rsquo;s talk cleared up all the myths surrounding gluten, potassium and blood pressure, eggs and cholesterol, sugar and diabetes, and other personal concerns the group had. Many were concerned about salt and there was some discussion about that as well. Many in the group seemed to be fans of Dr. Oz and his name came up as well. I learned that the most important thing to stay away from are \u0026ldquo;trans-fats.\u0026rdquo; The difference between the Mediterranean and DASH diet was covered as well. As you can see from the above collage, the ingredients were mostly fresh - spinach, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and ginger. The dry ingredients were quinoa, almonds (which were toasted), dried apricots, and, of course, a salad dressing to top it off. In the collage below, you can see that we\u0026rsquo;re soon going to have a taste. Since I thought you might want to try making it, the recipe is included in the post.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1934\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] For the salad, you need:\n1 cup quinoa (uncooked)\n2 tsp extra virgin olive oil\n2 cloves garlic, minced\n1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped\n2 cups water\n1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted\n1/4 tsp salt\nMorrocan Spiced Lemon Dressing\n1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved\n1/2 small red onion, chopped\n8 cups baby spinach[/caption]\nHeat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and cook, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Add apricots and quinoa, until quinoa has toasted slightly, about 3 mins. Add water and salt, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15-18 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a bowl and toss with 2/3 of the dressing. Let cool about 10 minutes. Just before serving, add tomatoes and onion to quinoa and toss. Toss spinach with the remaining dresssing in a large bowl. Divide spinach among four plates, and mound quinoa mixture on spinach. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1935\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] For the Moroccan Spiced Lemon Dressing, you need:\n1/4 cup lemon juice\n2 Tbsp non-fat plain yogurt\n1 1/2 tsp ground cumin\nFresh ground pepper to taste\n1/4 tsp ground cinammon\n1/4 tsp ground or fresh ginger\n1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil\n1/4 tsp salt[/caption]\nWhisk lemon juice, spices, yogurt and honey (1 1/2 tsp) in a small bowl until blended. Slowly whisk in oil so that the dressing becomes smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.\nThere were eleven of us there and we thoroughly enjoyed all the learning and tasting that we experienced at \u0026ldquo;Demystifying Diets.\u0026rdquo; The salad was a great treat. A special \u0026ldquo;thank-you\u0026rdquo; to Four Villages, Michelle, and Krystyna, for this informative and fun time.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1936\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] What makes \u0026ldquo;keen-wah\u0026rdquo; so nutritious? We’ve got the scoop on quinoa nutrition facts. Most people who have heard of quinoa think it’s a grain, and judging by how it’s pronounced, some assume it’s from the Orient. But technically, quinoa is a seed, not a grain, and it’s grown high in the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa plants have been cultivated at altitudes of well over 10,000 feet and have been considered a superfood for at least a few millennia — in fact, the Incas cherished it as a superfood of their own. (Mother Nature Network)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/healthy-eating/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Healthy-eating/i-zPzGdcT/0/KSZBW7k5nG2vVJJKZdNtW35GgzRCskS6qdkVPzQ5t/D/Hippocrates-quote-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Hippocrates quote\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Healthy-eating/i-zPzGdcT/0/KSZBW7k5nG2vVJJKZdNtW35GgzRCskS6qdkVPzQ5t/D/Hippocrates-quote-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s so much confusion about what\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;healthy\u0026rdquo; to eat today and what kind of food we ought to be eating.  Should we be on a gluten-free diet, stop eating eggs, eat more bananas to increase potassium, and what about terms like glycemic index, cholesterol, and pre-diabetes?   With all the conflicting information coming from all sources - books, media, friends, relatives,  and Dr. Oz, it was nice to attend \u0026ldquo;Demstifying Diets\u0026rdquo; at a local Health Centre yesterday.  A Registered Dietitian was present and a Dietetic Intern actually presented the two-hour session.  Krystyna was the Registered Dietician and Michelle was the Intern.  A very serious topic such as our health and medical issues with regard to our eating habits was made to be fun.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Healthy Eating!"},{"content":"\nA man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.\nThe above quote by George Moore came to mind as I admired how pretty and well-maintained the homes in the neighborhood look. This is a particularly lovely time of year with the Spirea in bloom. Many people have their hanging baskets and planters on their porches and their garden chairs out for when they are relaxing at home. As I get older, home is really the best place to be now for me. My own porch is just like going to a cottage for me.\nTrue luxury is being able to own your time - to be able to take a walk, sit on your porch, read the paper, not take the call, not be compelled by obligation. (Ashton Kutcher)\nA garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them. (Liberty Hyde Bailey)\nThe High Park and Bloor West Village areas of Toronto have to be one of the best neighbourhoods to live in. Not only are there beautiful gardens, there are beautiful neighbours as well. I attended a lovely Street Party on a street called Wanda yesterday and the collage below captures some of what our neighbourhood is all about.\nA good time was had by all. Many good people have to come together to make Community happen. It does not happen by itself. Thank you Wanda Street for hosting us and to all the organizers and planners - especially Romero House.\n“If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.” (Nadine Stair)\nMy last collage below has a water scene image that I took at Canada Blooms which is also a wonderful Spring Garden Show in Toronto. All the whites are from neighbourhood gardens. Hope you enjoyed the collages!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1919\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Toronto has great neighbourhoods, great people, and great food. (My own quote)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/a-toronto-neighbourhood/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/A-toronto-neighbourhood/i-487dpQT/0/Nd2phC6PMnznvTSWBJLBT7csscnZbWHZgxgdH3SVb/D/Spirea-in-the-neighbourbood-with-houses-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.   George Moore\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Spirea-in-the-neighbourbood-with-houses-1024x594.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe above quote by George Moore came to mind as I admired how pretty and well-maintained the homes in the neighborhood look.  This is a particularly lovely time of year with the Spirea in bloom.  Many people have their hanging baskets and planters on their porches and their garden chairs out for when they are relaxing at home.  As I  get older, home is really the best place to be now for me.  My own porch is just like going to a cottage for me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Toronto Neighbourhood"},{"content":"“We know we are a species obsessed with itself and its own past and origins. We know we are capable of removing from the sanctuary of the earth shards and fragments, and gently placing them in museums. Great museums in great cities—the hallmarks of civilisation.” ~ Kathleen Jam\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1888\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] A casual glance at crystals may lead to the idea that they were pure sports of nature, but this is simply an elegant way of declaring one\u0026rsquo;s ignorance. With a thoughtful examination of them, we discover laws of arrangement. With the help of these, calculation portrays and links up the observed results. How variable and at the same time how precise and regular are these laws! How simple they are ordinarily, without losing anything of their significance! The theory which has served to develop these laws is based entirely on a fact, whose existence has hitherto been vaguely discerned rather than demonstrated. This fact is that in all minerals which belong to the same species, these little solids, which are the crystal elements and which I call their integrant molecules, have an invariable form, in which the faces lie in the direction of the natural fracture surfaces corresponding to the mechanical division of the crystals. Their angles and dimensions are derived from calculations combined with observation. (Rene-Just Hauy - French Mineralogist) [/caption]\nVisiting our own Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto for ROM Revealed was thrilling for me. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t been to the Museum for years and when visiting in the past, there were always others with me. On this occasion, I consciously decided to go alone. It was great deciding for myself just which areas I wanted to go visit and hurrying and scurrying around trying to take in all the great galleries and activities for ROM Revealed. Minerals have always had a special appeal to me for their color and geography and the above collage depicts this.\nIn the collages below, you will see some of the other museum pieces and areas that are definitely worth seeing on a visit to the Museum. Hope you enjoy!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1895\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The sculptor must paint with his chisel; half his touches are not to realize, but to put power into, the form. They are touches of light and shadow, and raise a ridge, or sink a hollow, not to represent an actual ridge or hollow, but to get a line of light, or a spot of darkness. (Quote by - John Ruskin)[/caption]\nClassical Antiquity has always been fascinating to me so I thoroughly enjoyed the Ancient Greek and Roman collections. Many beautiful works of art were produced during this time - \u0026ldquo;**any period before the Middle Ages (476–1453), but still within the period of Western Civilization-based human history or prehistory. The term is most often used of Classical Antiquity, the classical civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.\u0026rdquo; (**Wiki)\nI admired these mosaics as I myself sometimes put pieces of glass and ceramic tile together to make a picture. It is inherent in our human nature to want to try out things we admire and to see what we can create ourselves.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1899\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The history of mosaics goes back over 4,000 years.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1903\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Monuments and archaeological pieces serve as testimonies of man\u0026rsquo;s greatness and establish a dialogue between civilizations showing the extent to which human beings are linked. (Vincente Fox)\nI was reading that bits of pottery were used in the making of early mosaics - shards of terracotta and brick. Now on to my Asian collages.[/caption]\nThe ROM has a large Asian collection. Having travelled to many Asian countries myself and visited museums abroad, I was impressed with the collection here. I thought that I had seen all the Buddhas in the world in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India - but there were many here. The collections in this area are well laid out.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1897\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ROM - Asian Collection[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1909\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist.[/caption]\nROM Revealed was a great extravaganza of the finest of the fine from all civilizations and cultures - all under one roof. One must not forget the gold!\nA gold coin worth 1 million dollars! (Collage below) It was awesome to view this. Incredible, but true: in 2007 the Royal Canadian Mint produced the world\u0026rsquo;s first million dollar coin. The 100 kg, 99999 pure gold bullion coin with a $1 million face value was originally conceived as a unique showpiece to promote the Mint\u0026rsquo;s new line of 99999 pure 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf bullion coins. After several interested buyers came forward, the Mint decided to make a very limited quantity available for sale. [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1900\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This million dollar coin is in the Mineralogy and Gem Gallery - in the Barrick Gold Gallery.[/caption]\nThe reverse features an elegant, hand-polished maple leaf design by Royal Canadian Mint artist and senior engraver Stan Witten, and the obverse bears the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by celebrated Canadian portrait artist Susanna Blunt.\nSpecifications\nFace value: $1,000,000\nComposition: 99999 fine gold\nWeight (in troy oz.): 3215\nWeight (kg): 100\nThe above information about this coin is from the Canadian Mint Store website.\nOn to the Egyptian Collection and to some wise words from Akhenaton.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1925\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “If thou be industrious to procure wealth, be generous in the disposal of it. Man never is so happy as when he giveth happiness unto another.”\nAkhenaton quote (King of Egypt, 14th century BC)[/caption]\nKudos to all the ROM staff and volunteers who made this a Special Event for so many people. Very much appreciated!\nROM staff were dressed up in some gallery areas and visitors were able to try on some of the pieces worn by persons in that era. In the above collage, this gentleman actually posed for me. Lots of fun!\nMy last collage below is what I saw on my arrival at the Museum - this huge dinosaur. It made me remember fondly the days when I went on field trips with my son`s class and all the kids wanted to head for the dinosaurs or the bat cave first. The good old days, as we usually refer to them. I wondered what would be a fitting end to this post and was lucky enough to find the poem below by May Kendall.\nI abide in a goodly Museum,\nFrequented by sages profound:\n\u0026lsquo;Tis a kind of strange mausoleum,\nWhere the beasts that have vanished abound.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a bird of the ages Triassic, With his antediluvian beak,\nAnd many a reptile Jurassic, And many a monster antique.\n","permalink":"/posts/rom-revealed/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“We know we are a species obsessed with itself and its own past and origins. We know we are capable of removing from the sanctuary of the earth shards and fragments, and gently placing them in museums. Great museums in great cities—the hallmarks of civilisation.” ~ Kathleen Jam\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1888\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Rom-revealed/i-mCDRZKm/0/L5rXCxhfXtwT7t8VZhBXPs26FmkxkQDFD8MTSZHMX/D/ROM-Revealed-Mineral-Section-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"A casual glance at crystals may lead to the idea that they were pure sports of nature, but this is simply an elegant way of declaring one\u0026rsquo;s ignorance. With a thoughtful examination of them, we discover laws of arrangement. With the help of these, calculation portrays and links up the observed results. How variable and at the same time how precise and regular are these laws! How simple they are ordinarily, without losing anything of their significance! The theory which has served to develop these laws is based entirely on a fact, whose existence has hitherto been vaguely discerned rather than demonstrated. This fact is that in all minerals which belong to the same species, these little solids, which are the crystal elements and which I call their integrant molecules, have an invariable form, in which the faces lie in the direction of the natural fracture surfaces corresponding to the mechanical division of the crystals. Their angles and dimensions are derived from calculations combined with observation.  — René-Just Haüy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ROM-Revealed-Mineral-Section-1024x620.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e A casual glance at crystals may lead to the idea that they were pure sports of nature, but this is simply an elegant way of declaring one\u0026rsquo;s ignorance. With a thoughtful examination of them, we discover laws of arrangement. With the help of these, calculation portrays and links up the observed results. How variable and at the same time how precise and regular are these laws! How simple they are ordinarily, without losing anything of their significance! The theory which has served to develop these laws is based entirely on a fact, whose existence has hitherto been vaguely discerned rather than demonstrated. This fact is that in all minerals which belong to the same species, these little solids, which are the crystal elements and which I call their integrant molecules, have an invariable form, in which the faces lie in the direction of the natural fracture surfaces corresponding to the mechanical division of the crystals. Their angles and dimensions are derived from calculations combined with observation.  (Rene-Just Hauy - French Mineralogist) \u003c/p\u003e","title":"ROM Revealed"},{"content":"\nMagnolia tree Attracting me,\nGladly blooming.\nNothing to prove\nOnly to bloom profusely, Lovely you are with your pink hues.\nImbuing all with joy at Spring\u0026rsquo;s arrival\nAnnulling all the hardship of the winter past.\nHow lovely it was in High Park today. Sheer beauty! The magnolia\u0026rsquo;s time for blooming has come and irregardless of who\u0026rsquo;s watching or what anyone\u0026rsquo;s saying, she\u0026rsquo;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.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1879\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The magnolia tree just \u0026ldquo;is.\u0026rdquo; There\u0026rsquo;s no conscious effort to \u0026ldquo;look good\u0026rdquo; for the camera or onlookers. I too tried to capture this beauty on camera.[/caption]\nALL things in Nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfill their functions and make no claim. (Lao-Tzu)\nSpring - a good time to revel in Nature\u0026rsquo;s gift of flowers to us in May. Maybe the magnolia tree has something more to teach us as well. Perhaps, it\u0026rsquo;s time to get into another mode of living and being now that the long winter is just a memory. Maybe we can be content to do less and just take the time to \u0026ldquo;be.\u0026rdquo; It\u0026rsquo;s not easy - for me, anyways. Advertising, marketing, and social media, are all calling for us to be more, have more, and do more. The magnolia tree was a call to me to challenge myself with \u0026ldquo;less is more.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m trying to learn something from all the beauty portrayed and the joy I received at no cost by this beautiful tree. ``Part of what it means to be, is to be beautiful. Beauty is not superadded to things: it is one of the springs of their reality. It is not that which effects a luscious response in perceivers; it is the interior geometry of things, making them perceptible as forms.`` (John O`Donohue)\nHope you enjoyed all the collages and my acrostic poem as well. Enjoy your Spring and savor all of Nature`s beauty.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-magnolia-tree/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/The-magnolia-tree/i-CV2Q7mR/0/MpkDmZ8KFsbwzP868mNbNP5kKDJdzqSCxmbVrvw2H/D/Spring-Magnolias-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Spring Magnolias\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Spring-Magnolias-1024x625.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMagnolia tree                                                                                \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAttracting me,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGladly blooming.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing to prove\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly to bloom profusely,      \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLovely you are with your pink hues.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImbuing all with joy at Spring\u0026rsquo;s arrival\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnnulling all the hardship of the winter past.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/The-magnolia-tree/i-s2VM43Z/0/Kb6LdqhBrtCx9dh7N9jb5xMCzwQ9nqhxfhJwcwDQr/D/Magnolias-last-pink-gold-frame-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Magnolias (last - pink \u0026amp; gold frame) for blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Magnolias-last-pink-gold-frame-for-blog-1024x592.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  How lovely it was in High Park today.   Sheer beauty!  The magnolia\u0026rsquo;s time for blooming has come and irregardless of who\u0026rsquo;s watching or what anyone\u0026rsquo;s saying, she\u0026rsquo;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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring Magnolias"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1868\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The ceiling is made from thousands of sheets of imported Venetian glass, cut into more than a million tiny coloured squares. A team of skilled workers laboured for eight months to install the ceiling. Its sparkling gold, rust and bronze background is inset with red, blue and turquoise patterns, recalling the magnificent mosaics of the Byzantine world and Eastern Europe. Worked out on the golden field are geometrical borders and panels which frame decorative floral designs. The central panel is inscribed with a passage from the Book of Job in the Old Testament: “That all men may know his work” (ROM website)[/caption]\nToronto\u0026rsquo;s ROM is celebrating 100 years. It first opened in March 1914 and throughout 2014 will be celebrating this milestone anniversary in grand style. On May 3rd and 4th, they opened their doors to the public for ROM Revealed and I was there with many others to be part of this wonderful event. \u0026ldquo;ROM Revealed offers a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and explore the areas of the Museum traditionally not open to the public, including the ROM’s DNA lab, its collections vaults, antler room, its 6 floors of Curatorial Centres and much more.\u0026rdquo; The Rotunda area is an amazing space to be in and the ceiling is out of this world. I took many images that day and hope you enjoy the ones here in this post that I\u0026rsquo;m sharing with you. As the old saying goes - \u0026ldquo;a picture is worth a thousand words.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1870\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The Rotunda, dedicated in honour of Ernest and Elizabeth Samuel, is the Museum’s ceremonial entrance hall. It features one of the Museum’s most magnificent architectural treasures—a spectacular mosaic dome that has fascinated generations of staff and visitors. Charles T. Currelly, the first director of the Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology, conceived of this mosaic introduction for the 1933 addition. The mosaic ceiling was designed to reflect the breadth of the collections, being adorned with patterns and symbols representing cultures throughout the ages and around the world. (ROM website)[/caption]\nDruxy\u0026rsquo;s has a ROM cafe in the Rotunda area and is a lovely place for something to eat and drink. My pictures just show parts of the ceiling and give a general idea of the area. You really have to be there to see all of it.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a lovely set of stained glass windows in the Rotunda area and this just gives an idea of how beautiful they really are and how they enhance the ambience there.\nMy last collage is a kind of hodge-podge of what I experienced that day. Hope you enjoyed this post!\nEncyclopedia Britannica\u0026rsquo;s information on rotunda: rotunda, in Classical and Neoclassical architecture, building or room within a building that is circular or oval in plan and covered with a dome. The ancestor of the rotunda was the tholus (tholos) of ancient Greece, which was also circular but was usually shaped like a beehive above.\n","permalink":"/posts/royal-ontario-museums-rotunda/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1868\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Royal-ontario-museums-rotunda/i-CHB4dcz/0/KfZNR7Xpp8wGckkK8CpRGPD569KgNzMG33Cbrn2g5/D/ROM-rotunda-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"The ceiling is made from thousands of sheets of imported Venetian glass, cut into more than a million tiny coloured squares. A team of skilled workers laboured for eight months to install the ceiling. Its sparkling gold, rust and bronze background is inset with red, blue and turquoise patterns, recalling the magnificent mosaics of the Byzantine world and Eastern Europe. Worked out on the golden field are geometrical borders and panels which frame decorative floral designs. The central panel is inscribed with a passage from the Book of Job in the Old Testament: “That all men may know his work”  (ROM website)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ROM-rotunda-collage-1024x593.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e The ceiling is made from thousands of sheets of imported Venetian glass, cut into more than a million tiny coloured squares. A team of skilled workers laboured for eight months to install the ceiling. Its sparkling gold, rust and bronze background is inset with red, blue and turquoise patterns, recalling the magnificent mosaics of the Byzantine world and Eastern Europe. Worked out on the golden field are geometrical borders and panels which frame decorative floral designs. The central panel is inscribed with a passage from the Book of Job in the Old Testament: “That all men may know his work” (ROM website)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Royal Ontario Museum's Rotunda"},{"content":"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland\nThis past winter was a long and difficult one for us in Toronto. We were all looking forward to Spring and it seemed too long in coming. But the good new is that it\u0026rsquo;s finally arrived. High Park was filled with people yesterday enjoying the \u0026ldquo;bloomin\u0026rsquo; trees.\u0026rdquo; The cherry blossoms have started to blossom but the blooms are very young. They aren\u0026rsquo;t in bloom for a long time though so if you\u0026rsquo;re planning to go, try to get over there within the next few days. I spent a lovely afternoon in the park enjoying a glorious spring day. All the photo collages are images that I took there yesterday and without further ado, here they are!\nIssa was a Japanese poet and lay Buddhist priest. I\u0026rsquo;m sure many of us shared his sentiments as we enjoyed the beauty of the cherry blossoms yesterday. Two thousand cherry blossom trees were given to Toronto by Japan.\nI took the picture of this plaque yesterday. It\u0026rsquo;s very good to know how we happen to have these trees in Toronto - an important part of our relationship history with Japan.\n“In the cherry blossom\u0026rsquo;s shade\nthere\u0026rsquo;s no such thing\nas a stranger.” ― Kobayashi Issa\nHanami is the Japanese custom of bringing along some picnic food at cherry blossom time and sitting under the trees. Many people in Toronto do this. This is from a site with Japan Travel Information \u0026ldquo;Said to have begun in the late 8th century, the flower viewing tradition is widely believed to have started in the Nara Period. The seasonal event was used to welcome in the new year\u0026rsquo;s harvest while marking the beginning of the rice planting season. In the Heian Period , Emperor Saga would welcome this time with celebratory feasts and parties under the sakura trees in Kyoto\u0026rsquo;s Imperial Court. While originally limited to Japanese royalty and the elite upper class, hanami spread to all citizens by the Edo Period in the early 1600\u0026rsquo;s. The custom still lives to this day as visitors from around the globe partake in this traditional event. Since then, the annual custom has drawn visitors to witness the beautiful seasonal changes while pinpointing and celebrating the beginning of the fiscal and scholastic year with friends and family. A typical hanami usually consists of holding an outdoor party under cherry blossom trees during the day or night. Food, beer and sake are brought to a picnic as visitors bask in the cherry blossoms that fall from the tree. These parties last well into the night as the moon illuminates the pink blossoms.\u0026rdquo;\nIn Toronto, people do not read signs.\nThe last few collages show some other blooms in High Park right now.\nForsythia is pure joy. There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge in forsythia. Pure, undiluted, untouched joy. (Anne Morrow Lindbergh) The flower is associated with nobility, perseverance, dignity and a love of nature. Magnolias are often used in floral arrangements such as wedding bouquets to represent the purity and dignity of the bride. They are popular in Southern-style weddings because the flower is often identified with the South.\nEEHE, magnolias have come to symbolize certain ideas and a\n","permalink":"/posts/high-parks-bloomin-trees/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis past winter was  a long and difficult one for us in Toronto.  We were all looking forward to Spring and it seemed too long in coming.  But the good new is that it\u0026rsquo;s finally arrived.  High Park was filled with people yesterday enjoying the \u0026ldquo;bloomin\u0026rsquo; trees.\u0026rdquo;  The cherry blossoms have started to blossom but the blooms are very young.  They aren\u0026rsquo;t in bloom for a long time though so if you\u0026rsquo;re  planning to go, try to get over there within the next few days.  I spent a lovely afternoon in the park enjoying a glorious spring day.  All the photo collages are images that I took there yesterday and without further ado, here they are!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"High Park's Bloomin' Trees"},{"content":"“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.\u0026quot; and so in you the child your mother lives on and through your family continues to live\u0026hellip; 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\nWhether we love them, hate them, or have mixed feelings about them, we celebrate them this weekend. Sometimes the paternity of the father is questionable, but there is only one mother. The images in the above collage were only taken today. As I saw signs around me everywhere advertising diverse gifts for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day, my attention was caught by these Lladro figurines. There was no sign drawing attention to them as gift items. However, they brought home to me that whatever latent mothering feelings are there during pregnancy - a mother does not become a mother without the birth of the child.\nAlthough the Lladro figurines are very beautiful and depict a genteel kind of mothering, there\u0026rsquo;s nothing like the reality. Mothering can be gentle and it can also be the toughest job a woman will do in her entire life. It\u0026rsquo;s a twenty-four hour a day job when the children are young. Even working mothers think about their children while they are busily at work - believe it or not!\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful time to celebrate mothers and the roles that they play. Lots of cards and sentiments can be sappy but here\u0026rsquo;s a poem I found that portrays what the job of mothering is really all about. It\u0026rsquo;s called \u0026ldquo;No Sappy Poem for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo; Enjoy your Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day!\nNO SAPPY POEM FOR MOTHER\u0026rsquo;S DAY\nThere are many poems which tell of the joys of being a mother,\nBut if a sappy one is what you want, you’ll have to read another.\nFor my poem is a bit different and tells of many things,\nBut is not one of corny, mushy verse or one that pulls heart strings.\nThis day we remember mothers is very much over done,\nfor if the truth be known, seeing us coming, she\u0026rsquo;d like to run.\nFor she remembers all the hard times when we were little kids,\nWe fussed, fought, and caused her trouble till she nearly flipped her lid.\nOh how those midnight feedings really endeared us to her heart,\nFinding there was no formula, having to dash to the local mart.\nOh the colicy kicking and crying that went on throughtout the night,\nAnd the spitting up on her Sunday best, just when the time was right.\nShe hasn’t forgotten my toddler years, oh those terrible twos,\nWhen she chased me round all day long and I discovered her very short fuse.\nYes, she remembers fingerprints, she found on everything,\nThe scattered toys she tripped on, till my neck she wanted to ring.\nCooking meals, doing laundry, work never seeming to end,\nI’d see that hysterical look in her eyes and hear, “Go spend a night with a friend!”\nA favorite game with us kids was called “The Battle of Wills,”\nIt never failed to bring, “Fetch me that bottle of pills!”\nShe hasn’t forgotten the tracked in mud on freshly mopped and waxed floors,\nThe screaming, yelling, pushing,and slamming all the doors.\nOh the broken windows as the baseballs missed their mark,\nAnd the stray dogs brought home often, which of course, loved to bark.\nShe survived our driver’s ed, though it was nearly the very last straw,\nI remember her frozen panic, the blood on the windows she clawed.\nThen there was my wedding when she hugged me and said I’d be missed,\nBut I caught the gleam of joy in her eyes at the thought of me gone, as we kissed.\nYes, the day we honor mothers, is sorely overrated,\nAnd though once very much cherished, its now very outdated.\nI think that she would want to forget all the hard work and lean times,\nBut we bring it up every year with dinners, songs, and rhymes.\nAnd yet I would like to think those remembered thoughts of old,\nAre cherished and are precious to her, memories of gold.\nFinding nickles for the icecream man and eating the chicken’s back,\nOur mothers often did without so we would never lack.\nSo though I didn’t want this sappy, I guess it has to be,\nFor there’s nothing in the world, like a mother’s love you see.\nCassie Memmer © May 5 1994\nThe truth be told!\n","permalink":"/posts/mums-the-word/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“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.\u0026quot; and so in you the child your mother lives on and through your family continues to live\u0026hellip; so at this time look after yourself and your family as you would your mother for through you all she will truly never die.”    ―\u003c/em\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2856822.Osho\"\u003eOsho\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mum's the Word!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1831\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”[/caption]\nDr. Seuss wasn\u0026rsquo;t really a doctor. \u0026ldquo;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.\u0026rdquo; 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.\nI had all but forgotten about him until I came across a display with his books in a bookstore. \u0026ldquo;The Cat in the Hat\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;The Grinch who stole Christmas\u0026rdquo; were part of our home library. It\u0026rsquo;s only now that I\u0026rsquo;m beginning to understand that there was lots of wisdom in what he wrote and what we read. Finding these \u0026ldquo;silly\u0026rdquo; rhymes at this stage of life brought me to the insight of just how much I have evolved over the years - in so many ways.\nIn \u0026ldquo;The Cat in the hat,\u0026rdquo; the line \u0026ldquo;It is fun to have fun but you have to know how\u0026rdquo; resonated with me as I too had lots of fun with some dolls the other day. I had bought ten of them - a woman in her sixties buying ten dolls you might say. They were beautiful. The weather was cold and dreary outside that day. This was time to create my own fun inside. Together with my cat, we had fun.\nCali liked having the dolls near her and smelling them. I enjoyed playing with the dolls by putting them in different positions around her and taking her picture. I admired how pretty the dolls were and Cali too. Total enjoyment for everyone. Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.\nThis brought me to ponder on life and whether it is just about ambition and solving problems or whether we can have some fun too. Can we give ourselves the opportunity to have fun when we aren\u0026rsquo;t solving a problem that has arisen in our \u0026ldquo;little\u0026rdquo; world? After all, the world abounds with problems, big and small. We all have our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1836\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cats have a lot to teach us about enjoyment of life. They stretch out contentedly and enjoy the sunshine. They enjoy the present moment and have fun. Later on, when it\u0026rsquo;s time to clean herself, catch mice, and other activities, she will be able to do those things then. She\u0026rsquo;s posing contentedly here with the dolls and I\u0026rsquo;m having fun.[/caption]\nWhat a lot I have learned from Cali and to become Seussian at this stage of life! \u0026ldquo;If you keep your eyes open enough, oh the stuff you will learn. Oh the most wonderful stuff.\u0026rdquo; Hope you enjoyed the collages and here are some other Dr. Seuss\u0026rsquo;s rhymes for your enjoyment and, maybe, learning.\nBalance So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent. Be Yourself Be awesome! Be a book nut! If you’d never been born, then you might be an Isn’t! An Isn’t has no fun at all. No, he disn’t. Why fit in when you were born to stand out? You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant? You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in. Challenges I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me! I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you. It’s a troublesome world. All the people who’re in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not. Christmas Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more … Everybody Deserves a Shot A person’s a person, no matter how small. I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights. Kid, you’ll move mountains! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!” [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1843\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted.\u0026quot; ~ Dr. Seuss[/caption]\nGeisel published 46 children\u0026rsquo;s books, often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter. His most-celebrated books include the bestselling Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, Fox in Socks,The King\u0026rsquo;s Stilts, Hop on Pop, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose,Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton Hears a Who!, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1838\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] When I brought the dolls home, I had to find something big to put them in. They are in a laundry basket. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t find a hat that would fit on Cali\u0026rsquo;s head so I put a crown on her. You get the idea![/caption]\nAll refs. are internet based.\n","permalink":"/posts/just-having-fun/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1831\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Just-having-fun/i-9m7ZKH7/0/NSc5tkKD9GRN6Bv4Pfh3czRqwzxvfgt5Drx8cC5GD/D/Cat-in-the-Hat-Collage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"“It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Cat-in-the-Hat-Collage-for-blog-1024x581.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. Seuss wasn\u0026rsquo;t really a doctor.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eTheodor 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\u003c/em\u003e.  \u003cem\u003eHis early life in Springfield and the memories of his childhood had an influence on his writings which can be observed in his work.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e   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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Just having Fun!"},{"content":"\n“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” (Isaac Newton)\nLife has a wonderful way of bringing us back to the basics sometimes. It was fun to turn my shells and coral out on the kitchen table and examine and play with them. Fifteen years ago when I visited Fiji, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t into taking too many pictures or into blogging. In fact, I had not even heard the term. In the above collage, the two images of the resort are postcards I bought there.\nThe village life here was very simple. The more serious elements of life could be discarded for a few days. There was no need to think about making any lasting achievement here or to become any sort of hero. It was just enough to be with Nature and to do small things.\nTaking the time to enjoy my \u0026ldquo;treasures\u0026rdquo; now has brought me to another delightful arena of life - the joy of wonder. I hold them and notice their different shapes, colors, sizes, markings, and incredible beauty. This sense of wonder has come with age and time of life.\nWe all admire and, probably at some time of life, have had aspirations to be artists. The first artist that comes to mind when thinking of the influence of Nature on Art is, of course, the French Impressionist, Claude Monet. As humans, we are prone to be interested in the \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; things - big names, large movements, breaking news. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to forget that our cavemen ancestors did their first art on the walls of caves. They wanted to express themselves and communicate feelings and they did this through their art. Many of these early markings and paintings were of animals and, perhaps, they were just expressing the beauty they saw in these creatures. Their creativity was born with them.\nAs you can see from the above collage, the hand-held shell looks like a small rose whose petals are spiralling into the centre. There\u0026rsquo;s geometry and then there\u0026rsquo;s the whole area of \u0026ldquo;Sacred Geometry\u0026rdquo; that is worth further investigating for those of you interested in this topic. On earth, in the sea, and in the air, there are spirals occurring in Nature.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1820\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Corals are composed of thin plates, or layers, of calcium carbonate secreted over time by hundreds of soft bodied animals called coral polyps. Polyps range in size from a pinhead to a foot in length. Each polyp lives in a symbiotic relationship with a host zooxanthellae that gives the coral its color. Zooxanthellae take in carbon dioxide, process it through photosynthesis, and give off oxygen and other important nutrients that are then used by the host polyp. As in all photosynthesizing organisms, this means that corals must be exposed to a sufficient amount of sunlight. This confines most corals to shallow waters that are clean and clear.There are two kinds of corals: hard and soft.[/caption]\nFifteen years after collecting these lovely souvenirs on the beach, they have brought me to this time of playfulness and reflection that only fifteen years can bring. Added to this, there is a little bit of synchronicity here. On my coffee table, there is a book that I bought recently called \u0026ldquo;365 Tao,\u0026rdquo; and this was the last paragraph of the entry I was reading: \u0026ldquo;We must not fall into the trap of waiting so long for the big things that we let the numerous small chances slip right by us. People who do this are always waiting for life to be perfect. They complain that fate is against them, that the world does not recognize their greatness. If they would lower their sights, they would see all the beautiful opportunities swirling at their feet. If they would humble themselves enough to bend down, they would scoop untold treasures up into their hands.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you enjoyed the treasures I scooped up!\n“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh\nReferences\n\u0026ldquo;365 Tao\u0026rdquo; - Deng Ming-Dao \u0026amp; \u0026ldquo;The Hidden Geometry of Life\u0026rdquo; (Karen L. French)\n","permalink":"/posts/treasures-from-the-sea/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Treasures-from-the-sea/i-ZmNhzXj/0/L4zJxWQqzLwMZLvLmm6DdcTXsPFHxnmGqW6xkLWpx/D/Shells-with-flowers-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Shells (with flowers)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Shells-with-flowers-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”  (Isaac Newton)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Treasures-from-the-sea/i-S7Vp3H8/0/KX2dmSfPDBtLFvrwWJcrrzPGTNGBfWQ6Qbh8S8LVZ/D/Fiji-Wayalailai-Resort-for-blog-post-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Fiji (Wayalailai Resort) for blog post\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Fiji-Wayalailai-Resort-for-blog-post-1024x633.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife has a wonderful way of bringing us back to the basics sometimes.  It was fun to turn my shells and coral out on the kitchen table and examine and play with them.  Fifteen years ago when I visited Fiji, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t into taking too many pictures or into blogging.  In fact, I had not even heard the term.  In the above collage, the two images of the resort are postcards I bought there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Treasures from the Sea"},{"content":"There are varying theories about whether cats really love their human caregivers or are merely attached to them as providers of food, water, love, affection, treats, and the like. As someone who never had a pet and acquired one later in life, I feel that cats who receive loving care get to be very attached to their owners and their owners to them. However, just as with human love, the word \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; gets tossed around in ways that are merely conceptual as it relates to cats.\nIt is my feeling that cats \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; as in love being a doing. They make good eye contact and they like to be close to their owners - on their lap, at their feet, or by their side. They like to be touched and petted despite their independent nature. They are happy to see their owners when they come home. When I\u0026rsquo;m away overnight, my cat misses me and she\u0026rsquo;s happy to see me when I come home. If this isn\u0026rsquo;t love, I don\u0026rsquo;t know what love is.\nI wondered if there were any well-known people who liked cats and found them to be a source of love and joy in their lives and here\u0026rsquo;s what I found:\nSir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British politician (notably, UK prime minister during World War II)Churchill\u0026rsquo;s marmaladecat Jock slept with his master, shared his dining table, and attended numerous war-time Cabinet meetings. If Jock was late for meals, Churchill would send servants to find him, waiting to eat til the cat was present. Jock was said to have been with his master when he died. Churchill also had a cat, Nelson, named after the famous British admiral. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) Author (works include Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickelby, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol)Charles\u0026rsquo; cat, Willamena, produced a litter of kittens in his study. Dickens was determined not to keep the kittens, but he fell in love with one female kitten who was known as \u0026ldquo;Master\u0026rsquo;s Cat\u0026rdquo;. She kept him company in his study as he wrote, and when she wanted his attention she was known to snuff out his reading candle. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) Author (works include For Whom the Bell Tolls, Old Man and the Sea)Hemingway shared his Key West Home with more than 30 cats. The story goes that Hemingway made the acquaintance of a sea captain who owned an unusual six-toed tomcat. Upon his departure from Key West, the captain presented the cat to Hemingway. Today many of the numerous cats that inhabit the grounds still possess the unusual six toes. Hemingway once said, \u0026ldquo;A cat has absolute emotional honesty; human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.\u0026rdquo; Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) ArtistThis French artist loved cats and depicted them in several paintings. It\u0026rsquo;s delightful to know that many well-known people enjoyed the companionship and love of cats in their lives. These animals have been around for a long time:\n\u0026ldquo;In ancient Egypt, in 1600 BC, cats were not only established as domesticated animals, but were even cherished and worshipped as gods and religious idols. Of course there was a commercial reason. Egypt was the grain centre of the universe. The mice knew that and Ratsak hadn\u0026rsquo;t yet been invented. So cherished were they, that to kill a cat, even accidentally, was an offence punishable by death. If a house-cat died, the owners shaved off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. Because of their sacred standing, the export of cats from Egypt was forbidden for about a thousand years. Thus, there is no evidence of cats in places other than Egypt until the first century AD.\u0026rdquo; For those of us, in this day and age, who are blessed to have cats as companions, we feel \u0026ldquo;love, loyalty, and gratitude\u0026rdquo; for having them.\nHope you enjoyed this post!\nReferences: \u0026ldquo;A Few Famous Cat Lovers\u0026rdquo; \u0026amp; \u0026ldquo;The Gods of Egypt.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/feline-companions/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Feline-companions/i-ZftncTM/0/KD2dCZxZw2SttgFqhWc6LtHmVShWtCvTX8BjCsFdz/D/Cali-with-cat-quotes-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Cali with cat quotes (for blog)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Cali-with-cat-quotes-for-blog-1024x631.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThere are varying theories about whether cats really love their human caregivers or are merely attached to them as providers of food, water, love, affection, treats, and the like. As someone who never had a pet and acquired one later in life, I feel that cats who receive loving care get to be very attached to their owners and their owners to them. However, just as with human love, the word \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; gets tossed around in ways that are merely conceptual as it relates to cats.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Feline Companions"},{"content":"Beauty or ugliness, order or confusion are only relevant in relation to our imagination. (Baruch Spin__oza)\nThese chocolate ladybugs drew my attention while I was thinking about my friend\u0026rsquo;s birthday. She had invited me to an overnight excursion with her to Niagara where we were going to have a buffet dinner and see a live show called \u0026ldquo;Hurrah for Hollywood.\u0026rdquo; This was going to be her birthday celebration. I knew the buffet would include lots of cupcakes, sliced cake, and many other types of desserts. The last collage will reveal how these ladybugs were actually used for the celebration.\nColor in certain places has the great value of making the outlines and structural planes seem more energetic. (Antoni Gaudi)\nCreativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found. (James Russell Lowell)\nThis is the last collage! There are two cinnamon buns, one on top of the other - and the three ladybug chocolates are on top. I was just having fun in the hotel room and the other collages are the result of that time. My friend was absolutely delighted with her little cinnamon bun birthday cake and her presents. What do you make of all this? Ridiculous?\n“All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.” — Albert Camus\nHope you liked the ladybugs! Don\u0026rsquo;t forget that I only bought three!\n","permalink":"/posts/ladybugs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeauty or ugliness, order or confusion are only relevant in relation to our imagination.  (Baruch Spin__oza)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Ladybugs/i-gJJsS4K/0/NBcwTWhSXSSwhpMxbTF4wXBNGD2FJD7xx9WpGg8Pv/D/Ladybug-Chocolates-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Ladybug Chocolates (1)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Ladybug-Chocolates-1-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThese chocolate ladybugs drew my attention while I was thinking about my friend\u0026rsquo;s birthday.  She had invited me to an overnight excursion with her to Niagara where we were going to have a buffet dinner and see a live show called \u0026ldquo;Hurrah for Hollywood.\u0026rdquo; This was going to be her birthday celebration.  I knew the buffet would include lots of cupcakes, sliced cake, and many other types of desserts.  The last collage will reveal how these ladybugs were actually used for the celebration.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ladybugs"},{"content":"\nOnce upon a time, there was a cat who liked to sit with the Buddha, sniff at him, and rest at his feet. They had \u0026ldquo;Dharma Talks.\u0026rdquo;\nHe taught her about meditation: **\u0026quot;**As you practice remaining attentive, passionate, and firm in purpose, those memories and conflicts of life are let go, and with their letting go your mind centers and becomes calm, it strengthens. This is how you develop mindfulness of, and in, the body.\u0026quot;\nShe wanted to find out how to become enlightened and the Buddha told her: \u0026ldquo;Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.\u0026rdquo;\nConcerning health, this is what Gautama Buddha told her: \u0026ldquo;Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.\u0026rdquo;\nShe became angry easily and was told: \u0026ldquo;You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.\nShe was getting on in life and wanted to find out about death and dying. Buddha reassured her: \u0026ldquo;Everything is changeable, everything appears and disappears; there is no blissful peace until one passes beyond the agony of life and death.\u0026rdquo;\nThe cat became more and more enlightened every day and slept peacefully every night.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1716\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything.\n~ Buddha.[/caption]\nShe was a good student of the Dharma.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-buddha-and-the-cat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/The-buddha-and-the-cat/i-XtbqG7C/0/KpDsm8n93mjsK7jfZNSqTnwjfPDtfhw73bnnczpZh/D/The-Buddha-and-the-Cat-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"The Buddha and the Cat\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-Buddha-and-the-Cat-1024x585.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce upon a time, there was a cat who liked to sit with the Buddha, sniff at him, and rest at his feet.  They had \u0026ldquo;Dharma Talks.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe taught her about meditation:  **\u0026quot;**\u003cstrong\u003eAs you practice remaining attentive, passionate, and firm in purpose, those memories and conflicts of life are let go, and with their letting go your mind centers and becomes calm, it strengthens. This is how you develop mindfulness of, and in, the body.\u0026quot;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Buddha and The Cat"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;If variety is the spice of life, enjoyment of a variety of different foods has to top the list.\u0026rdquo; (Late Blooms)\nFood is near and dear to the hearts of most people. If we have enough or more than enough, we\u0026rsquo;re grateful and happy. If we have very little or just enough to get by, all our energy is directed to the acquisition of this precious life-giving commodity. This is true for all cultures and peoples on earth.\nWhen we come together as people, irregardless of our beliefs, faith, education, conditioning, or other proclivities, food is always an essential part of our celebrations. A simple home-made meal, restaurant food, or a big banquet is what keeps body and soul going, day by day - and meal by meal. Since food is life-giving, these collages are all about food. Enjoy!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1765\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Caribbean (West Indian) cuisine has been largely influenced by the African, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and British people who came to live there. Some staples in a Caribbean kitchen are curry, green seasoning, jerk seasoning and hot peppers, among other things.[/caption]\nThe above collage shows peas and rice, dhal puri (roti), curried chicken, chowmein, curried goat, salads, and jerk chicken. All the dishes here were prepared by the hosts, except for the dhal puri (roti) which was catered.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1751\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Salads are very healthy and there are a variety of different kinds to choose from - as was the case at this party. The mango salad was especially delightful![/caption]\nFrom my first trip to Thailand, I fell in love with Thai cuisine. The unique flavors and spices along with fresh ingredients made all the dishes mouth-watering. \u0026ldquo;A large container of rice is always the centerpiece. Surrounding the large central bowl of rice there will be several dishes offering a balanced selection of flavors and textures. In addition to the rice, a typical meal might include a soup (Tohm Yaam), a curry (Gaeng), fresh vegetables (Yaam), a fried dish (Phad), a spicy hot dipping sauce (Naam Prig) and a steamed one. The soup is served together with the other dishes whereas western customs is to serve the soup before.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1753\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Silk Restaurant - Toronto[/caption]\nThis collage shows some Thai soups, a chicken curry dish, a shrimp dish, and mango salad. Thai food is not only delicious but there\u0026rsquo;s great artistry where presentation is concerned.\nThe Young Thailand Restaurant serves their Pad Thai wrapped and we all had guesses as to what the wrapping was and discovered it was egg when we ate it. That\u0026rsquo;s on the top left. The picture (top right) is an appetizer plate. The decor here is lovely too - very Thai.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1755\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ \u0026ldquo;A tasty blend of North African, Arabic, Spanish, and French influences, Moroccan food satisfies a craving for the exotic.\u0026quot;|(Amy Riolo)[/caption]\nThe images in the above collage were taken at the Sultan\u0026rsquo;s Tent in Toronto. There\u0026rsquo;s fine food and a real eclectic atmosphere. There was even a belly-dancing show. We tried the braised lamb shank which was served on tagine seasoned couscous and tagine sauce along with Moroccan root vegetables. The other main course shown is the Chermoula Salmon which is topped with Chermoula sauce and served with saffron basmati rice and vegetables. Soup and salad was also served. For dessert, we chose the traditional Moroccan cookies and pastries which came along with Latshin - a dessert of fresh orange slices sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. A great culinary experience.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1757\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Whenever there is a mention of Indian food, the first image which comes to mind is that of a variety of spices which are visibly discernible courtesy of their color, flavor and aroma. Indian food is indeed replete with spices of many types and while ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chili powder and cumin are added in almost all preparations, the addition of certain spices like dried red chilies, curry leaves and mustard seeds depends upon the style of preparation being employed and expectations pertaining to the taste of the dish. However, the credibility of the cook lies in adding the spices in perfect proportions so as to come up with well flavored food as opposed to loading them indiscriminately\u0026rdquo;.[/caption]\nIt looks so good! The above collage shows everything from appetizers to desserts. There are samosas, pakoras, curried chicken, kebabs, and my favorite chocolate burfi, is there along with other colorful desserts. Many Indians are vegetarians (for religious reasons) and a great deal of fine Indian food is vegetarian.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1758\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fine Indian Dining - Toronto[/caption]\nTandoori chicken, naans, chick-pea curry, rice, and a yummy fish curry make this meal a feast. At fine Indian restaurants, they pay attention to how they present their food - as you can see from the above collage.\nAs we move on here, we can\u0026rsquo;t forget everyone\u0026rsquo;s favorite - Italian food. It is one of mine as well. The cuisine of Italy is mainly based on cereals, vegetables, meat, fish and wine. The food is colorful and appetizing in a hearty way. Many of us think tomato sauce when we think Italian food but it was not always part of Italian cooking. \u0026ldquo;Until the discovery of the new world, tomatoes were not known to Europeans. Italians before the 16thcentury did not create sauces with tomatoes and pasta or macaroni was dried and often eaten as a snack. The tomato did not become a common ingredient in Italian cooking until the 18th century. When Catherine de Medici wed Henry II of France, the gastronomical world changed forever. Eating in courses became de rigueur and haute cuisine was born.\u0026rdquo; (Italian Food Facts)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1771\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Pasta is the most important food in Italy. It means \u0026lsquo;paste\u0026rsquo; because it is a paste of water, flour and sometimes egg. It can be either \u0026lsquo;dried\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;fresh.\u0026rsquo; There are hundreds of different shapes and types of pasta. Pasta dishes are normally eaten as a first course (un primo piatto).\nHere are a few pasta shapes and the meanings of their names:\nfarfalle = butterflies\npenne = quills / pens\nfusilli = spindles\nspaghetti = strings\nvermicelli = little worms\nconchiglie = shells\ntortellini = little pies\nfettucine = little slices[/caption]\nThe color of the tomato sauce on the meatballs was used as the background for this collage.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1766\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Home-cooked Food From My Own Kitchen[/caption]\nThere are stuffed Cornish Hens, a stuffed turkey, a glazed ham, macaroni and cheese, potatoes and carrots, Greek salad, and gravy - in this collage. Isn\u0026rsquo;t this a feast?\nHope you love to eat too and enjoyed this post!\n","permalink":"/posts/gastronomic-delight/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;If variety is the spice of life, enjoyment of a variety of different foods has to top the list.\u0026rdquo;  (Late Blooms)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Gastronomic-delight/i-mjxK7bH/0/L2dfKWtpQd7CkQ4Pct7bRZQWNH6qxsrMQhDsmZmHP/D/International-Food-Wedding-Food-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"International Food (Wedding Food)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/International-Food-Wedding-Food-1024x604.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFood is near and dear to the hearts of most people.  If we have enough or more than enough, we\u0026rsquo;re grateful and happy.   If we have very little or just enough to get by, all our energy is directed to the acquisition of this precious life-giving commodity.  This is true for all cultures and peoples on earth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Gastronomic Delight"},{"content":"What a special day for us ladies! My day was made even more special by a young, handsome, well-dressed man, giving me a rose and saying \u0026ldquo;Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo; This happened in Downtown Toronto this morning. Unfortunately, I didn\u0026rsquo;t have my camera with me. All the images here were taken when I got home.\nThe first Women\u0026rsquo;s Day took place in 1911 and we women have come a long way. There is still a long journey ahead though. \u0026ldquo;International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women\u0026rsquo;s success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed.\u0026rdquo; Some countries take this day so seriously that it is a public holiday. The United Nations theme for 2014 is: \u0026ldquo;Equality for women is progress for all.\u0026rdquo;\nWhile the surprise of receiving a rose was very touching, all of us women know that this day and our lives are about more serious matters. Our personhood as people and our right to be treated with dignity and respect in all spheres of life is really what this day is all about. Here are some interesting quotes to reflect on by people you may know.\n1. \u0026ldquo;Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity.\u0026rdquo; - Gandhi\n2. \u0026ldquo;God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I\u0026rsquo;ve ever met.\u0026rdquo; - Farrah Fawcett\n3. \u0026ldquo;Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size.\u0026rdquo; - Virginia Woolf\n4. \u0026ldquo;Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President\u0026rsquo;s spouse. I wish him well!\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Barbara Bush\n5. \u0026ldquo;Women are leaders everywhere you look \u0026ndash; from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Nancy Pelosi\n6. \u0026ldquo;A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Melinda Gates\n7. \u0026ldquo;Whatever glory belongs to the race for a development unprecedented in history for the given length of time, a full share belongs to the womanhood of the race.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Mary Mcleod Bethune\n8. \u0026ldquo;Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Eleanor Roosevelt9. \u0026ldquo;Dream the dreams that have never been dreamt.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; David Bower\n10. \u0026ldquo;The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Charles Malik\n11. \u0026ldquo;Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, do not grovel. Take courage, join hands, stand besides us, fight with us.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Christabel Pankhurst\n12. \u0026ldquo;Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren\u0026rsquo;t.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Margaret Thatcher\n13. \u0026ldquo;Be thankful for what you have; you\u0026rsquo;ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don\u0026rsquo;t have, you will never, ever have enough.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Oprah Winfrey\n14. \u0026ldquo;When I thought I couldn\u0026rsquo;t go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Estee Lauder\n15. \u0026ldquo;If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; Coco Chanel.\n","permalink":"/posts/international-womens-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWhat a special day for us ladies!  My day was made even more special by a young, handsome, well-dressed man, giving me a rose and saying \u0026ldquo;Happy International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day.\u0026rdquo;  This happened in Downtown Toronto this morning.  Unfortunately, I didn\u0026rsquo;t have my camera with me.  All the images here were taken when I got home.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/International-womens-day/i-RBRSPLk/0/MPxQvX3NQcbPx82mXBdZ6vNRG7K775wBW3cVcdn6n/D/International-Womens-Day-2014-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"International Women\u0026rsquo;s Day in Toronto - 2014\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/International-Womens-Day-2014-1-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first Women\u0026rsquo;s Day took place in 1911 and we women have come a long way. There is still a long journey ahead though.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eInternational Women\u0026rsquo;s Day honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women\u0026rsquo;s success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e  Some countries take this day so seriously that it is a public holiday.  The United Nations theme for 2014 is: \u0026ldquo;Equality for women is progress for all.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"International Women's Day"},{"content":"All over the world where Native peoples are found, they bring a deep love for the land and creation. They don\u0026rsquo;t have a \u0026ldquo;religion\u0026rdquo; as such but more wisdom and reverence towards Nature. While there are different tribes and different locations of the world where they live, they all have similar words of wisdom to impart.\nAll the images in this collage were taken by me. The background is Niagara Falls with what looked like icebergs to me - right in front of the Falls. It was spectacular! From what I have seen of different kinds of Native art, there are certain similarities. I bought a lovely little book recently called \u0026ldquo;The Song of Life\u0026rdquo; and I will share some of the wisdom that was in there.\nBeing Indian is an attitude\na state of mind,\na way of being in harmony\nwith all things and all beings.\nIt is allowing the heart to be distributor\nof energy on this planet:\nto allow feelings and sensitivities to determine\nwhere energy goes;\nbringing aliveness up from the Earth\nand down from the Sky\nputting it in and giving it out from the heart.\nBROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE\nOUR GREAT TASK\nBeing born as humans\nto this earth is a very sacred trust.\nWe have\na sacred responsibility because of the special gift we have,\nwhich is beyond the gifts of the plant life,\nthe fish, the woodlands, the birds,\nand all the other living things on earth.\nWe are able to take care of them.\nAUDREY SHENENDOAH, ONONDAGA\nThe Indian knows that even the smallest animal\nhas great importance and teach us great things.\nSo too, all the little things we do every day\nhave great importance.\nOur life if full of many little things in each day\nand in every moment.\nWe should not concentrate on some great event\nthat we expect to come in the future,\nbut on the correct performance of all our daily obligations.\nTHOMAS YELLOWTAIL, (1903-1993)\nWe are all aware of books like \u0026ldquo;The Power of Now\u0026rdquo; and other books of this nature telling us to live in the moment. The Christian Jesus said: \u0026ldquo;Give us this day our daily bread.\u0026rdquo; Here we have it from Native Spirituality - \u0026ldquo;the correct performance of all of our daily obligations.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you enjoyed the wisdom offered here - by Native peoples.\n","permalink":"/posts/native-spirituality/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAll over the world where Native peoples are found, they bring a deep love for the land and creation.  They don\u0026rsquo;t have a \u0026ldquo;religion\u0026rdquo; as such but more wisdom and reverence towards Nature.  While there are different tribes and different locations of the world where they live, they all have similar words of wisdom to impart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Native-spirituality/i-Xx3JbBJ/0/NWbgWnQzdqWjLwftWxB5CLp8PMV4cPRKzLqSG5nc4/D/Native-Wisdom-new-with-text-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Native Wisdom (new with text) for blog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Native-Wisdom-new-with-text-for-blog-1024x588.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the images in this collage were taken by me.  The background is Niagara Falls with what looked like icebergs to me - right in front of the Falls.  It was spectacular!   From what I have seen of different kinds of Native art, there are certain similarities.  I bought a lovely little book recently called \u0026ldquo;The Song of Life\u0026rdquo; and I will share some of the wisdom that was in there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Native Wisdom"},{"content":"\n“Patriotism is a thing difficult to put into words. It is neither precisely an emotion nor an opinion, nor a mandate, but a state of mind \u0026ndash; a reflection of our own personal sense of worth, and respect for our roots. Love of country plays a part, but it\u0026rsquo;s not merely love. Neither is it pride, although pride too is one of the ingredients. Patriotism is a commitment to what is best inside us all. And it\u0026rsquo;s a recognition of that wondrous common essence in our greater surroundings \u0026ndash; our school, team, city, state, our immediate society \u0026ndash; often ultimately delineated by our ethnic roots and borders\u0026hellip; but not always. Indeed, these border lines are so fluid\u0026hellip; And we do not pay allegiance as much as we resonate with a shared spirit. We all feel an undeniable bond with the land where we were born. And yet, if we leave it for another, we grow to feel a similar bond, often of a more complex nature. Both are forms of patriotism \u0026ndash; the first, involuntary, by birth, the second by choice. Neither is less worthy than the other. But one is earned.” (Vera Nazarian)\nIt was an honor for me to be invited to celebrate Lithuanian Independence Day with a friend and her family right here in Toronto. What a party! The Banquet Hall was beautifully decorated and the green, red, and yellow national colors were displayed prominently. Even the table napkins took up the colors of the flag. National pride was in full display and was evident in the words spoken, the songs sung by the Lithuanian Choir, and the beautiful national dress worn by the women.\nWhat was most amazing was the Amber jewelry (gintaras) that nearly every woman wore whether she was in National dress or not. Several women were flattered to be asked to have photos of their jewelry taken and it\u0026rsquo;s a pleasure to share these with you. Amber is the national gem of Lithuania and, as you can see, comes in different hues of yellow,gold, orange, and brown.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1703\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Lithuanian Amber Jewelry[/caption]\nIn a conversation with my friend\u0026rsquo;s daughter over our sumptuous meal, she showed me the amber necklace she was wearing which was a gift from her grandmother who is now deceased. She also told me that Baltic amber comes from fossils and she told me that insects get trapped in the amber. This conversation prompted me to do a little research on my own and here\u0026rsquo;s what I found: \u0026ldquo;Amber (Lith. gintaras), found on the Baltic Sea shores, was and is highly treasured and is the national gem of Lithuania. It is a fossil resin\u0026rdquo; which came from the sap of \u0026ldquo;several varieties of pines. It is believed, that about 60 million years ago, these pines grew in the subtropical forest\u0026rdquo; in the present location of the Baltic Sea. \u0026ldquo;For unknown reasons these pines produced excessive amounts of\u0026rdquo; sap. \u0026ldquo;The overproduction may have been nature\u0026rsquo;s method of healing natural injuries caused by storms, lightning, pests and diseases, or perhaps it was caused by a sudden change of climate.\u0026rdquo; Sap \u0026ldquo;dropped to the forest ground, was embedded into the local sediments, compressed by the overlying deposits, and in time became fossilized. Numerous fragments of both plant and animal life were trapped in the sticky\u0026rdquo; sap \u0026ldquo;and thereby preserved. These inclusions make it possible to identify the plants and animal life of the period.\u0026rdquo; (Excerpts from Amber by Birute Saldukiene, Encyclopedia Lituanica)\nThe huge amber stone on the left was set in Lithuania and the lovely lady who was wearing it told me she paid about one hundred dollars to have it set in the \u0026ldquo;old country.\u0026rdquo; A beautiful setting!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1706\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] All the ladies who wore Lithuanian National Dress wore amber jewelry as well.[/caption]\nApart from this being just another celebration that I was attending, it became necessary for me to find out what inspired this national pride and such love of country. Why would the Independence Day of one\u0026rsquo;s country of birth be so important when one had adopted and lived for many decades in another country that had now become \u0026ldquo;home.\u0026rdquo; This is what I was able to find and now I understand why Lithuanian-Canadians celebrate this occasion in such grand style.\nLithuania became an independent country in 1918 and remained independent until 1940 when Soviet troops occupied it. From 1940 to 1990 Lithuania was known as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. On March 11, 1990, the Lithuanian Parliament issued a Declaration of Independence, and voted to have Lithuania emancipated from the Soviet Union. Independence was deemed officially independent on September 6, 1991. Lithuania becoming independent was an important event because it took control from Mikhail Gorbachev who had been starting issues with the United States for years. After Lithuania regained independence, the United States reopened the Embassy which it had closed in 1940 when Lithuania first became a Soviet Republic. (MLA Style: \u0026ldquo;Lithuania.\u0026rdquo; Britannica Student Library. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1707\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Lithuanian: Lietuva) officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe.[/caption]\nIsn\u0026rsquo;t all the amber beautiful and the weave and the colors of the fabrics the ladies are wearing? These two ladies were kind enough to let me take their pictures wearing their National Dress. Hope you enjoyed the collages!\n","permalink":"/posts/lithuanian-independence-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Lithuanian-independence-day/i-KvVc8fQ/0/LHXbF3JGcrVLczn3NPhwj5s9kdw22GPmSMqgZmt5Z/D/Lithuanian-Independence-Day-Celebration-with-food-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lithuanian Independence Day Celebration (with food)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Lithuanian-Independence-Day-Celebration-with-food-1024x624.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003ePatriotism is a thing difficult to put into words. It is neither precisely an emotion nor an opinion, nor a mandate, but a state of mind \u0026ndash; a reflection of our own personal sense of worth, and respect for our roots. Love of country plays a part, but it\u0026rsquo;s not merely love. Neither is it pride, although pride too is one of the ingredients. Patriotism is a commitment to what is best inside us all. And it\u0026rsquo;s a recognition of that wondrous common essence in our greater surroundings \u0026ndash; our school, team, city, state, our immediate society \u0026ndash; often ultimately delineated by our ethnic roots and borders\u0026hellip; but not always.  Indeed, these border lines are so fluid\u0026hellip; And we do not pay allegiance as much as we resonate with a shared spirit.  We all feel an undeniable bond with the land where we were born. And yet, if we leave it for another, we grow to feel a similar bond, often of a more complex nature. Both are forms of patriotism \u0026ndash; the first, involuntary, by birth, the second by choice.  Neither is less worthy than the other.  But one is earned.”  (Vera Nazarian)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lithuanian Independence Day"},{"content":"\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-valentines-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Happy-valentines-day/i-rz7SnbW/0/M8Cd7fPTwLMpzNzGkLmxv5Q4bXkxJ6f27GgNr8PnG/D/Valentines-Day-Collage-1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day Collage 1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Valentines-Day-Collage-1-1024x618.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Happy-valentines-day/i-zGVVSB2/0/M5nmdWpCdwVfZwGHhC34cWfPPKxrQxRq79d4RcXrL/D/Valentines-Day-Collage-2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day Collage \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Valentines-Day-Collage-2-1024x629.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Happy-valentines-day/i-HWmBVZD/0/LjVSFCdtFxMbwnVs3PKNChxvJHr5FdTzwDtrVzVRS/D/Valentines-Day-3-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Valentines-Day-3-1024x591.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Happy-valentines-day/i-vFnr9KW/0/KdPv6T5z34MDbMrpQfgDNgKCFkNhV96x85bV6HqH3/D/Valentines-Day-all-flowers-4-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day  #4\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Valentines-Day-all-flowers-4-1024x650.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Happy-valentines-day/i-9BbqxJv/0/KfTF6jbxHWpjRMM2j3PPBhkJ8wR2CcpxCR3GKTxnt/D/Valentines-Day-Happy-Valentines-Day-to-one-and-all-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day (Happy Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day to one and all)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Valentines-Day-Happy-Valentines-Day-to-one-and-all-1024x630.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Valentine's Day!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1672\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Icicles taken from inside the Grenadier Restaurant - High Park,Toronto [/caption]\nIcy Cold\nIce-covered\nCrystals\nLustrous\nEarth\nSpectacle to behold\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1673\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Even in the depth of winter, the evergreen is a reminder that some things are still alive - Lustrous Earth.[/caption]\nAcrostics are fun to do and the one above is my own and spells out ICICLES. I am honored to have a guest on Late Blooms for the first time - my own brother and poet, Ronald Janki. His poem brings the wonderful spectacle of icicles to life in a different way. Enjoy!\nJewelled water Sparkling in the rays Transforming the silence\nInto quiet motion\nIcy flowers Embracing branches…\nIcy, Icicle chill Icy, glistening flowers Unseen spirit, unseen will Waiting for the spring showers\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1674\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These are the same icicles taken in High Park. The little angel is one sitting in snow on my porch at home. I wanted to be a little more creative with this collage.[/caption]\nWe can experience words in different ways and this changes our world and our perspectives on the life around us. Hopefully, \u0026ldquo;Icicles\u0026rdquo; has caused you to reflect on the phenomenon that is presented in these images and words. As a matter of fact, icicles are supposed to be one of the unsolved mysteries of physics. We won\u0026rsquo;t get into that here, though - perhaps, in another post.\nHope you enjoyed it all!\n","permalink":"/posts/icicles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1672\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Icicles/i-JF2fkN5/0/NXbm2bJ5pdf4ztvfzgJ8nVLjNNxJ8kLB9f2f5TVm4/D/High-Park-Icicle-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Icicles taken from inside the Grenadier Restaurant - High Park,Toronto\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/High-Park-Icicle-Collage-1024x593.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Icicles taken from inside the Grenadier Restaurant - High Park,Toronto  \u003cbr\u003e\n[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIcy \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Cold\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e              Ice-covered\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e       Crystals\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e         Lustrous\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e   Earth\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e                           Spectacle to behold\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1673\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Icicles/i-3FCzCT6/0/L94nn5Qs5HxZ8vQjNcsvrVvZX6dSsz2bSS2C5BwZN/D/Icicles-with-evergreen-in-middle-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Even in the depth of winter, the evergreen is a reminder that some things are still alive - Lustrous Earth.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Icicles-with-evergreen-in-middle-1024x589.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Even in the depth of winter, the evergreen is a reminder that some things are still alive - Lustrous Earth.[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Icicles"},{"content":"Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space… On the one hand it’s about shelter, but it’s also about pleasure. – Zaha Hadid\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1661\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “We have no options to renew. We’ve been here 15 great years, and 15 years later, market conditions have changed. That corner is quite a valuable corner. The landlord can get far more money than we can pay, than we will pay,” said McGowen.\n“We’ve always loved the location. It’s an iconic building with great architecture and heritage that goes hand in hand with a bookstore. The community has been terrific, supportive and loyal.” (Drew McGowen - Vice-President of Real Estate for Indigo Books and Music Inc.)[/caption]\nWe become attached to places just as much as we become attached to the people in our lives. When word came that the iconic Runnymede Theatre was closing down, all of us who went there regularly were dismayed. However, when Chapters leased the place in 1998 and converted the theatre into a user-friendly bookstore and pleasurable space to be in, it became a joy to visit and shop there. Our community needed this space for the health and well-being of its inhabitants. This wasn\u0026rsquo;t just a place to buy books. More than anything else, Chapters provided us with a place to \u0026ldquo;hang out,\u0026rdquo; feel good about ourselves, and enjoy being in surroundings that spoke to both our minds and our spirits.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1662\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Architecture is Frozen Music.\u0026rdquo; (Schilling)[/caption]\nChapters Runnymede\u0026rsquo;s last day is February 16th, 2014. My own Shopper\u0026rsquo;s Drug Mart Branch will take over this space. From what I understand, they will be keeping all the architectural details and even the stage. While this is good news, the thought of losing and touching all these new books is daunting. Even at my age and stage of life, change is hard - a challenge. I have to heed the words of Socrates: “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1663\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ \u0026ldquo;God be thanked for books. They are the voices of the distant and the dead and make us heirs of the spiritual life of past ages.\u0026rdquo; - William Ellery Channing[/caption]\nWelcome Shoppers Drug, welcome change, welcome transformation - both in myself and my surroundings. Whenever I miss Chapters Runnymede, my collages will serve to remind me of the wonderful cultural contribution that was made to our neighbourhood and myself personally by having this bookstore here. \u0026ldquo;Art is not a service. Or rather, it does not reliably serve all people in a standardized way. Its service is to the spirit, from which it removes the misery of inertia. It does this by refocusing an existing image of the world\u0026hellip;\u0026ndash;where the flat white of the page was, a field of energy emerges.\u0026rdquo; (Louise Gluck)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1664\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ \u0026ldquo;They are never alone that are accompanied by noble thoughts.\u0026rdquo; – Sidney[/caption]\nHope you enjoy all the collages!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1665\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.”\n(Frank Lloyd Wright)[/caption]\nHere is some historical information about the building from \u0026ldquo;Why I Love Toronto.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;The Runnymede Theatre or as many called it The Runny is located in the Bloor West Village area. It was opened in 1927 and closed in the late 90’s. It opened as a vaudeville theatre, which is defined as a theatrical genre of variety entertainment. The building was designed by Alfred Chapman who was the architect of the Royal Ontario Museum and Palais Royale. Chapman’s father was also a filmmaker, which made this project very fitting. The theatre became so popular for its music and stage shows that large crowds would form outside. The large crowds at time got out of control and therefore a police presence was required around the theatre. However, the most famous thing about the theatre had to be its interior which represented Atmospheric style, the first of its kind in Toronto. This style of theatre was noted for its blue ceilings that represented the sky and murals that gave the theatre patron the illusion they were outside. The building was dubbed Canada’s Beautiful Theatre in its peak.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1666\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\n~ \u0026ldquo;You may have tangible wealth untold. Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be — I had a mother who read to me.\u0026rdquo; — Strickland Gillilan[/caption]\nThe Children\u0026rsquo;s Section of the bookstore is a favorite area for me and sure to be missed by all parents, children, and grandchildren - who regularly brought their children to this magical space.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1667\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ \u0026ldquo;Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.\u0026rdquo; — Emilie Buchwald[/caption]\nBabies, toddlers, young children, teenagers, all had their own space here. Many a senior would spend an hour or two browsing through magazines and a handful of well-chosen books. The staff too were well chosen for this location and very helpful and courteous. There was a real sense of community here.\nWhat was to have been a short blog post has gone on\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;.!\n","permalink":"/posts/chapters-runnymede-missing-you-already/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArchitecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space… On the one hand it’s about shelter, but it’s also about pleasure. – Zaha Hadid\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1661\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Chapters-runnymede-missing-you-already/i-H3LL2hx/0/KqsDj793Mvp89sq5fPjhvQcK9cNTvtmFHdm8VJ42V/D/Chapters-Runnymede-with-old-projector-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"“We have no options to renew. We’ve been here 15 great years, and 15 years later, market conditions have changed. That corner is quite a valuable corner. The landlord can get far more money than we can pay, than we will pay,” said McGowen. “We’ve always loved the location. It’s an iconic building with great architecture and heritage that goes hand in hand with a bookstore. The community has been terrific, supportive and loyal.” (Drew McGowen - Vice-President of Real Estate for Indigo Books and Music Inc.)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Chapters-Runnymede-with-old-projector-1024x581.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e “We have no options to renew. We’ve been here 15 great years, and 15 years later, market conditions have changed. That corner is quite a valuable corner. The landlord can get far more money than we can pay, than we will pay,” said McGowen.\u003cbr\u003e\n“We’ve always loved the location. It’s an iconic building with great architecture and heritage that goes hand in hand with a bookstore. The community has been terrific, supportive and loyal.” (Drew McGowen - Vice-President of Real Estate for Indigo Books and Music Inc.)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chapters Runnymede - Missing You Already!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1630\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] With Toronto\u0026rsquo;s freezing cold weather and ice storm this winter, my heart has many a day reflected on sitting out on a beautiful Summer\u0026rsquo;s Day.[/caption]\nTo make myself feel better about the extremely cold weather we\u0026rsquo;re experiencing now, I took a look at some of last year\u0026rsquo;s images. These collages are a result of that time. Seeing these does make me feel better and brighter in spirit.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1631\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cali enjoying the garden as well! Everything is so green.[/caption]\nSpring flew swiftly by, and summer came; and if the village had been beautiful at first, it was now in the full glow and luxuriance of its richness. The great trees, which had looked shrunken and bare in the earlier months, had now burst into strong life and health; and stretching forth their green arms over the thirsty ground, converted open and naked spots into choice nooks, where was a deep and pleasant shade from which to look upon the wide prospect, steeped in sunshine, which lay stretched out beyond. The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green; and shed her richest perfumes abroad. It was the prime and vigour of the year; all things were glad and flourishing. ~Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1632\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There\u0026rsquo;s nothing better than eating outside. Spring will soon be here - and then Summer. This is the cycle of Life.[/caption]\nFresh fruit, cereal, tea, chocolate, flowers, something to read - and a good companion - the best things in life. Even as I long for Summer, I realize that it is these cold, bitter winter days, that make the longing and the memory so sweet. “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” ― John Steinbeck Travels with Charley: In Search of America.\nAnother favorite of summer is watermelon. As I looked at my pictures, I realized that even when I have watermelon in winter, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem as satisfying and delicious as it does in summer. Summer fruit is good.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling a little tired of all the wintry weather, it is my hope that the collages brightened your day and brought joy to your heart. Maybe some of my favorites are yours too and hopefully, Spring is just around the corner - and then Summer.\n","permalink":"/posts/wishing-for-summer/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1630\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Wishing-for-summer/i-Xt7GMJ2/0/M2dc5mBPF3FDLVsTdMKPnk3tCLWZ7wzpvs7wWWzQk/D/Porch-table-chairs-with-flowers-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"With Toronto\u0026rsquo;s freezing cold weather and ice storm this winter, my heart has many a day reflected on sitting out on a beautiful Summer\u0026rsquo;s Day.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Porch-table-chairs-with-flowers-1024x590.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e With Toronto\u0026rsquo;s freezing cold weather and ice storm this winter, my heart has many a day reflected on sitting out on a beautiful Summer\u0026rsquo;s Day.[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo make myself feel better about the extremely cold weather we\u0026rsquo;re experiencing now, I took a look at some of last year\u0026rsquo;s images.  These collages are a result of that time. Seeing these does make me feel better and brighter in spirit.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wishing For Summer!"},{"content":"\nJanuary 31st is the beginning of the Lunar New Year according to the Chinese Zodiac Calendar and gallops on until February 18th, 2015. It is the Year of the Horse. This celebration of the New Year has always been special for me. For many years, I was fortunate to be able to help the children in the Toronto Chinatown community prepare for the celebration - through my work. Many celebrations and preparations take place for this occasion in Canada, especially where there are large Chinese communities.\nToronto has signs of Lunar New Year preparation everywhere. The Toronto Symphony is giving a Concert on Monday, February 3rd, at 7 p.m. and there is a Gala Dinner as well. Here are some details about the program for the Concert:\nL_i Huanzhi: Spring Festival Overture_ Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme Dvořák: Romance in F Minor for Violin and Orchestra Mao Yuan: New Year\u0026rsquo;s Greeting Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Tan Dun: The Triple Resurrection\nHear Rachmaninoff’s dazzling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini performed by the sensational Yuja Wang. Afterwards, Long Yu, Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic and Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, will lead the Orchestra in a new work by award-winning composer Tan Dun.\nThis will be an excellent performance, no doubt, with so many distinguished guests participating. The Celebration Dinner is at 8:45 p.m. at the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. For music lovers, this is an event not to be missed.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1609\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This is at a Chinese Restaurant on Spadina Ave. in Toronto. We were there for dim-sum.[/caption]\nFood is a very important part of Chinese New Year Celebrations. \u0026ldquo;The New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve dinner is the most important dinner for Chinese. Normally this is the family reunion dinner, especially for those with family members away from home. In the New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve dinner, normally fish will be served. Dumplings are the most important dish in Northern China. These two dishes mean prosperous. Other dishes are depending on personal preference. The majority of Chinese will have New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve dinner at home instead of a restaurant.\u0026rdquo; In 2009, I spent the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. It was an awesome experience. My observation was that many people were eating out.\nCanada Post outlets everywhere are carrying stamps, coins, and other collectibles for the Year of the Horse. The stamps are very beautiful and I tried to capture some images while I was at the store and also from the January/February issue of \u0026ldquo;Details.\u0026rdquo; This is a publication put out by Canada Post that highlights new Canadian stamps. According to Details, \u0026ldquo;those born under the sign have more than their fair share of ingenuity, a gift for communication and a taste for the spotlight - traits that also set the benchmark for this year\u0026rsquo;s stamp design.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1613\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] I decided to put an image of real horses in this collage. This photo was taken at a country wedding I attended on Wolfe Island.[/caption]\nAs you can see from all the collages, the predominant traditional Chinese colors of red and gold are depicted everywhere.\nAs I see more evidence of the Lunar New Year as I go about the City, I will update this blog post. Hope you enjoy the collages.\nUPDATE: As I was out in the Chinatown area of Toronto yesterday, January 28th, here is what I saw as preparations for Chinese New Year are underway.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1647\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There are signs up announcing the events taking place this Saturday for the festivities in Chinatown\u0026rsquo;s Downtown area. In addition, inside the stores are many kinds of decorations for the home.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1648\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] For the Year of the Horse, there were cards with horses, gift bags with horses, and lai see envelopes (for money) with different designs - but all in red and gold. This was in what\u0026rsquo;s known as the Chinatown Centre.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1649\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] For those with a sweet tooth, there are various assortments of cookies and candies. Some are already packaged and ready to go. There are vendors also who are selling by weight and this allows you to choose your own. My hair stylist is Vietnamese and she shared some cookies and candy with me earlier in the day - for Lunar New Year. They were delicious and came from one of those already prepared trays.[/caption]\nHere is some information about the candy trays that I found by way of the Web:\nCandy TrayThe candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called \u0026ldquo;The Tray of Togetherness\u0026rdquo; and has a dazzling array of candy to start the New Year sweetly. After taking several pieces of candy from the tray, adults places a red envelope (lai see) on the center compartment of the tray. Each item represents some kind of good fortune. * Candied melon - growth and good health* Red melon seed - dyed red to symbolize joy,happiness, truth and sincerity* Lychee nut - strong family relationships * Cumquat - prosperity (gold) * Coconut - togetherness * Peanuts - long life * Longnan - many good sons * Lotus seed - many children [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1650\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This collage shows some of the \u0026ldquo;sticky rice\u0026rdquo; tarts, among other treats. I read somewhere that this is always served as part of the big family banquets because it symbolizes the family being close together (sticking together).[/caption]\nMany families bake these as a whole cake. However, I just saw the kind that are in the collage. Time was too short for me to get to the bakeries in Chinatown. The Chinese name for this New Year cake is Nian Gao.\nFlowers and plants are an important part of decorating the home for the New Year. Many mandarin orange plants were on sale, as well as fresh forsythia branches. There were some cut flowers as you will see from the collage. This particular vendor is not usually there during the rest of the year. She\u0026rsquo;s just set this area up (right at the front of the mall) for the Chinese New Year.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1654\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Chinatown Centre - Toronto[/caption]\nUPDATE\nAt Niagara\u0026rsquo;s Fallsview Casino Resort, the Lunar New Year is being celebrated in a big way. The following collages will give an idea of what\u0026rsquo;s actually happening. These were taken on January 30th and although the weather outside was not too bright, everything inside was warm and welcoming for Chinese New Year.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1655\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Niagara\u0026rsquo;s Fallsview Resort Celebrating Chinese New Year[/caption]\nIn the hotel lobby and in the mall area, there were beautiful decorations - hanging lanterns, a spectacular gold horse and banner, and other hanging horse decor.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1656\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ New Year Buffet[/caption]\nWe ate at the Grand Buffet which was spectacularly decorated for Chinese New Year. The greeting and seating staff were all wearing beautiful red Chinese jackets with gold sashes. In addition to the regular buffet items, there were special extra Chinese dishes for the New Year. What a Banquet! However you say it, have a Happy New Year!\nCongratulations and be Prosperous! The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year are Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese). Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way. [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1657\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Year of the Horse 2014[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-chinese-new-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Happy-chinese-new-year/i-qq9xgp2/0/Mg3LWxsgLGh5fsxQ4xHmV7rwtXWhfnh9xSCQDBjK4/D/Year-of-the-Horse-with-shadows-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Year of the Horse (with shadows)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Year-of-the-Horse-with-shadows-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://files.tso.ca/Images/Logos/1314-Chinese-New-Year-Logo_150x212.jpg\"\u003eJanuary 31st is the beginning of the Lunar New Year according to the Chinese Zodiac Calendar and gallops on until February 18th, 2015.   It is  the Year of the Horse.  This celebration of the New Year has always been special for me.  For many years, I was fortunate to be able to help the children in the Toronto Chinatown community prepare for the celebration - through my work.  Many celebrations and preparations take place for this occasion in Canada, especially where there are large Chinese communities.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Year Of The Horse 2014"},{"content":"\nNiagara Falls has always been one of my favorite places that makes for a nice get-away from Toronto. Fortunately for me, through the generosity and kindness of a friend, my visits there are once a month. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter what time of year it happens to be, the Falls are spectacular. As you can see from the images above, the recent ice storm left the Bridal Veil Falls (American side) frozen. The Horseshoe Falls (Canadian side) continues to flow and is the larger of the two. Such natural beauty!\n“The point is that when I see a sunset or a waterfall or something, for a split second it\u0026rsquo;s so great, because for a little bit I\u0026rsquo;m out of my brain, and it\u0026rsquo;s got nothing to do with me. I\u0026rsquo;m not trying to figure it out, you know what I mean? And I wonder if I can somehow find a way to maintain that mind stillness.” ―Chris Evans [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1580\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This is how the escarpment area between the two Falls look after the ice storm.[/caption] We all need beauty and stillness for the sake of our souls and spirits. The great bard put it well when he said: \u0026ldquo;One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.\u0026rdquo; - William Shakespeare\nThese were taken from the seventeenth floor of our hotel room. It was sunny and bright that day.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1581\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There\u0026rsquo;s a small little island that is visible near to the Falls. As you can see from these images, it is now covered with snow and ice.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1582\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These are some other ice-storm scenes at Niagara - all taken January 10th \u0026amp; 11th/2014.[/caption]\nThe collages to follow may be of interest to those who have never visited the Falls and sharply contrast with the images above.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1583\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There\u0026rsquo;s an expectation in the air when Spring arrives and the daffodils come up - at Niagara Falls - and everywhere.[/caption]\nIf you look carefully, you will notice that the little island is no longer covered with snow. None of the trees have leaves yet. This is early spring.\nThere are shuttle buses that one can take from several hotels to go around and visit some of the sights. The Whirlpool Aero Car is one of those sights and crosses the Niagara River over the whirlpool (as seen in image). It\u0026rsquo;s a fun ride.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1585\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Niagara Falls is green in Summer and Early Fall. There\u0026rsquo;s just a hint of some leaves changing color here.[/caption]\nThe Maid of the Mist boat cruises are very popular and take you very close-up to the Falls. These cruises are a big attraction and an experience not to be missed on a visit to Niagara. They only run during Spring, Summer, and Fall. You are given hooded raincoats to wear on these cruises - as you are sure to get wet.\nA rainbow over the Falls is a common sight. Notice how lush and green everything is - even the little island.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1587\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Niagara Falls looks beautiful at night when it is all lit up. During the summer months, every Friday and Sunday evening, there is a spectacular Fireworks Show.[/caption]\nThe collage above shows the Fallsview Casino Resort where many of the pictures were taken. Hope you enjoyed this photographic visit to Niagara Falls. Here is some Niagara information for you too:\nThe word “Niagara” was derived from the Iroquois Indian word “Onguiaahra” meaning “The Strait”.\nAge of Niagara Falls: 12,000 years. Niagara Falls are the second largest falls in the world next to Victoria Falls in Southern Africa. The highest falls in the world are “Angel Falls” in Venezuela, measuring 979 m (3212 ft) high. What makes Niagara Falls so spectacular is the combination of their height and volume. Three different Falls make up what we call “Niagara Falls”: The Canadian Horseshoe Falls, The American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. Number of tourists who visit the Falls every year: 12 million. Size of the Falls: The rim of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls measures about 792 m (2200 ft). The American Falls measure about 323 m (850 ft). The Bridal Veil Falls measure about 15m(50 ft). Both The Canadian Horseshoe Falls and The American Falls measure 57 m (188 ft) in height to the Niagara River below. Volume of water going over the American Falls: 567,810 L/second (150,000 gallons/second) Volume of water going over the Horseshoe Falls: 2,271,240 L/second (600,000 gallons/second) Source of water going over Falls: The 683,760 km2 (264,000 square miles) of water that plunges over the Falls comes from four of the great lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie. Once the water flows over the Falls, it travels down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, where it then flows into the St. Lawrence River and finally into the Atlantic Ocean. Depth of Falls: Before the upper waters were used for the generation of power, the depth of the water on the rim was about 3 m (10 ft). Today, the water over the Falls measures an average of 0.6 m (2 ft) along the entire rim. Deepest section of Niagara River: 52 m (170 ft), just below The Falls. Number of Nights The Falls Are Lit Up: 365. During the summer, the Falls are lit up between 9 pm and midnight. At other times of the year the Falls are lit up when it gets dark. Length of Whirlpool Rapids: 1.6 k m (1 mile). This is where the water drops 15 m (50 ft), and speeds can reach as high as 9 meters per second (30 feet per second). Date first steam-powered boat was launched into the waters beneath the Falls: It was on May 1846, that the Maid of the Mist was launched into the swirling waters. [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1593\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Autumn Leaves[/caption]\nThat\u0026rsquo;s Niagara\u0026rsquo;s Skylon Tower - with a restaurant at the top and spectacular views of the Falls and surrounding areas.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1594\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Niagara Falls in Fall[/caption]\nReference - Imax Niagara.\n","permalink":"/posts/falls-views/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Falls-views/i-gr7MRBw/0/MVW89HNQ4rgzh5rvbLZDvk9KsNKHwGbLmM5dSZkD4/D/Niagara-Falls-for-blog-Horseshoe-Bridal-Veil-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Niagara Falls (for blog) Horseshoe \u0026amp; Bridal Veil)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Niagara-Falls-for-blog-Horseshoe-Bridal-Veil-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNiagara Falls has always been one of my favorite places that makes for a nice get-away from Toronto.  Fortunately for me, through the generosity and kindness of a friend, my visits there are once a month.  It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter what time of year it happens to be, the Falls are spectacular.  As you can see from the images above, the recent ice storm left the Bridal Veil Falls (American side) frozen.  The Horseshoe Falls (Canadian side) continues to flow and is the larger of the two.  Such natural beauty!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Falls Views"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1568\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Live Good[/caption]\nAll the epithets in this collage were of interest to me since they were Christmas ornaments I saw in a year-round Christmas tree store. They are the kind of ornaments one buys for the wine-lover on your Christmas list. The addition of \u0026ldquo;Live Good\u0026rdquo; is my own idea. This image was on the cover of a journal in a bookstore.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s funny how certain images and sayings can act as triggers for past events or ideas one may have held at a certain time of life. This is what these sayings about wine did for me. There was a time in my life when I thought that I was Epicurean - a much younger age. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know much about Epicurus though. It was the \u0026ldquo;Eat, Drink, and Be Merry\u0026rdquo; stage. Life was about having a good time.\nYet, as I grew older, the existential question that we are all faced with arose - how to live good? For each person, the answer is different. It is something we are all actively pursuing - whether through education, wealth, public recognition, philanthropy, culinary delights, mysticism, wine, or any other source or resource. With age, we become interested in meaning.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a relief to now discover that: \u0026ldquo;Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die\u0026rdquo; comes from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 8:15, ‘Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry’, and Isaiah 22:13, ‘Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.’ What a reliable source my friends and I were following!\nOn a lighter note, the ornaments for wine lovers were delightful and many have the word friendship in them. For all wine lovers, and those who are drinking other beverages, may you have the joy of friendship as you imbibe throughout the New Year.\nSeriously though, to satisfy my own curiosity as to why I thought myself to be an Epicurean, here is what I found: \u0026ldquo;The Epicureans also claim to follow reason and nature, but here pleasure in one form or another recommends itself as the good we all seek for ourselves. Its founder, Epicurus, tells us that life is simple, the good is easily within our grasp, and happiness is living in harmony with your friends. Nothing more is needed. In fact, having more than one needs to satisfy legitimate animal desires leads to an uneasy mind filled with imaginary fears of losing what you do not need in the first place. The art of living, here, is to develop the skill to avoid the idols and temptations of the world, and simply to cultivate your garden in harmony with yourself and nature. For Epicurus, the art of living gives us the ability to maintain peace of mind. Part of this freedom comes in releasing an excessive fear of death. Such a fear, more than any other, hinders us in living. Death is nothing, and so nothing to fear. “Where I am, death is not. Where death is, I am not.” And if you say that it is precisely this ‘nothing’ that you fear, the reply is that it can only be something to fear while you are alive, so why waste the time. Again, we can lessen our fears by negotiating life in such a way as to avoid the shoals of superstition and the stares of vengeful gods. If gods exist, and are happy, then they will not associate themselves with unhappy humans. If the gods do not exist, it is the same. Stick to natural desires, which are easy to satisfy. Avoid vain desires that are expensive to satisfy and cause mental disturbances.\u0026rdquo; (Talking Philosophy)\nEpicurus was not the hedonist that I had imagined him to be after all. At the end of the day, we all want to \u0026ldquo;Live Good\u0026rdquo; - in whatever way that fits in with our different situations, circumstances and life experiences, as well as the meaning we want our lives to have. This was a good learning exercise for me and hope it will be for you too.\n","permalink":"/posts/live-good/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1568\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Live-good/i-FnDTvp5/0/L9VzSPBWzzX74HVqKMpkLzmZ99pKP9SDJ3SmD6VsV/D/Live-Good-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Live Good\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Live-Good-for-blog-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Live Good[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the epithets in this collage were of interest to me since they were Christmas ornaments I saw in a year-round Christmas tree store.  They are the kind of ornaments one buys for the wine-lover on your Christmas list. The addition of \u0026ldquo;Live Good\u0026rdquo; is my own idea.  This image was on the cover of a journal in a bookstore.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s funny how certain images and sayings can act as triggers for past events or ideas one may have held at a certain time of life. This is what these sayings about wine did for me. There was a time in my life when I thought that I was Epicurean - a much younger age.  I didn\u0026rsquo;t know much about Epicurus though. It was the \u0026ldquo;Eat, Drink, and Be Merry\u0026rdquo; stage.  Life was about having a good time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Live Good"},{"content":"A new heart for a New Year, always! (Charles Dickens, The Chimes)\nAs the New Year draws closer, some of us are already thinking about what resolutions we are going to make to usher this ritual event into our lives. It’s definitely a chance for our hearts to be filled with hope for new beginnings and further realizations of our dreams and wishes - for ourselves and for others in 2014.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s also a time of reflection on the past year and how that time has passed for each of us. However, we don\u0026rsquo;t pass this time alone. We embrace others on our journey and they embrace us on ours - whether through physical embraces, smiles, handshakes, phone calls, or any other means of communication. “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly embracing each other.” (Luciano De Crescenzo)\nAs I reflect on 2013, one of my means of embrace has been through images. It is gratifying that so many people from all over the world have been making this journey with me. For my own amusement and reflection, I have made my own \u0026ldquo;Top Ten Collages of 2013\u0026rdquo; Hope you enjoy!\nHave a Happy New Year!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1552\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This Lladro Figurine was encased in a glass display case at \u0026quot; Downton Abbey Day\u0026quot; - Ashley\u0026rsquo;s Toronto. It is a very expensive piece of sculpture that I admired while I was there.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1553\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These Sand Sculptures were beautiful works of art - taken at the CNE - Toronto.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1554\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Belly-dancer at a Toronto Wedding.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1555\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Beach at the Amaryllis Resort - Barbados.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1556\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Barbados Pride - National Flower of Barbados. These are my own arrangements of this beautiful bloom.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1557\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Three Graces Painting with Forsythias in Background. This painting represents my own handiwork. One day when the forsythias in the garden were in full bloom, I was inspired to take it outside and do some photography.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1558\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Downton Abbey Day - Ashley\u0026rsquo;s Toronto.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1559\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cherry Blossoms - High Park, Toronto. This is a visit not to be missed if you are in the City of Toronto. I don\u0026rsquo;t know the woman in the picture but since she isn\u0026rsquo;t facing the camera and her outfit is so colorful - this is a pretty sight. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t enough for her to see the blossoms, she had to touch them. Beautiful![/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1560\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Pope Benedict - Rome. The Papacy made big news this year and I did a post concerning the papal resignation. This was taken in Rome on my last visit at an audience that I was fortunate to be at (along with thousands of others).[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1561\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Canada Blooms 2013 - Toronto. This is a Spring Garden Show and is very popular as most Toronto dwellers are longing for fresh flowers after months of winter weather. It\u0026rsquo;s a lot like the New Year - a Garden Show that brings hopes and dreams for the future - for what is to come. \u0026ldquo;A new heart for a New Year, always!\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/top-ten-collages-of-2013/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA new heart for a New Year, always!\u003c/strong\u003e (Charles Dickens, The Chimes)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the New Year draws closer, some of us are already thinking about what resolutions we are going to make to usher this ritual event into our lives.  It’s definitely a chance for our hearts to be filled with hope for new beginnings and further realizations of our dreams and wishes - for ourselves and for others in 2014.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Top Ten Collages of 2013"},{"content":"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1525\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas. ~Pope John XXIII[/caption]\nIn this my 100th post, it is a pleasure to share some Christmas collages with you and to send Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year. When I started the blog, little did I realize that it would become such an important part of my way of life. There`s been a lot of ``metamorphosis`` taking place here - both in the blog and in myself. ``Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full-on metamorphosis.`` This quote by Martha Beck is apt in more than one way - a kind of synchronicity one might say. My first blog post was called ``Metamorphosis.`` Through sharing my images and some of my thoughts as well, there has been an exchange of a part of myself with others in the world. It is humbling to think that what started out as a whim has become serious enough to bring me to my 100th blog post. Thanks to all who have encouraged this venture and been a part of this metamorphosis.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1545\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] “People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.”\nunknown[/caption]\nFood, glorious food!\nSo much chocolate. So little time!\nDo Not Disturb. Chocolate Fantasy in Progress.\nWhen life gives you lemons, throw them back and demand chocolate.\nChocolate-coated truth tastes better. - Amy Shawnee\nAn exhale moment deserves delicious chocolate.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1495\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.[/caption]\nSanta Claus arrived in Toronto since the middle of November at the big Santa Claus Parade. Many little children and not so little ones are eagerly awaiting his visit on Christmas Eve night when the lights are all out and they are sound asleep.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1547\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Lighting the Advent Wreath[/caption]\nChristmas is a joyous time for people of all ages. I was at a wonderful party on the 1st day of December. Look carefully at the hands in these images. Here is a great Advent quote: “For outlandish creatures like us, on our way to a heart, a brain, and courage, Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning - not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last.” (Frederick Buechner)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1513\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Clara: This is all like a dream come true. The Land of the Dolls is so beautiful and everyone\u0026rsquo;s so kind. I\u0026rsquo;ve known some of you all my life. And to think we could all be together forever.\nNutcracker: Then you\u0026rsquo;ll stay. (Clara hangs her head) Clara, what is it?\nClara: Oh, I want to. I want to stay with you, I do. But\u0026hellip;\nNutcracker: But? But what?\nClara: Oh, I don\u0026rsquo;t know, I\u0026rsquo;m so confused. It\u0026rsquo;s just, well, the Land of the Dolls is where you all belong. But I want to grow up. There\u0026rsquo;s a million things I want to do; people to meet, worlds to explore. I\u0026rsquo;ve always wanted to dance in the ballet. Nutcracker, I do love you, but I can\u0026rsquo;t stay in the Land of the Dolls forever.[/caption]\nThe `Nutcracker Ballet` is in town, and, for many families, Christmas isn`t Christmas without attending a performance. This is one of my favorite ballets as well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1514\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;480\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Dance is the hidden music of the soul.\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\nThis is an ornament on a Christmas tree. Isn`t it wonderful that there are ornaments to suit everyone`s taste and that Christmas decorations come in such a variety of colors, styles, and sizes.\nI hope to add some more collages to this blog post before Christmas. Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas!\nNotes: All quotations and references are internet based.\n","permalink":"/posts/merry-christmas/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  ~Charles Dickens\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Merry Christmas!"},{"content":"“While it is good that we seek to know the Holy One, it is probably not so good to presume that we ever complete the task.” ~ (Bonhoeffer)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1524\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ The Lowly Manger[/caption]\nAt the first Christmas - the circumstances were dire. There was no room at the inn and the Baby Jesus was born in a manger. There were no doctors, nurses, midwives, bright hospital lights, and a bag packed with fine clothing for either mother or child. It was the humblest of births.\nThere are many miniature depictions of this Nativity Scene as part of the Christmas celebrations. It is known by different names as well - creche, nacimiento, presepio, or Krippe. The name depends on the country and the figures and scenery sometimes reveals the culture.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1525\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] No Crib For A Bed[/caption]\nI read that St. Francis of Assisi was responsible for the very first live staging of the Nativity outside of a church. This took place in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. It is very common for most church groups today to put on their own version of the Nativity at which all the parishioners and children get involved. This brings everyone closer to what the original Birthday Celebration was all about.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1526\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Angel Voices Ever Singing[/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s easy to forget the reason for the big party altogether amidst all the school parties, office parties, decorating, shopping, cooking, and planning for the party. The Manger Scene and the song \u0026ldquo;Away in A Manger\u0026rdquo; are a good way to remember the reason for the Season.\nAway in a manger, No crib for His bed The little Lord Jesus Laid down His sweet head.\nThe stars in the bright sky Looked down where He lay The little Lord Jesus Asleep on the hay.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1527\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Happy Birthday, Jesus![/caption]\nWe hear the beating of wings over Bethlehem and a light that is not of the sun or of the stars shines in the midnight sky. Let the beauty of the story take away all narrowness, all thought of formal creeds. Let it be remembered as a story that has happened again and again, to men of many different races, that has been expressed through many religions, that has been called by many different names. Time and space and language lay no limitations upon human brotherhood. ~New York Times, 25 December 1937, quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938, published by The H.W. Wilson Company, New York.\nHave a Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoyed all the Manger Scenes.\n","permalink":"/posts/manger-scenes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“\u003cstrong\u003eWhile it is good that we seek to know the Holy One, it is probably not so good to presume that we ever complete the task.” ~ (Bonhoeffer)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1524\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Manger-scenes/i-vBjjkMH/0/Mvzzs9jQBzBfprxMcgsTzRgbCqs7R8NZ2p3mkFzpj/D/Manger-Scene-with-two-birds-and-printing-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"~ The Lowly Manger\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Manger-Scene-with-two-birds-and-printing-1024x585.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e ~ The Lowly Manger[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e At the first Christmas - the circumstances were dire.  There was no room at the inn and the Baby Jesus was born in a manger.  There were no doctors, nurses, midwives, bright hospital lights, and a bag packed with fine clothing for either mother or child.  It was the humblest of births.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Manger Scenes"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1492\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] By The Fireplace[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;_So if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is still worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some quiet morning, the touch will take.\u0026rdquo; (Ha_rry Reasoner)\nIt\u0026rsquo;s fascinating to take in the sights and sounds of Christmas around this great city of Toronto. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere I go\u0026rdquo; as the popular song says. All kinds of people get caught up in the Spirit of Christmas, whether they are celebrating the Birthday of Jesus or just having fun. There\u0026rsquo;s so much to be done before Christmas Day - cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, writing, travelling, rehearsing, praying, singing, meditating, playing, just to name a few of the important things to be done.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1494\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Decor[/caption]\nThe images in \u0026ldquo;Christmas Decor\u0026rdquo; were taken at a fine restaurant two weeks ago. We were there for a Birthday Celebration but Christmas was very much already a part of the spirit and decor there that evening. That \u0026ldquo;Christmassy\u0026rdquo; feeling had begun. Eating and drinking are a big part of the Christmas Celebrations. \u0026ldquo;The Christian Middle Ages marked Christmas with the consumption of food and drink in great quantities. In 1213 King John of England ordered 3,000 capons, 1,000 salted eels, 400 hogs, 100 pounds of almonds, and 24 casks of wine for his Christmas festivities. This sort of excess eventually helped lead to the abolition of Christmas under the PURITANS, but the people\u0026rsquo;s love of holiday consumption outlasted such reforms.\u0026rdquo; (World Encyclopedia of Christmas)\nIt was interesting to find that bit of information since Christmas Celebrations have always been a part of my life. Never did I ever hear that Christmas had been abolished. Since, for Christians, this celebration\u0026rsquo;s main focus is the Birthday of Jesus, that must have been very hard. To have nice decorations or good food or drink doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean they have to be the most expensive or the finest. There are many fine things that we ourselves can make and the most fun of it all is in the gathering together and sharing of ourselves with friends and loved ones. Every piece of Christmas cake and every cookie is exquisite when shared with those we love. \u0026ldquo;It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you . . . yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.\u0026rdquo; (Mother Teresa)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1497\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Greenery[/caption]\nAlthough the box with all the decorations hasn\u0026rsquo;t been take down yet, I wanted to make the porch look \u0026ldquo;Christmassy.\u0026rdquo; As you can see from the above collage, some evergreen branches were purchased. I put several of these branches into a vase that was already on the table with a few white, artificial flowers. I tied two bows with some red ribbon, one for the greenery and one for the vase. The dried out hydrangea flowers were hanging in the garden and I picked them and quickly spray-painted them with gold paint - and ta-da - my first Christmas arrangement.\n\u0026ldquo;It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn\u0026rsquo;t before! \u0026ldquo;Maybe Christmas,\u0026rdquo; he thought, \u0026ldquo;doesn\u0026rsquo;t come from a store. Maybe Christmas\u0026hellip; perhaps\u0026hellip; means a little bit more!\u0026rdquo; ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1499\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Santa\u0026rsquo;s In Town[/caption]\nMay this Christmas mean a little bit more - to all of us! Merry Christmas!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1498\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Holly In My Neighbour\u0026rsquo;s Garden[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/christmassy/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1492\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Christmassy/i-NBFT26D/0/KXqLPP2DFwM5svqq4BkQVQW39KTPSTgbcvrPbG8TN/D/Christmas-Collage-2013-with-Fireplace-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"By The Fireplace\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Christmas-Collage-2013-with-Fireplace-1024x586.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e By The Fireplace[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;_So if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is still worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some quiet morning, the touch  will take.\u0026rdquo;  (Ha_rry Reasoner)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s fascinating to take in the sights and sounds of Christmas around this great city of Toronto.  \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere I go\u0026rdquo; as the popular song says.  All kinds of people get caught up in the Spirit of Christmas, whether they are celebrating the Birthday of Jesus or just having fun.  There\u0026rsquo;s so much to be done before Christmas Day - cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, writing, travelling, rehearsing, praying, singing, meditating, playing, just to name a few of the important things to be done.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmassy!"},{"content":" ~ Quotations from: \u0026ldquo;Cat Quotations\u0026rdquo; - a book in my own personal library.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1474\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cat with Japanese Maple in Red Fall Color[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;There are other ties which cats put on our affections. We enjoy their intelligence and grace; and we feel a strange sense of companionship and consolation in their presence. But these are ideas we can understand by words. The reasons for their appeal to us can never be expressed too clearly.\u0026rdquo; (Lloyd Alexander)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1478\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;The really great thing about cats is their endless variety. One can pick a cat to fit almost any kind of decor, income, personality, mood. But under the fur, there still lies, essentially unchanged, one of the world\u0026rsquo;s free souls.\u0026rdquo; (Eric Gurney)[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;One small cat changes coming home to an empty house into coming home.\u0026rdquo; (Pam Brown)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1475\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] So\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;pretty![/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;One day a cat will opt to join you while you are utterly relaxed in muscle and brain, and with a delicate miaow and a velvet paw will show you transcendental meditation by an expert.\u0026rdquo; (V. Martin)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1476\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;There are no ordinary cats.\u0026rdquo; (Colette)[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Cats are a tonic, they are a laugh, they are a cuddle, they are at least pretty just about all of the time and beautiful some of the time.\u0026rdquo; (Roger Caras from \u0026ldquo;A Cat is Watching.\u0026rdquo;)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1477\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;To some blind souls all cats are much alike. To a cat lover every cat from the beginning of time has been utterly and amazingly unique.\u0026rdquo; (Jenny De Vries)[/caption]\nThese are some of my favorite cat photos turned into collages. Hope you enjoyed!\n","permalink":"/posts/for-cat-lovers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e~ Quotations from:  \u0026ldquo;Cat Quotations\u0026rdquo;  - a book in my own personal library.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1474\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/For-cat-lovers/i-Pkw4vdT/0/MvfcnkJgHBwmFmwLcM6WwCLJXrJh5Z2XBCWrGQWQQ/D/Cali-with-Japanese-maple-in-Red-Fall-Colour-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"~ Cat with Japanese Maple in Red Fall Color\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cali-with-Japanese-maple-in-Red-Fall-Colour-1024x582.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Cat with Japanese Maple in Red Fall Color[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;There are other ties which cats put on our affections.  We enjoy their intelligence and grace; and we feel a strange sense of companionship and consolation in their presence.  But these are ideas we can understand by words. The reasons for their appeal to us can never be expressed too clearly.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLloyd Alexander)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"For Cat Lovers"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1369\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Diwali Festival[/caption]\nFill the Heart with the oil of love. Place in it the wick of single-pointed mind. Light it with the Knowledge of Truth and remove the darkness of ignorance around you. Just as one lamp can light many lamps; let each youth kindle this Light in many hearts. Diwali will be celebrated on November 2nd and 3rd this year in Toronto. Apart from India, where the biggest celebrations will be, other countries with South Asian populations will also be \u0026ldquo;lighting up\u0026rdquo; and participating in other ways in this Festival. It\u0026rsquo;s a New Year celebration. Many homes are lit up and special meals prepared for the occasion. It\u0026rsquo;s a time for lots of \u0026ldquo;sweet treats. \u0026ldquo;On the day of the Diwali festival, doorways are hung with torans of mango leaves and marigolds. Rangolis are drawn with different colored powders to welcome guests. The traditional motifs are often linked with auspicious symbols of good luck. Oil diyas are arranged in and around the house. Because of these flickering lamps, the festival has acquired its name : Dipawali or Diwali meaning \u0026lsquo;a rows of lamps\u0026rsquo;. On this day, people buy something for the house or some jewelry for the women of the house. It is auspicious to buy something metallic, such as silver.\n\u0026ldquo;Little India\u0026rdquo; in the Gerrard/Coxwell area of Toronto has Diwali celebrations planned between 2:00 pm-10:00 pm on November 2nd and 3rd. Toronto has a large South Asian population and many people are sure to be there with family and friends. The program includes Indian Classical Music, Rajasthani Music and Dances, Kathak, Bhangra and Bharatnatyam. For all Bollywood fans, Bollywood Dances are on the program. A chance to learn Indian Dancing is also part of what I saw listed on the Program. Live music will also be provided by Aaksah. It should be lots of fun!\nFor those celebrating Diwali, have a Happy Diwali. Hope you enjoy the collages that I put together for this occasion. They comprise all my own photography.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1370\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Diwali Diyas and Firecrackers[/caption]\nThese diyas are very ornate and colorful and many vendors in the Gerrard area were selling these for Diwali. There were ordinary clay ones there as well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1371\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Indian Sweets[/caption]\nThis is just a small view of what is available for Diwali. There are sure to be many more \u0026ldquo;treats\u0026rdquo; than are seen in this collage. I was there on the day of Diwali one year and huge tables in restaurants had nothing but sweets for sale.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1372\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Indian Dress[/caption]\nThe finest Indian dress for both men and women can be found in this area - not to mention the lovely Indian dress for children. Many people buy new clothing for Diwali.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1387\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Indian Dress for Children[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1373\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] All Things Indian[/caption]\nThis collage shows some mouth-watering Indian food, some more beautiful Indian dress, and Indian ornaments. Many women have henna designs (Mehndi) - although I don\u0026rsquo;t know if they do this for Diwali. I took this image when I was down there during the summer for a street festival.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1374\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Indian Restaurant Food[/caption]\nMany people eat out in this area for Diwali. We had a fine meal at one of the restaurants down there not so long ago and this is what we had. Yummy!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1377\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Sari Embellishments[/caption]\nSaris have such beautiful embellishments - I have fun just collaging the embellishments.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1378\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] More Sari Embellishments[/caption]\nLakshmi is the Goddess of wealth, health, peace, prosperity and love. People clean and decorate their houses on the occasion as it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi will go to only clean houses and bless them with wealth and prosperity. People offer vermilion, turmeric and flowers to the idol. Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped together at most places as it is considered fortunate and wisdom and wealth come together. In the night lamps are lighted to welcome the goddess.\nEnjoy all your Diwali sweets.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1392\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Happy Diwali![/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/a-row-of-lamps/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1369\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Indan-tea-lights-for-new-blog-1024x587.jpg\" title=\"Diwali lights\"\u003e Diwali Festival[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eFill the Heart with the oil of love. Place in it the wick of single-pointed mind. Light it with the Knowledge of Truth and remove the darkness of ignorance around you. Just as one lamp can light many lamps; let each youth kindle this Light in many hearts.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiwali will be celebrated on November 2nd and 3rd this year in Toronto.  Apart from India,  where the biggest celebrations will be, other countries with South Asian populations will also be \u0026ldquo;lighting up\u0026rdquo; and participating in other ways in this Festival. It\u0026rsquo;s a New Year celebration.  Many homes are lit up and special meals prepared for the occasion.  It\u0026rsquo;s a time for lots of \u0026ldquo;sweet treats.  \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eOn the day of the Diwali festival, doorways are hung with torans of mango  leaves and marigolds. Rangolis are drawn with different  colored powders to welcome guests. The traditional motifs are often linked  with auspicious symbols of good luck. Oil diyas are arranged in and around  the house. Because of these flickering lamps, the festival has acquired its  name : Dipawali or Diwali meaning \u0026lsquo;a rows of lamps\u0026rsquo;. On  this day, people buy something for the house or some jewelry for the women  of the house. It is auspicious to buy something metallic, such as silver.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"A Row of Lamps\""},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1356\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;To A Pink Peony\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nMy Dad passed on thirteen years ago this week. He loved all the flowers in the garden but was particularly devoted to the peonies. On this anniversary of the heart, I\u0026rsquo;m sharing this poem he wrote in 1998 which was two years before his death.\nTo A Pink Peony\nUnrivalled, the pink peony outshone\nthe other colorful flowers in the garden.\nWith joyful admiration\nTinged with wonder\nI watched her unfolding.\nMaidenly, a paragon of perfection.\nHow much longer\nBefore the inevitable reality\nThat o\u0026rsquo;ertakes all created things befalls?\nApprehensive, I captured her on film\nPainfully aware no shadow could suffice.\nAs feared, it was not long before\nHer withered petals bestrewed the ground\nThe pink peony no more.\nFrom the void within\nSome brooding thoughts arose:\nWhat are you now?\nMust transience always deny\nthe most cherished treasures of life?\nWere some gifts conferred\nTo be better enjoyed in memory?\nMust loss hound-like pursue the path of joy?\nIs this what is meant\nby \u0026ldquo;This too shall pass?\u0026rdquo;\nOr as Eastern sages have said:\n\u0026ldquo;All is Maya.\u0026rdquo;\nFootnote: To a Pink Peony\n\u0026ldquo;Maya\u0026rdquo; is the Sanskrit word for God: power of illusion, that brings about the whole world. This power causes the individual soul to believe that the unreal is the real, and that the transient is everlasting.\nThe poem and the footnote are my Dad\u0026rsquo;s. A beautiful poem that shows how the peony in all its radiance and beauty was the catalyst for this deeper questioning and exploration at his time of life. We all have those existential questions and don\u0026rsquo;t usually have anyone to share our deepest thoughts with. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that my Dad was able to put his feelings into poetry.\nAs I grow older, I understand that it\u0026rsquo;s the people around us who are afraid to talk of death. It\u0026rsquo;s not the person who is consciously and subconsciously aware of this reality. At a certain time in each person\u0026rsquo;s life, be they healthy or ill, the \u0026ldquo;passing\u0026rdquo; happens. This body wears away. These candid observations and questions were definitely made by a man who was actively completing his \u0026ldquo;life-work.\u0026rdquo; All the ambitions, dreams, longings, that we all have as young people, were no longer to be pursued by him. He had been there and done that. This was a time for reflection.\n\u0026ldquo;To be, or not to be\u0026rdquo; is that line we all know from Shakespeare. In a way, we spend a lifetime being conditioned to \u0026ldquo;become.\u0026rdquo; At the end of this lifetime, we finally get to admire the peonies and reflect on what it is to really \u0026ldquo;be\u0026rdquo; and the duration of this being. We wonder about all that we have observed while we were actively pursuing a life of ambition, success, and making a mark. My Dad was having a little time \u0026ldquo;to be.\u0026rdquo;\nI\u0026rsquo;m reading a book now called \u0026ldquo;The Exquisite Risk\u0026rdquo; by Mark Nepo and this is what he has to say about being and becoming. \u0026ldquo;Yes, being and becoming take time, and this commitment to stay open is at the very core of what it means to be a person. Person, from the Greek per son means \u0026ldquo;the sound that passes through.\u0026rdquo; As well, the Blackfoot word for wind is So Po - \u0026ldquo;something going through.\u0026rdquo; These simple yet profound notions seem to name our time on earth. For something is always going through\u0026ndash;from inner to outer, or the other way around. Like it or not, ready or not, it is this constant passage of life through us that forms us inwardly, if we give it the time.\u0026rdquo; There\u0026rsquo;s always a \u0026ldquo;passing through,\u0026rdquo; Daddy. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that you passed through. Thank you for \u0026ldquo;To A Pink Peony.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1362\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Peonies In An Arrangement\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThere were peonies in a Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day arrangement that was sent to me this last Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day. When the arrangement came, they weren\u0026rsquo;t open - but as they opened up each day, I took pictures of them. It was since that time that I started thinking of Daddy\u0026rsquo;s poem \u0026ldquo;To A Pink Peony.\u0026rdquo; Time does go by - the passing of time, the passing of memories, the passing of different peonies in our lives.\n","permalink":"/posts/to-a-pink-peony/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1356\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;To A Pink Peony\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/To-a-pink-peony/i-JjdRxCr/0/KrgrvDfJBKzM29F49M7FjsN2RcShkXTH5T8kTg7CM/D/Peony-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Peony-Collage-1024x586.jpg\" title=\"Peony Collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy Dad passed on thirteen years ago this week.  He loved all the flowers in the garden but was particularly devoted to the peonies.  On this anniversary of the heart, I\u0026rsquo;m sharing this poem he wrote in 1998 which was two years before his death.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eTo A Pink Peony\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnrivalled, the pink peony outshone\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ethe other colorful flowers in the garden.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"To A Pink Peony"},{"content":"Stratford is a picturesque Ontario town and is one of my favorite places to visit. It attracts many visitors every year for theatrical productions known as the \u0026ldquo;Stratford Festival.\u0026rdquo; We were there for a Doctoral Celebration which included a lovely lunch and afternoon walk along the Avon River. Many swans, ducks, and their young, make lovely companions for visitors who wish to admire and spend time with them.\nI like to think of the river myself as the \u0026ldquo;Swany\u0026rdquo; River rather than the Avon. It\u0026rsquo;s delightful to see so many swans in the river and on land enjoying themselves. I have always had a liking for swans and their graceful look. It\u0026rsquo;s rather \u0026ldquo;swany\u0026rdquo; here. There are many ducks as well but the swans seem to steal the show. \u0026ldquo;_In Canada, Stratford is synonymous with the stage. Each year, the town\u0026rsquo;s Theatre Festival attracts over 600,000 visitors to live performances of Shakespeare and a plethora of other classic playwrights. The festival began over 50 years ago as a means of replacing the dying railroad industry. Today, it is the largest classical repertory event in North America. As if to embellish the lyricism of Shakespeare with sheer visual grace, Stratford\u0026rsquo;s Avon River is also home to a famous population of swans swimming a picturesque shoreline river flanked by meticulously kept parks.\u0026rdquo; (O_ntario Tourism \u0026amp; Travel)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1302\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Cygnets (Flappers)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWe were very lucky to see many cygnets the day we were there. This is the name given to a baby swan. They are also known as flappers. You can see from the collage that they are a gray color. A male swan is called a Cob and a female a Pen. I used to know this years ago when I was in school but had to reacquaint myself with these terms for this post.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1303\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Ducks On A Summer\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThere were ducks everywhere. Some were in the water but many were just sun-bathing, resting, and relaxing. As you can see from the collage, there are different species there. The ducklings were so cute!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1305\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Avon River, Stratford, Ontario\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI found these appropriate rhymes about swans and ducks and like them both very much.\nSwan swan swan, Bending their necks to sing to the sky. White feathers floating on green water, Red feet pushing against clear waves. (Tang Dynasty, Luo Bin Wang)\nI wondered what was the duration of time of the Tang Dynasty and discovered it to be 618 AD - 907 AD. It was a time that produced many poets. \u0026ldquo;During the Tang dynasty, many great poets emerged. Li, Po, Tu Fu, and Po Chu-i and prose master Han Yu appeared when the political decline had begun. The printing of books and sharing of ideas promoted cultural unity.\u0026quot; An interesting tidbit!\nWe all like babies of any kind and I must say that duck babies are very cute. This rhyme is used as a teaching tool for very young children. Very clever and gets them thinking.\nPeck, peck, peck on the warm brown egg. Out comes a neck. Out comes a leg. How does a chick that\u0026rsquo;s not been about discover the trick of how to get out? (Aileen Fisher)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1309\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Boats on the Avon River\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThere are different kinds of boats along the Avon River and it\u0026rsquo;s possible to go for a boat ride. There was also a barge near to the theatre area that carried a live band. Beautiful music to make a visit to Stratford even more memorable. The statues were at a memorial close to the river.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1343\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Festival Bridge - Stratford\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nTo add to my afternoon walk along the river and my photographic delight - was the beautiful image you see of these Mennonite ladies taking a walk. We were all very close to Festival Bridge.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1346\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Other Glimpses of Stratford\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nStratford\u0026rsquo;s City Hall stands out and is a very nice building to see as one walks about in the downtown area. I was very lucky to see it at night as well. The Festival Theatre was the one we went to for an unforgettable performance of \u0026ldquo;Fiddler on the Roof.\u0026rdquo; Attending this performance was a special birthday gift for me. The Festival Gardens were very beautiful. There are performances in other theatres that comprise the \u0026ldquo;Stratford Festival.\u0026rdquo; Many people go down to Stratford for a few days and take in several plays a day.\nThere are beautiful wildflowers all along the river. I just ordinarily enjoy flowers when I\u0026rsquo;m taking a walk, but, on this occasion - I picked some. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen any flower shops or supermarkets downtown where I could buy flowers. I already had the cup filled with floral foam brought with me from home. I wanted flowers desperately for \u0026ldquo;our special doctoral celebrant.\u0026rdquo; This collage shows how the arrangement turned out. She was very happy when she received them at dinner that night.\nWhat a memorable and beautiful visit to Stratford. We had dinner at Bentley\u0026rsquo;s, coffee at Balzac\u0026rsquo;s, our Festival Theatre evening for \u0026ldquo;Fiddler on the Roof\u0026rdquo; and our overnight stay at \u0026ldquo;As You Like It.\u0026rdquo; Hope you enjoyed all the collages and visiting with me at Stratford.\n","permalink":"/posts/festival-city/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Stratford-Swany-River-for-blog-1024x622.jpg\" title=\"Stratford (Swany River) for blog\"\u003eStratford is a picturesque Ontario town and is one of my favorite places to visit.  It attracts many visitors every year for theatrical productions known as the \u0026ldquo;Stratford Festival.\u0026rdquo;  We were there for a Doctoral Celebration which included a lovely lunch and afternoon walk along the Avon River. Many swans, ducks, and their young, make lovely companions for visitors who wish to admire and spend time with them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Festival City"},{"content":"On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be \u0026ldquo;a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.\u0026rdquo;\nFor some of us, Thanksgiving is a big celebration with friends, family, and the traditional turkey dinner. For others, it\u0026rsquo;s a time of reflection or just another holiday to enjoy in our own way. Whichever way we spend it, we have all been out and seen the beautiful colors that Nature provides at this time of year.\nAll the images in these collages are representative of what I think of when Thanksgiving comes to mind. I had fun photographing all of them. The above collage represents the spirit of gratitude that is necessary in our hearts for there to be thanksgiving. My friend and I were having lunch together one day. After she had eaten, she took out the few vegetables she had just bought to take home - and spread them on the table. She put her hands just as you see them and said they were beautiful. I immediately took out my camera and took this photo. She was expressing her gratitude for the bounty of the earth. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t a formal prayer but an appreciation of what was right before her eyes.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1323\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Harvest Scenery\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThese images brought to mind James Whitcomb\u0026rsquo;s poem \u0026ldquo;When the Frost is on the Punkin\u0026rdquo; (one verse only). I took these photos in my own local shopping area and my back garden. There were many pumpkins and gourds for sale although none are visible here. Enjoy!\nThey’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere\nWhen the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—\nOf course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,\nAnd the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees;\nBut the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze\nOf a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days\nIs a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—\nWhen the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1326\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Festivals - Toronto\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAlthough it\u0026rsquo;s Thanksgiving, I\u0026rsquo;m sharing this collage that shows some of the kinds of people who make up the cultural mosaic of Canada. During the summer months, many street fairs and parties take place in Toronto. There\u0026rsquo;s everything from Taste of the Danforth to Taste of Thailand and it is possible to taste food from many different countries without visiting those places. There are also dances and ethnic wear that add to these wonderful happenings. It makes me think that many different kinds of food as well as traditional turkey can be found at many Thanksgiving celebrations. Isn\u0026rsquo;t that a marvelous thing?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1328\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Thanksgiving Black Cake\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nRum cake (Black Cake)\nA rum cake is a type of dessert cake which contains rum. In most of the Caribbean, rum cakes are a traditional holiday season dessert, descended from the holiday puddings introduced by English settlers. Black cake is made for weddings and usually for Christmas. Dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, and mixed peel, are put in a bottle and soaked with rum or wine. It is left for several weeks or months depending on how long you want the fruit to be set for. When it \u0026rsquo;s time to bake your cake, this mixture is added to the batter, and that\u0026rsquo;s basically how you make a black cake. For weddings, almond paste and royal icing is used to decorate the cake. It is very delicious!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1331\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Nature\u0026rsquo;s Bounty\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nHope you enjoyed all the collages and the tidbits and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!\n","permalink":"/posts/thanksgiving-tidbits/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn January 31, 1957,  the Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be \u0026ldquo;a day of general thanksgiving to almighty  God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Thanksgiving-Post-folded-hands-with-fruit-collage.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"A Bountiful Harvest\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Thanksgiving-Post-folded-hands-with-fruit-collage-1024x583.jpg\" title=\"Thanksgiving Post (folded hands with fruit collage)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor some of us, Thanksgiving is a big celebration with friends, family, and the traditional turkey dinner.  For others, it\u0026rsquo;s a time of reflection or just another holiday to enjoy in our own way.  Whichever way we spend it, we have all been out and seen the beautiful colors that Nature provides at this time of year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thanksgiving Tidbits"},{"content":" __To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” – Osho\nI wanted to bring a little \u0026ldquo;something special\u0026rdquo; into the life of someone I deeply care about. We were having a special celebration lunch for a special happening and these kinds of events always seem to bring forth a burst of creative energy from within me. I was also already dancing in my heart. My thoughts turned to fruit and I remembered admiring edible arrangements at parties I had attended in the past - and enjoying them too. I thought: \u0026ldquo;Why not make an edible arrangement?\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1281\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fruit and Flowers[/caption]\nFlowers and fruit are always a winning combination for their beauty and color. The flowers are from our own garden and all the fruit on our own kitchen table.\nThe strawberry I am holding here was an unusual shape and I took many images of it. Fresh strawberries are the best. My husband picked these from his garden.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1285\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fruit for Love[/caption]\nAs you can see, the fruit used here were pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, blueberries, and strawberries. Some strawberries were left plain and some were chocolate dipped. Both white and dark chocolate was used. I added some \u0026ldquo;sprinkles\u0026rdquo; to a few of them for variety and for those who had a \u0026ldquo;sweet tooth.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1288\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fruit Arrangements[/caption]\nA beer glass filled with lettuce and parsley was used to hold the skewers. Some skewers were longer than others. This image shows the grape and blueberry skewer well. You can use as few fruit or as many as you want on each one.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1289\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] A Special Occasion[/caption]\nIt was truly lovely to be engaged in this arrangement of love. It was very much appreciated and well received. My husband helped with the fruit cut-outs using cookie cutters of different shapes. I was happy that it turned out as beautiful as it did. \u0026ldquo;Though beauty is autonomous, there seem to be occasions when human presence can become congruent with her will. In creative work, no amount of force or mechanical management can guarantee beauty. Suddenly, without expecting it, beauty is there.\u0026rdquo;\nHope this inspires you to try your own \u0026ldquo;fruit extravaganza\u0026rdquo; when your creative juices are flowing. You\u0026rsquo;re sure to end up with something beautiful and tasty as well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1575\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s always good to remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember where you come from is part of where you\u0026rsquo;re going.\u0026rdquo; (Anthony Burgess)\n[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/fruit-extravaganza/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e _\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Fruit-Extravaganza-big-picture-with-4-on-sides.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Fruit Extravaganza (big picture with 4 on sides)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Fruit-Extravaganza-big-picture-with-4-on-sides-1024x576.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e_\u003cem\u003eTo be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” – Osho\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wanted to bring a little \u0026ldquo;something special\u0026rdquo; into the life of someone I deeply care about.  We were having a special celebration lunch for a special happening and these kinds of events always seem to bring forth a burst of creative energy from within me. I was also already dancing in my heart.   My thoughts turned to fruit and I remembered admiring edible arrangements at parties I had attended in the past - and enjoying them too.  I thought: \u0026ldquo;Why not make an edible arrangement?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fruit Extravaganza!"},{"content":"\nThe shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. ~ Carl Jung\nStarting early this summer, I had to think about shoes quite a bit. There were three weddings to attend and I also needed a pair of comfortable sandals. When I was young, I loved buying shoes, and, in fact, had a passion for nice footwear. At this time of life, though, it is definitely more of a chore. I still admire beautiful shoes but it definitely isn\u0026rsquo;t about how beautiful they look on me. The number one criteria is that they have to feel comfortable.\nFinding the right fit in shoes is a lot like trying to find the right fit in life. For some of us, it takes a lot of trying on. When we\u0026rsquo;re very young, our parents, and others responsible for our care often talk to us about what we want to become when we grow up. Unconsciously, we get the message that we aren\u0026rsquo;t already who we should be. We spend a vast portion of our lives \u0026ldquo;becoming.\u0026rdquo; Being comfortable with what we are or doing in the process of becoming is often left out of the equation. It\u0026rsquo;s in the same kind of way, perhaps, that we learn for ourselves when we\u0026rsquo;re much older, that comfortable shoes are much better for us. It\u0026rsquo;s often a process of trial and error. \u0026ldquo;This is a hard lifelong task, for the nature of becoming is a constant filming over of where we begin, while the nature of being is a constant erosion of what is not essential. We each live in the midst of this ongoing tension, growing tarnished or covered over, only to be worn back to that incorruptible spot of grace at our core.\u0026rdquo; (Mark Nepo)\nIt\u0026rsquo;s nice to know that the job takes a long time. This means there is hope for us all. Watch out for those holes and bumps in the sidewalk when you\u0026rsquo;re wearing your stilettos and you\u0026rsquo;re feeling the pinch! Hope you enjoy the shoe collages!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1275\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fine Shoes - Toronto[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/the-right-fit/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/The-right-fit/i-3DQbj3h/0/MCMsgjNHhSHFdk6KWmH7bB7GLwjZQnxT6L8wPxH7N/D/Shoes-for-blog-Jungs-quote-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Trying on Shoes\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Shoes-for-blog-Jungs-quote-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Shoes for blog (Jung\u0026#39;s quote)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003ecases.  ~ Carl Jung\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStarting early this summer, I had to think about shoes quite a bit.  There were three weddings to attend and I also needed a pair of comfortable sandals.  When I was young, I loved buying shoes, and, in fact, had a passion for nice footwear.  At this time of life, though, it is definitely more of a chore.  I still admire beautiful shoes but it definitely isn\u0026rsquo;t about how beautiful they look on me.  The number one criteria is that they have to feel comfortable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Right Fit"},{"content":"My childhood may be over, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean playtime is. ~Ron Olson\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1230\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Cotton Candy Vendor[/caption]\nThe CNE has come and gone as it does every year - bringing with it entertainment, international foods and exhibits, horse shows, and lots of other thrills. Many like me fondly speak of it as the \u0026ldquo;Ex.\u0026rdquo; Torontonians, out-of-towners, and tourists alike enjoy the fun of a big fair. **\u0026quot;**The CNE is held at Exhibition Place, which is a 192-acre site located along Toronto’s waterfront on the shores of Lake Ontario and just west of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit provide easy transportation to the CNE with stops at Exhibition Place. The site features several buildings—many of which have been named significant under the Ontario Heritage Act—roads named after the Canadian provinces and territories, parks, fountains, plazas, a rose garden, statues and parking lots. The fair itself consists of a variety of pavilions, exhibits, shows, concerts, a working farm, horse show, casino, and a large carnival midway with rides, games and food. What used to be an exhibition just for agriculture and technology has now turned into an event for families and people of all ages to enjoy. Entertainment, thrills, and the wide variety of international foods are just some of the attractions that the CNE has to offer. To many people in the Greater Toronto Area and the surroundings communities, the CNE is an annual family tradition.\u0026quot;\nThe Ex closed on Labor Day and I was there having a whale of a time last Friday. There\u0026rsquo;s something exciting about going and mingling with all of these adults and children at play. I forget that I\u0026rsquo;m a grown woman and that there are real problems going on all over the world - outside of these gates. The \u0026ldquo;child\u0026rdquo; in me comes out. These are some of the images that I captured while I was there and had fun collaging. One of my favorite buildings is the International Building.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1231\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Sand Sculptures - CNE[/caption]\nThe sand sculptures were very beautiful and show great creativity and artistry. I used to like making sand castles when I was a little girl. It would have been fun to have had a sand artist around to learn some real sculpting techniques.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1234\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Evil Eye\u0026rdquo; - CNE[/caption]\nThis booth in the International Building attracted my attention because of the beautiful dark blue/turquoise combination in most of their wares. I remember seeing lots of \u0026ldquo;evil eyes\u0026rdquo; when I was in Greece and bringing many back for my friends as souvenirs. They were very cheap in the Plaka. I had never really known about them before. They are, in fact, meant to ward off evil. \u0026ldquo;The Nazar Boncuk charm (or Evil Eye Bead) is an \u0026ldquo;eye\u0026rdquo;, often set on a blue background. It stares back at the world to ward off the evil spirits and keep you safe from harm. Since then the people have been attaching this evil eye bead to everything they wished to protect from the evil eyes. From the new-born babies to their horses or even to the doors of their homes\u0026hellip; This tradition still lives in Turkey. The glimmering evil eye beads that are hand made with ancient methods by a very few glass masters, are distributed from Anatolia to the whole world.\u0026rdquo; Many people all over the world use these symbols for their attractiveness, as well as for the folklore behind them.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1238\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Hijabs - CNE[/caption]\nThis booth with hijabs was very interesting for me as I had never been into a store with so many before. This is the head-dress worn by Muslim women after the age of puberty and shows their modesty.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1239\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Syrian Plates - CNE[/caption]\nThe tableware here was simply stunning. If I could have transported some of these to my home, I would have bought many pieces. The lady who was in the booth said they were from Syria. Aren\u0026rsquo;t they beautiful?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1240\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Thai Sculptures - CNE[/caption]\nI like the rich gold, red, and black, that comes out in these sculptures. The expressions on the faces bring to mind happiness and contentment. My visits to Thailand were memorable and enjoyable.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1241\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Lady Selling Bracelets - CNE[/caption]\nThe photo in the middle of this collage shows a lady from Africa selling bracelets she made in Africa. She was very beautiful and dressed in native splendor. She herself came up to me and told me she made the bracelets and showed them to me. The other two images are from the Cuban booth but they go together well with the one in the middle for the purposes of this collage.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1251\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Bridesmaid Dresses - CNE[/caption]\nBridal wear and bridesmaid\u0026rsquo;s dresses have changed over the years. It was nice to go back in time and see what was worn in the past.\nLast, but not least, is the Zen booth below. There were lots of scrolls with words of wisdom for the more serious types who visited the CNE. Hope you enjoyed all the collages.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1252\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Zen Booth - CNE[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/the-cne/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy childhood may be over, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean playtime is.  ~Ron Olson\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1230\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/The-cne/i-9qVPjSb/0/Mx2Cz6DCmzKGwhFqpBRPCcnT2gXvcwHH8XJDgWxBG/D/CNE-Cotton-Candy-Lady-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CNE-Cotton-Candy-Lady-for-blog-1024x587.jpg\" title=\"CNE Cotton Candy Lady (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Cotton Candy Vendor[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e The CNE has come and gone as it does every year - bringing with it entertainment, international foods and exhibits, horse shows, and lots of other thrills.  Many like me fondly speak of it as the \u0026ldquo;Ex.\u0026rdquo;  Torontonians, out-of-towners, and tourists alike enjoy the fun of a big fair.  **\u0026quot;**The CNE is held at \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibition_Place\" title=\"Exhibition Place\"\u003eExhibition Place\u003c/a\u003e, which is a 192-acre site located along Toronto’s waterfront on the shores of Lake Ontario and just west of downtown Toronto. The \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Transit_Commission\" title=\"Toronto Transit Commission\"\u003eToronto Transit Commission\u003c/a\u003e (TTC) and \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GO_Transit\" title=\"GO Transit\"\u003eGO Transit\u003c/a\u003e provide easy transportation to the CNE with stops at Exhibition Place. The site features several buildings—many of which have been named significant under the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Heritage_Act\" title=\"Ontario Heritage Act\"\u003eOntario Heritage Act\u003c/a\u003e—roads named after the Canadian provinces and territories, parks, fountains, plazas, a rose garden, statues and parking lots. The fair itself consists of a variety of pavilions, exhibits, shows, concerts, a working farm, horse show, casino, and a large carnival midway with rides, games and food. What used to be an exhibition just for agriculture and technology has now turned into an event for families and people of all ages to enjoy. Entertainment, thrills, and the wide variety of international foods are just some of the attractions that the CNE has to offer. To many people in the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Area\" title=\"Greater Toronto Area\"\u003eGreater Toronto Area\u003c/a\u003e and the surroundings communities, the CNE is an annual family tradition.\u0026quot;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The \"CNE\""},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1163\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;\u0026ldquo;Rise to Power\u0026rdquo; Painting - St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican Church, Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nOur happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block\nWhen I travelled to Barbados to attend a fabulous beach wedding, I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that I would be taken to visit a beautiful Anglican Church called St. George\u0026rsquo;s in the village of St. George. On the afternoon of my last day in \u0026ldquo;Beautiful Barbados,\u0026rdquo; I became a tourist. I took in all the scenery and the church itself and was happy to take many pictures.\nWhen I took the above pictures which I made into a collage, I took them for the beauty of the painting and most of all for the fresh flowers that graced the altar below the painting. Little did I know that this painting had such an interesting history. For the purposes of writing this post, I was doing a little research on the church and found the following fascinating information:\nThe imposing structure of the St. George Parish Church today features more Georgian inspired architecture with just a few gothic touches, like the buttresses which are present on quite a few of the churches located on the island of Barbados. St. George Parish Church is a large church and quite beautiful to look at but the church also has another claim to fame; inside the church, hanging above the altar is a magnificent resurrection painting entitled \u0026lsquo;Rise to Power\u0026rsquo;. This painting was painted by the renowned American artist, Benjamin West. The painting was commissioned by the Hon. Henry Frere for the St. George Parish Church. However, when the painting landed in Barbados, a row between the rector of the church, Rev. John Carter and Mr. Frere prevented the painting from being displayed in the church. Instead it was stored in an outbuilding at the home of Henry Frere on the Lower Estate Plantation in Barbados. The painting remained entombed there for more than thirty years. Subsequently, as legend has it, a thief who was hiding in the said outbuilding, was so rattled by Jesus\u0026rsquo; gaze that he punched the eye out of the painting. To date, the eye of the painting still bears the patch that has never been repaired since efforts to have the damage rectified over sixty years ago proved futile. The painting eventually made it into this church in Barbados in 1820, and today is probably one of the most beautiful religious paintings in the world.\nThis just goes to show that there are undiscovered treasures all over the world and while I was not in pursuit of treasure, I found one. I started to pay a different kind of attention to the painting - especially looking at the eye, Had I known this story, I would have gone much closer and got a close-up picture. However, I hope what I have here will suffice and be treasure for you too.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1169\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;\u0026ldquo;Rise to Power\u0026rdquo; (face of Jesus)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nHere are some other pictures I took while I visited the church and with which I created photo collages. They portray what I saw on that lovely Sunday evening. While we were leaving the church, someone drove up to the parking space reserved for the Rector - whether that was the Rector or not, I do not know.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1170\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican Church \u0026amp; Cemetery\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe cemetery is very old and most of the tombs are not maintained. This is, perhaps, because most of the relatives are themselves deceased.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1171\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican Church - Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis collage shows a little more of the architecture.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1172\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Stained Glass Windows at St. George\u0026rsquo;s, Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThese are different stained glass windows in the church that I made into one collage.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1173\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Inside St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican, Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen a pulpit like this one for years - a real antique - wooden, and with stairs.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1174\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;St. George\u0026rsquo;s Church - Floral Arrangement in Vestibule\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis church has beautiful flowers. Kudos to whoever looks after the flowers! You can see how the whole arrangement looks and also some of the individual flowers in the collage.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1179\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Barbados - Church Flowers\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis is another collage I did with the flowers at the altar, in the entranceway, and in the church garden The church yard has a lovely garden which is well maintained.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1181\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;St. George\u0026rsquo;s Church, Barbados - Signs\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s always interesting to see the signs that are used in whatever places we visit. This is a heritage site as you can see from the \u0026ldquo;Barbados National Trust \u0026quot; blue sign on the wall. I don\u0026rsquo;t remember seeing a sign with the name of the church on the outside. However, the \u0026ldquo;Alms\u0026rdquo; box sign is very interesting too, as is the \u0026ldquo;Family Reserved.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1185\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican Barbados - Baptismal Font\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nHope you enjoyed visiting St. George\u0026rsquo;s with me.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1189\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican, Barbados - Church Garden\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/rise-to-power-st-georges-barbados/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1163\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;\u0026ldquo;Rise to Power\u0026rdquo; Painting - St. George\u0026rsquo;s Anglican Church, Barbados\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Rise-to-power-st-georges-barbados/i-TSwns2F/0/KJTNJzcFgKSf4t7SHMrrbN2PL5K3ZZJbKM2mZZSLR/D/Barbados-Flowers-Jesus-Pictures-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Barbados-Flowers-Jesus-Pictures-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Barbados - Flowers \u0026amp; Jesus Pictures\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eOur happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I travelled to Barbados to attend a fabulous beach wedding, I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that I would be taken to visit a beautiful Anglican Church called St. George\u0026rsquo;s in the village of St. George.  On the afternoon of my last day in \u0026ldquo;Beautiful Barbados,\u0026rdquo; I became a tourist.  I took in all the scenery and the church itself and was happy to take many pictures.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"Rise to Power\" -  St. George's, Barbados"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1150\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Barbados Beaches\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWhat each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else. (Joseph Campbell)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1146\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Seascapes\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nTomorrow will be exactly one month since I returned from an amazing time in Barbados where I attended a beautiful wedding. Not too many settings can compare with the sea for words of love and vows of love. \u0026quot; Each human life is the journey from childhood to a realized adult life. Each day is a journey out of darkness into light. Each friendship and love is the intimate journey where the soul is born and grows. The journey is the drama of the heart\u0026rsquo;s voyage into the tide of possibilities which opens before it.\u0026quot; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1166\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Seaside Wedding\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nMay this couple ride on the waves of great possibilities. To attend a wedding is to witness and support the beginning of this momentous journey into adulthood and to be at the seaside is to be confronted with the tides - both high and low.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1154\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Night-time at the Beach\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe sea makes me feel comfortable and happy inside. I love the color of the water, the feel of it, and the sound of the waves as they ebb and flow. It had been sometime since I had vacationed like this. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The only way I could bring some of it away with me was to take many pictures.\nSome say: \u0026ldquo;Life is a beach.\u0026rdquo; However, my experience has taught me just the opposite. Although this time was one of great enjoyment and joy, it couldn\u0026rsquo;t last forever. Change is the order of each day. We all made the journey back to the destinations we had left in order to continue those voyages we are on. We have a lot in common with the sea. \u0026ldquo;Unlike the land, which is fixed in one place, the sea manifests freedom: she is the primal dance, a dance that has always moved to its own music. The wild divinity of the ocean infuses the shore with ancient sound. Who can tell what secrets she searches from the shoreline? What news she whispers to the shore in the gossip of urgent wavelets? This is a primal conversation. The place where absolute change rushes against still permanence, where the urgency of Becoming confronts the stillness of Being, where restless desire meets the silence and serenity of stone. Beyond human seeing and knowing, the meeting of ocean and shoreline must be one of the places where the earth almost breaks through to word.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1155\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Beautiful Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI always revert to the words of one of my favorite authors when I can\u0026rsquo;t find the words to express what I really want to say. I hope you enjoy all the collages as much as I do.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1156\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Relaxing by the Sea\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/seascapes/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1150\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Barbados Beaches\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Seascapes/i-WpFWj2Z/0/KTkT2TR8R2gjvhmwtXWj4WWkZPQbGVnJ3Q5g25WsR/D/Barbados-Beaches-Step-on-to-Sandy-Beaches-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Barbados-Beaches-Step-on-to-Sandy-Beaches-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Barbados Beaches (Step on to Sandy Beaches)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/josephcamp160484.html\" title=\"view quote\"\u003eWhat  each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his  own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never  could have been experienced by anyone else.\u003c/a\u003e  (\u003ca href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/joseph_campbell.html\" title=\"view author\"\u003eJoseph  Campbell\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1146\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Seascapes\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Seascapes/i-PTjPFWk/0/NPFqskmb75bQkxhhMwsn58KFXw365rdXCtN29hgfK/D/Barbados-Beaches-last-day-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Barbados-Beaches-last-day-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Barbados Beaches (last day)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTomorrow will be exactly one month since I returned from an amazing time in Barbados where I attended a beautiful wedding.   Not too many settings can compare with the sea for words of love and vows of love. \u0026quot; \u003cem\u003eEach human life is the journey from childhood to a realized adult life.  Each day is a journey out of darkness into light.  Each friendship and love is the intimate journey where the soul is born and grows.  The journey is the drama of the heart\u0026rsquo;s voyage into the tide of possibilities which opens before it\u003c/em\u003e.\u0026quot; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seascapes"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1135\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Coconut Man - Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;If you could count the stars, then you could count all the ways the coconut serves us.”\n“He who plants a coconut tree, plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself, and a heritage for his children.” (Phillipine Proverbs)\nFresh coconut water is one of my favorite beverages. I was very fortunate to attend a party in Barbados recently where there was a coconut man with lots of coconuts serving the guests coconut water. He slashed the top off the coconut very deftly with his cutlass and put a small hole in the top before he handed the coconut over. It is possible to drink the water directly from the coconut but most of the guests chose to drink the coconut water using a straw. Listening to a live pan player in the background and sipping coconut water with family and friends was the ultimate Barbados experience. Some people had rum and coconut water which is a specialty for some wherever fresh coconut water is available - especially in the Caribbean. Many of us had the coconut cut in half for us by the coconut man and ate the coconut \u0026ldquo;jelly\u0026rdquo; which is delicious on its own. A special treat!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1136\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Coconut Trees on the Beach\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAll the photos in these collages were taken by me during my stay in Barbados. There was a real coconut man. As for the photo with the woman I call \u0026ldquo;The Coconut Woman,\u0026rdquo; this collage is my own idea. On my arrival, as we were driving from the airport, I was fascinated with this little cart and the lady and did this photo shoot from the car. She was selling from this interesting contraption. Hope you enjoy all the collages!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1137\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Coconut Woman - Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIn many tropical areas of the world, from a long time ago, people used the coconut for drinking, cooking (coconut oil), for their hair (conditioner), and many poorer people used the palm fronds to make roofs for their houses, brooms to sweep their houses, and so forth. However, since different discoveries in medicine, particularly with regard to \u0026ldquo;cholesterol\u0026rdquo; were made, different seed oils were touted by different manufacturing companies and coconut oil and the coconut became \u0026ldquo;bad\u0026rdquo; for health reasons. Most people started to stay away from coconut products.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1138\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Coconuts\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nHowever, in recent years, the \u0026ldquo;humble\u0026rdquo; coconut is now being approved by the medical system and alternative health practioners in particular. Here is some interesting information on coconuts that I found that I didn\u0026rsquo;t know. While we are not as privileged as Barbadians or other tropical dwellers in having easy availability to coconut water and \u0026ldquo;jelly\u0026rdquo; as I had in Barbados, we can, at least, know the benefits of this wonderful nut.\n\u0026ldquo;Plenty of populations around the world have thrived for multiple generations eating massive amounts of coconut.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Studies show that the fatty acids in coconut oil can increase blood levels of ketone bodies, supplying energy for the brain cells of Alzheimer’s patients and relieving symptoms.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Coconut oil contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently and can have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;The fatty acids and breakdown products in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens, potentially helping to prevent infections.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Studies in both humans and rats show that coconut oil improves important risk factors like total LDL and HDL cholesterol, which may translate to a reduced risk of heart disease.\u0026rdquo;\nSo much for health facts! There is a lovely song that I remember fondly about \u0026ldquo;The Coconut Woman\u0026rdquo; that inspired me to do these collages and this post and the lyrics are here for those of you who may remember it too. Harry Belafonte sang it. Enjoy!\nCoconut Woman\nCoconut woman is calling out And everyday you can hear her shout Coconut woman is calling out And everyday you can hear her shout Get your coconut water, four for five Man it\u0026rsquo;s good for your daughter, four for five Coco got a lotta iron, four for five Make you strong like a lion, four for five A lady tell me the other day No one can take her sweet man away I ask her what was the mystery She say coconut water and rice curry You can cook it in a pot, four for five You can serve it very hot, four for five Coco got a lotta iron, four for five Make you strong like a lion, four for five Coconut woman says you\u0026rsquo;ll agree coconut make very nice candy The thing that\u0026rsquo;s best if you\u0026rsquo;re feelin\u0026rsquo; glum Is coconut water with a little rum It could make you very tipsy, four for five Make you feel like a gypsy, four for five Coco got a lotta iron, four for five Make you strong like a lion, four for five Coconut\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1139\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Coconut Trees at a Barbados Resort\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/coconut-water-good-for-your-daughter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1135\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Coconut Man - Barbados\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Coconut-water-good-for-your-daughter/i-sg8XZk9/0/NSF3Q5t73dP68XJqCMMmcFPsGNCWhJD4FBgBBp3JV/D/Coconut-Man-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Coconut-Man-1024x586.jpg\" title=\"Coconut Man\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;If you could count the stars, then you could count all the ways the coconut serves us.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“He who plants a coconut tree, plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself, and a heritage for his children.”   (Phillipine Proverbs)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh coconut water is one of my favorite beverages.  I was very fortunate to attend a party in Barbados recently where there was a coconut man with lots of coconuts serving the guests coconut water.  He slashed the top off the coconut very deftly with his cutlass and put a small hole in the top before he handed the coconut over. It is possible to drink the water directly from the coconut but most of the guests chose to drink the coconut water using a straw.  Listening to a live pan player in the background and sipping coconut water with family and friends was the ultimate Barbados experience.  Some people had rum and coconut water which is a specialty for some wherever fresh coconut water is available - especially in the Caribbean.  Many of us had the coconut cut in half for us by the coconut man and ate the coconut \u0026ldquo;jelly\u0026rdquo; which is delicious on its own.  A special treat!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Coconut Water - Good For Your Daughter!"},{"content":"Maid with the Flaxen Hair (Background Music - click to listen)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1109\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Cows in Barbados\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nOn my recent visit to Barbados, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the home in which I would be staying was in a pastoral setting. From the moment I saw the cows grazing in the green pastures, a certain peaceful feeling descended upon me.\nMy excitement was palpable. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen cows this close for many years and had no idea that my thoughts would turn to Thoreau and his experience at Walden Pond. He was deliberate in his experiment but the Universe smiled on me by allowing me this peaceful adventure and time with the cows. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1111\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Cows May Safely Graze\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe cows looked so healthy, happy, and contented, with just the green grass and a bucket of water left for them. When they were tired, they sat down. My aunt and I sat down on a bench one day and just enjoyed ourselves with the cows. It brought me to the realization that we don\u0026rsquo;t need all the material things that we thing we need in order for extraordinary happiness to fill our hearts. A simple thing like sitting on a bench with beautiful breezes blowing and the sight of cows grazing in green grass proved to be enough - for that moment.\nAnother image that came to mind in my precious time with the cows was that of the Psalm of David in which he said: \u0026ldquo;He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.\u0026rdquo; My thoughts had not turned to that Psalm for years. The imagery already existed within me from hearing the Psalm many times before but truly came to life here.\nLast, but not least, believe it or not, the other image that already existed within me and that came to mind was that of Tom Jones (who was a favourite of mine) singing \u0026ldquo;Green Green Grass of Home.\u0026rdquo; He didn\u0026rsquo;t mention anything about cows here but the green grass imagery and home were tucked away in this old brain somewhere. I was born in the tropics although not in Barbados. These are the lyrics to the song:\n\u0026ldquo;Green Green Grass Of Home\u0026rdquo;\nThe old home town looks the same as I step down from the train, and there to meet me is my Mama and Papa. Down the road I look and there runs Mary hair of gold and lips like cherries. It\u0026rsquo;s good to touch the green, green grass of home. Yes, they\u0026rsquo;ll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly. It\u0026rsquo;s good to touch the green, green, grass of home. The old house is still standing, tho\u0026rsquo; the paint is cracked and dry, and there\u0026rsquo;s that old oak tree that I used to play on. Down the lane I walk with my sweet Mary, hair of gold and lips like cherries. It\u0026rsquo;s good to touch the green, green grass of home. Yes, they\u0026rsquo;ll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly. It\u0026rsquo;s good to touch the green, green grass of home. [spoken:] Then I awake and look around me, at the four grey walls that surround me and I realize, yes, I was only dreaming. For there\u0026rsquo;s a guard and there\u0026rsquo;s a sad old padre - arm in arm we\u0026rsquo;ll walk at daybreak. Again I touch the green, green grass of home. Yes, they\u0026rsquo;ll all come to see me in the shade of that old oak tree as they lay me neath the green, green grass of home.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1113\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Cows Grazing\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWe just never know in life what wonderful surprises and adventures are in store for us_._ I travelled to Barbados for a wedding - which was absolutely beautiful - and also had these thoughts and memories tickle my mind. Thank you cows!\nEnjoy the collages!\n","permalink":"/posts/green-pastures/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Maid-with-the-Flaxen-Hair.mp3\"\u003eMaid with the Flaxen Hair\u003c/a\u003e (Background Music - click to listen)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1109\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Cows in Barbados\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Green-pastures/i-rkhSQZ9/0/L3XvnhKJP24gcQxCDdF8WmcZpTqccTXKvRcfvG3mm/D/Cow-Musem-Matte-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Cow-Musem-Matte-1024x588.jpg\" title=\"Cow (Musem Matte)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn my recent visit to Barbados, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the home in which I would be staying was in a pastoral setting.  From the moment I saw the cows grazing in the green pastures, a certain peaceful feeling descended upon me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy excitement was palpable.  I hadn\u0026rsquo;t seen cows this close for many years and had no idea that my thoughts would turn to Thoreau and his experience at Walden Pond.  He was deliberate in his experiment but the Universe smiled on me by allowing me this peaceful adventure and time with the cows. “\u003cstrong\u003eI went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Green Pastures"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1075\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Barbados Flame Tree\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love Poinciana from now until the dawning day Our love, will live forever and a day Blow tropic wind, sing a song through the tree Tree sigh to me, soon my love I will see\u0026rdquo; \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Song to the Poinciana\nI just returned from a beautiful wedding in Barbados. All the pictures in this post show the \u0026ldquo;flame tree\u0026rdquo; and its flamboyant display of flowers. This is what it is known as in Barbados. I always knew it by the name \u0026ldquo;flamboyant\u0026rdquo; which its display of flowers truly is. It is also known as Royal Poinciana, Pride-of-Barbados, Barbados Pride, and Peacock Flower. It seems that the name changes according to the part of the world you happen to be in.\u0026quot; Pride of Barbados, Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae). It is referred to by other names including Barbados Flowerfence, Peacock Flower, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Flamboyant Caesalpinia, and Dwarf Poinciana. The species name pulcherrima literally means \u0026ldquo;very pretty\u0026rdquo; and this plant definitely lives up to the name. The blooms of Pride of Barbados are incredible with terminal flower clusters showing an orange-red with a tinge of gold on the edges. Each flower is composed of five showy petals with very prominent six inch long red stamens.\u0026quot;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1077\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Flamboyant\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI am always overjoyed to spend time in the company of flowers. Filling a vase with water and putting flowers and greenery together to come up with something delightful brings flamboyance to my life. Little did I know that this opportunity would come to me in Barbados.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1082\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Barbados Pride\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nMany flamboyant branches had been picked on the morning of the wedding. The orange-red petal were taken off and put into little sea-colored gift bags for guests to throw on the bride and groom after the wedding ceremony by the sea. All the branches that were left-over are what you see in these arrangements. I went out into the garden and picked some mango branches from the mango tree for greenery. I picked a few buttercups as well. The fern-like leaves you see are from the \u0026ldquo;flame.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1090\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Royal Ponciana Arrangements\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAfter I finished putting these arrangements together, I had the pleasure of decorating the home with them. I was staying at the home of the bride\u0026rsquo;s parents. We all had lots of fun at the wedding and enjoyed throwing our \u0026ldquo;flame\u0026rdquo; petals on them to bless them on their way.\nArranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem or saying a prayer. Anne Morrow Lindbergh\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1093\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Tropical Flowers\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/barbados-flame/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1075\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Barbados Flame Tree\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Barbados-flame/i-6L532mt/0/LVVg8gcpW9swq8sLk9cfqtMWh2Mq2x8HBjfZW2x44/D/Barbados-Single-Flame-Tree-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Barbados-Single-Flame-Tree-for-blog-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Barbados Flame\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love Poinciana, your branches speak to me of love Poinciana from now until the dawning day Our love, will live forever and a day Blow tropic wind, sing a song through the tree Tree sigh to me, soon my love I will see\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e \u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;Song to the Poinciana\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI just returned from a beautiful wedding in Barbados. All the pictures in this post show the \u0026ldquo;flame tree\u0026rdquo; and its flamboyant display of flowers. This is what it is known as in Barbados.  I always knew it by the name \u0026ldquo;flamboyant\u0026rdquo; which its display of flowers truly is.  It is also known as Royal Poinciana, Pride-of-Barbados, Barbados Pride,  and Peacock Flower.  It seems that the name changes according to the part of the world you happen to be in.\u0026quot; \u003cstrong\u003ePride of Barbados, Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae).  It is referred to by other names including Barbados Flowerfence, Peacock Flower, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Flamboyant  Caesalpinia, and Dwarf Poinciana. The species name pulcherrima literally means \u0026ldquo;very pretty\u0026rdquo; and this plant definitely lives up to the name. The blooms of Pride of Barbados are incredible with terminal flower clusters showing an orange-red with a tinge of gold on the edges. Each flower is composed of five showy petals with very prominent six inch long red stamens.\u0026quot;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Barbados Flame"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1064\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Oh Beauteous Rose!\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s June 21st tomorrow and the first day of summer. Our roses are in full bloom now. I have been captivated by their beauty and enjoy looking at them every day. Being a budding photographer and naturalist, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist taking these pictures. They\u0026rsquo;re all from the front garden.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1066\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Roses in June\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nMy Dad wrote a poem called \u0026ldquo;Oh Beauteous Rose\u0026rdquo; which I will share with you. He had a beautiful rose garden in the old country and enjoyed cultivating roses very much. His love for flowers, and roses in particular, never waned. He enjoyed our garden up to his last summer and this was written later in his life - in Canada.\nOh beauteous Rose\nYour ruby red\nSo velvety and soft\nYour petals formed and arranged\nTo such perfection.\nYour head held high\nWith your long and stately stem\nYour fragrance fills the air\nYour perfume exhilarates.\nSymbol of beauty and purity\nWhat is it that glistens on your petal\nA dewdrop - or a teardrop?\nPerhaps it\u0026rsquo;s mine\nThat soon you\u0026rsquo;ll leave\nYour allure all behind\nYour fragrance fade away\nAnd your petals fall.\nBut should I be sad?\nFor when fresh spring is in the air\nWill you not come back\nTo bloom for me again\nNext year?\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1068\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Roses in Pink\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nSeasons come and seasons go as they say. My Dad depicts this well in this poem. Have a great summer! Take time to smell the roses.\n","permalink":"/posts/oh-beauteous-rose/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1064\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Oh Beauteous Rose!\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Oh-beauteous-rose/i-4M3pqN6/0/LMVbR6txjNrMPJwsCWfkKg3vjQ5qbzT33CnmwPWLN/D/Garden-Roses-2013-Drop-Shadow-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Garden-Roses-2013-Drop-Shadow-Collage-1024x592.jpg\" title=\"Garden Roses 2013 (Drop Shadow Collage)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s June 21st tomorrow and the first day of summer.  Our roses are in full bloom now.  I have been captivated by their beauty and enjoy looking at them every day.  Being a budding photographer and naturalist, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist taking these pictures.  They\u0026rsquo;re all from the front garden.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1066\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Roses in June\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Oh-beauteous-rose/i-XXBf3Dr/0/K66gzmcjLDt3HsQpfT2q39FpVhd6bPhwnjKh3bnnS/D/Roses-in-June-2013-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Roses-in-June-2013-1024x593.jpg\" title=\"Roses in June (2013)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Oh Beauteous Rose!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1042\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Happy Father\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nSherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later\u0026hellip; that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life. ~Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities\nTomorrow is a big day for those celebrating Father\u0026rsquo;s Day. My own father would have been 100 years old this year if he was still alive. He was born in 1913.\nWhen both my mother and father were alive, all the cards they bought for birthday or other celebrations said \u0026ldquo;our daughter\u0026rdquo; and when my mother died, all the cards said \u0026ldquo;a daughter.\u0026rdquo; These collages comprise cards of both kinds. The first collage includes a poem my Daddy wrote called \u0026ldquo;My Daughter.\u0026rdquo; He was \u0026ldquo;Daddy\u0026rdquo; to me.\nThere are all kinds of father-daughter relationships and it all depends, too, on the era in which you were brought up. In my father\u0026rsquo;s generation, men were not present to witness the birthing process. They were not even present at the hospital when the baby was born. They came to see the baby after it was born. They were very much excited and looking forward to the new arrival but it wasn\u0026rsquo;t the tradition for them to be present. The fathers of today are present in the delivery room for this life-changing moment in their lives and they wouldn\u0026rsquo;t miss it for the world.\nWhen I was a little girl, I believed my father knew everything. I loved him and I feared him. He was gentle and kind to me but he could be stern. However, I knew that he was always there to protect me. Daddy could do no wrong. As other children often do with their parents, I idolized him.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s only when I got older that I realized that he didn\u0026rsquo;t know very much at all - especially when I became a teenager. He was so old-fashioned. Once, when I was very obnoxious, my father quoted Mark Twain to me: When I was fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have him around. When I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. Even then, what he said was way above me - except the part about ignorance. We only realize that our parents have acquired some real life experiences along the way when we ourselves are much older. For me, it was very late in life.\nMy father, like many other fathers, did not attend any parenting classes. He \u0026ldquo;adopted\u0026rdquo; a role and was the father he was through biology, conditioning, culture, and many other variables. His main role was bread-winner since my mother didn\u0026rsquo;t work outside the home. Yet, he spent time with us and was interested in all that we were learning and doing. He loved us and cared for us and took on the responsibility of being a father - even though he had not been trained for this role.\nWhen I was younger, I thought that there were perfect parents - but my life experience tells me that there aren\u0026rsquo;t any. On a day like Father\u0026rsquo;s Day, it\u0026rsquo;s good to be grateful and honor our fathers or father-figures. It\u0026rsquo;s also important to remember that in any role we assume, we go through a process of familiarizing ourselves with the role and learning it. My father was learning this role as he went along. I\u0026rsquo;m very grateful and happy today for my father and the important part he played in my life. I know, however, that from the day he first became a father, to the day that he died, he was still learning that role. I was a witness to the process of \u0026ldquo;fathering\u0026rdquo; that he was still learning. He knew he didn\u0026rsquo;t have all the answers - not only about fathering, but about many other things as well.\nOnly a dad but he gives his all, To smooth the way for his children small, Doing with courage stern and grim The deeds that his father did for him. This is the line that for him I pen: Only a dad, but the best of men. - Edgar A. Guest\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1046\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Cards for a Daughter\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nHappy Father\u0026rsquo;s Day, one and all!\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-fathers-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1042\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Happy Father\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Happy-fathers-day/i-zQmJtN9/0/MtT22hDTqNX3898grRK87rBFTrVgMmJgWZ2LRf7J7/D/Fathers-Day-Collage-2013-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Fathers-Day-Collage-2013-1024x597.jpg\" title=\"Father\u0026#39;s Day Collage (2013)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003cem\u003eSherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later\u0026hellip; that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life\u003c/em\u003e.  ~Tom Wolfe, \u003cem\u003eThe Bonfire of the Vanities\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Father's Day!"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;In the end, the character of a civilization is encased in its structures.\u0026rdquo; (FrankGehry) Doors Open was held in Toronto last weekend. Many buildings noted for their historical, architectural, cultural, and social significance were open free of charge so that Torontonians and tourists alike could visit. All the images in this post are from my visit to the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto. I\u0026rsquo;ve been to shows in many other theatres in Toronto but never to this one.\nThere were informative and educational talks about the theatres. It was a magical visit. I got to choose where I sat so, of course, I chose the front seat of the orchestra section in both theatres. Many people were taking pictures and enjoying their visit just as much as I did.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1029\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;640\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Winter Garden Theatre Screen (taken from back of Orchestra Section)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1031\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;759\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Winter Garden Theatre Screen (Museum Matte)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis building that houses the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres is the last of its kind in the world that is still in operation. The Elgin Theatre is on the lower level and opened in 1913. It is very beautiful with its gold plaster and marble effects as well as damask fabric on the walls. There\u0026rsquo;s a richness to being in a building with such beautiful architectural details.\nMy favorite, though, was the Winter Garden Theatre (seven stories above the Elgin) which opened in 1914. If you like gardens, you too will enjoy this one very much. \u0026ldquo;Decorated to resemble a rooftop garden in full bloom, its walls were hand-painted with garden scenes, its columns disguised as tree trunks and its ceiling and balcony soffit hung with an astonishing combination of real beech leaves, cotton blossoms and garden lanterns. For its restoration, over 5,000 real beech branches were harvested, preserved, painted and painstakingly woven into wire grids suspended from the theatre\u0026rsquo;s ceiling.\u0026rdquo;\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1019\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;400\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Costumes On Display at the Elgin \u0026amp; Winter Garden Theatres\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1026\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;400\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Elgin \u0026amp; Winter Garden Theatre (Yonge Street, Toronto)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI just remembered what the great bard, Shakespeare, said about the stage and feel that these words are a fitting end for a post on the theatre. We are all actors and actresses in the theatre of life - although we don\u0026rsquo;t often think of our lives this way.\n“All the world\u0026rsquo;s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse\u0026rsquo;s arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress\u0026rsquo; eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon\u0026rsquo;s mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”\n","permalink":"/posts/doors-open/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Doors-open/i-HwwPM7p/0/K63nHpVPhHmkmBHp3NspHwBTDBX686sfC68mdcZCV/D/Winter-Garden-Theatre-with-stage-boxes-individual-photo-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Doors-open/i-HwwPM7p/0/K63nHpVPhHmkmBHp3NspHwBTDBX686sfC68mdcZCV/D/Winter-Garden-Theatre-with-stage-boxes-individual-photo-D.jpg\" title=\"Winter Garden Theatre with stage \u0026amp; boxes (individual photo)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e        \u0026ldquo;In the end, the character of a civilization is encased in its structures.\u0026rdquo;  (FrankGehry) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e     \u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Doors-open/i-F76qzt2/0/Lv2bm47pRttTGqXBQ8BQ9F6Jvw3dJHgM78CGKxXr3/D/Winter-Garden-Theatre-with-tree-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Winter-Garden-Theatre-with-tree-for-blog-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Winter Garden Theatre with tree (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoors Open was held in Toronto last weekend.  Many buildings noted for their historical, architectural, cultural, and social significance were open free of charge so that Torontonians and tourists alike could visit.  All the images in this post are from my visit to the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto. I\u0026rsquo;ve been to shows in many other theatres in Toronto but never to this one.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Doors Open"},{"content":" Talk about dance? Dance is not something to talk about. Dance is to dance. -Peter Saint James-\nGoing to the ballet is always a fun way for me to spend an evening. For most ballet lovers, it\u0026rsquo;s usually the traditional ballet classics that one doesn\u0026rsquo;t want to miss. I was in the mood for something different last week when the Eifman Ballet from St. Petersburg, Russia, was in Toronto, and so it was that I saw Eifman\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Rodin.\u0026rdquo; The pictures in this collage are photographed from the program except for two which I took while the performers were taking their last bows.\nThere were over fifty talented dancers in this performance and the lighting and the staging enhanced their brilliant technique. The music was magnificent and included compositions by Ravel, Saint-Saens, Debussy, Massenet and Satie.\nAccording to the program notes, \u0026ldquo;Boris Eifman is a choreographer-philosopher. He is concerned with the problems of the modern world; with the secrets of creativity and the magic of geniuses,which uncover themselves in his interpretation of the fates of Tchaikovsky, Spesivtseva, Moliere, or Rodin. He makes experiments with such dark and fearful spheres as the human psyche (Idiot, Murderers, I, Don Quixote, Russian Hamlet, and Anna Karenina) creating the images of stage psychoanalysis.\u0026rdquo; This was my first modern ballet that covered such deep emotions. I had not known the term \u0026ldquo;psychological ballet\u0026rdquo; before this performance.\nRodin and Claudel, his mistress, were both amazing artists - he a marble sculptor and she a bronze. She was a great inspiration to him and led him to create masterpieces and develop his talents to his greatest ability. She too was evolving in her own way and developing her own talent. After their break-up, Claudel became insane. The whole performance was based on this theme - the high price that such geniuses have to pay for the creation of masterpieces.\nI knew before going to this ballet that the dancing would be excellent - but I never expected such a masterpiece. It was just amazing to see how the human body could be made to look like sculptures. The performance was theatrical art at its height. The dancers portrayed different characters and complex ones at that. While we may all be aware that human life encompasses all varieties of experience and all manner of human conditions, we don\u0026rsquo;t often see this played out in a ballet. It was an eye-opener for me to see Boris Eifman take on \u0026ldquo;Rodin.\u0026rdquo;\nI found the dancers spirited and the performance mesmerizing and I would go to see the Eifman ballet again if they return to Toronto. Eifman is a choreographer par excellence. In Eifman\u0026rsquo;s own words: \u0026ldquo;Throughout all my creative life I\u0026rsquo;ve been expanding the boundaries of the ballet theatre\u0026rsquo;s abilities and in the first place - searching for the body language that can express the life of spirit. Dance isn\u0026rsquo;t the physical process for me, but the spiritual one. Body language is more ancient, more profound communicative means. Reflexes of sensual life of many generations are fixed in it. To decode these signs, to transform them into the emotionally rich ballet piece - that\u0026rsquo;s our goal.\u0026rdquo;\nAt the end of the performance, the audience applause and appreciation was spontaneous and it was obvious that Eifman had achieved his goal through the body language of the performers. Their spirits had been touched too.\n","permalink":"/posts/rodin-eifmans-sculptural-creativity/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTalk about dance? Dance is not something to talk about. Dance is to dance.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e -Peter Saint James-\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Rodin-eifmans-sculptural-creativity/i-PZnHsbq/0/Lkj2FmZbfbHB4FRhRZ5VzgWFRf5QNkzpqHT4bZ6nj/D/Eifman-Ballet-Presents-Rodin-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Eifman-Ballet-Presents-Rodin-Collage-1024x589.jpg\" title=\"Eifman Ballet Presents Rodin (Collage)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Going to the ballet is always a fun way for me to spend an evening.  For most ballet lovers, it\u0026rsquo;s usually the traditional ballet classics that one doesn\u0026rsquo;t want to miss.  I was in the mood for something different last week when the Eifman Ballet from St. Petersburg, Russia, was in Toronto, and so it was that I saw Eifman\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Rodin.\u0026rdquo;  The pictures in this collage are photographed from the program except for two which I took while  the performers were taking their last bows.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Rodin - Eifman's Sculptural Creativity"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;TheThree Graces (with forsythias - in bright sunshine)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n_\u0026ldquo;Each of the arts whose office is to refine, purify, adorn, embellish and grace life is under the patronage of a muse, no god being found worthy to preside over the_m.\u0026rdquo; (Eliza Farnham)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_973\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Three Graces (in greenery - in shady location)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe lovely bright, yellow forsythias, were in full bloom in our garden a few weeks ago. I don\u0026rsquo;t know how the idea came to me, but it did, to take my painting of \u0026ldquo;The Three Graces\u0026rdquo; and put it in the forsythia bushes and take some pictures. I also decided to try it in some greenery and you can also see the effect of this idea. I did this acrylic painting about ten years ago since dance and dancers have always had a special appeal for me. I was captivated by the beauty, elegance, and the poses of these ladies in their white, flowing dresses, in this work of art. I liked how their hands were intertwined and since the visual appeal was so great, my \u0026ldquo;muse\u0026rdquo; got to work.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_979\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Forsythia Bushes\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nSandro Botticelli did the Primavera (Allegory of Spring) in 1482 and \u0026ldquo;The Three Graces\u0026rdquo; represent a detail from this painting. This picture celebrates the arrival of spring and is filled with mythological symbolism. I read that Botticelli put over 500 plant species and about 190 different flowers in this painting. In the painting, Venus, the goddess of love, is in the middle and the \u0026ldquo;Three Graces\u0026rdquo; stand to the left. It is believed that this painting was commissioned by a member of the Medeci family for the wedding of a family member. It hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to this day. I hope to get there one day to see this painting for myself.\nAlthough, I like the \u0026ldquo;Three Graces\u0026rdquo; very much as a work of art and was inspired to do my own painting and photography, I never knew or bothered to find out the history behind the painting. However, after deciding to do this blog, based on the forsythias being in bloom, springtime, and my own curiosity, I found out the names of the three ladies in the painting: Euphrosyne, Thalia, and Aglaia. I was able to also find some other interesting information that sparked my attention and I have added it below to share with you.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_980\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Close-up shot of the Forsythias\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nMythological Explanations of Creativity\n1. The Muses: CALLIOPE, CLIO, EUTERPE, MELPOMENE, TERPSICHORE, ERATO, POLYHYMNIA, URANIA, THALIA\nBut the Greeks also had an unusual concept about the process of art and especially about the inspiration process in art. The Muses were nine goddesses, daughters of the god Zeus, king of the gods, and of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory (if my memory serves me correctly). The Muses were believed to inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians. (The Greeks also saw the arts and sciences as being related, from which we still use the division of university colleges as \u0026ldquo;Arts \u0026amp; Sciences.\u0026quot;) They were said to come at special times of reverence or in dream states and whisper in the ear of the artist - the divine inspiration. Today\u0026rsquo;s artists and musicians often stilll use the phrase, \u0026ldquo;A visit from the muse,\u0026rdquo; in reference to this need for inspiration. We get our words \u0026ldquo;amusing, and musician\u0026rdquo; from this concept.\n2. The Three Graces: EUPHROSYNE (Mirth) JOY; THALIA (Good Cheer) CHARM; AGLAIA (Splendor) BEAUTY\nBut it didn\u0026rsquo;t stop there. The Greeks also believed in The Three Graces, who were the three goddesses of joy, charm, and beauty. They were the daughters of the god Zeus and the nymph Eurynome. The Graces presided over banquets, dances, and all other pleasurable social events, and brought joy and goodwill to both gods and mortals. Like the Muses, they were believed to endow artists and poets with the ability to create beautiful works of art. The Graces were rarely treated as individuals, but always together as a kind of triple embodiment of grace and beauty. In art they are usually represented as lithe young maidens, dancing in a circle. This is a metaphor for a trinity of heavenly power, it\u0026rsquo;s manifestation of earthly beauty, and the divinity needed to transform one into the other. Hope you enjoyed all the forsythia photos and the Mythological Explanations of Creativity. May your muse be with you wherever you go!\n","permalink":"/posts/a-visit-from-the-muse/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_974\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;TheThree Graces (with forsythias - in bright sunshine)\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/A-visit-from-the-muse/i-xDnQqPT/0/NHrB6pWLFfmcJ3gwRqw6CCpcG3cFjPwKWLqf8s6b9/D/Three-Grace-with-forsythias-straightened-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Three-Grace-with-forsythias-straightened-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Three Grace (with forsythias) straightened\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e_\u0026ldquo;Each of the arts whose office is to refine, purify, adorn, embellish and grace life is under the patronage of a muse, no god being found worthy to preside over the_m.\u0026rdquo;  (Eliza Farnham)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_973\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Three Graces (in greenery - in shady location)\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/A-visit-from-the-muse/i-NWGcGWX/0/KzFJ2TpKXpLTPCrvN8CFdb7vS6CvZ5n85zsq9SLRF/D/Three-Graces-painting-with-forsythias-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Three-Graces-painting-with-forsythias-1024x584.jpg\" title=\"Three Graces painting with forsythias\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lovely bright, yellow forsythias, were in full bloom in our garden a few weeks ago.  I don\u0026rsquo;t know how the idea came to me, but it did, to take my painting of \u0026ldquo;The Three Graces\u0026rdquo; and put it in the forsythia bushes and take some pictures.  I also decided to try it in some greenery and you can also see the effect of this idea.  I did this acrylic painting about ten years ago since dance and dancers have always had a special appeal for me.  I was captivated by the beauty, elegance, and the poses of these ladies in their white, flowing dresses, in this work of art. I liked how their hands were intertwined and since the visual appeal was so great, my \u0026ldquo;muse\u0026rdquo; got to work.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Visit from the Muse"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_953\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures. (Francis Bacon)[/caption]\n“The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don’t want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don’t have a soul.” (Thomas Moore)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_954\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to. (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings[/caption]\nIn this hectic and busy world we live in, a garden provides a sacred space for the renewal of our bodies, minds, souls and spirits. Although I enjoy my own garden at home, the garden featured in this post is one very close to my home. It is the church garden at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Toronto. The church itself is a sanctuary for tired souls and spirits but the garden is in its own special way a sanctuary. I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen a church garden anywhere as beautiful as this one. It\u0026rsquo;s one of my favorite places to be close to Nature.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_955\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The garden must be prepared in the soul first or else it will not flourish. (English Proverb)[/caption]\nThe garden at St. Martin\u0026rsquo;s is especially glorious in the spring and I was there two weeks ago enjoying myself in the garden and taking these images. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t the only one doing this. The flowering Crabapple blossoms were out and many passers-by couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist their beauty. As part of our human condition, we are always looking for beauty. In St Augustine\u0026rsquo;s own words: \u0026ldquo;T_he soul is weighed in the balance by what delights her. Delight or enjoyment sets the soul in her ordered place. Where the delight is, there is the treasure_.\u0026rdquo; I always come away from my visits there in a clearer space within myself and more delighted.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_956\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] In the cherry blossoms shade there\u0026rsquo;s no such things as a stranger. (Kabayashi Issa)[/caption]\nSt Martin-in-the-Fields is located at 151 Glenlake Ave. in Toronto. There is a church in England with the same name. I was fortunate to visit that church when I visited England. However, they didn\u0026rsquo;t seem to have a garden. St Martin\u0026rsquo;s in London, England, is in the heart of the city. Below is a short history of Martin of Tours - the saint.\nSaint Martin of Tours (Latin: Martinus), (born 316 or 317; died November 11, 397) was a native of Sabaria, Pannonia. His father was a senior officer in the Roman army. Martin was named after Mars, the god of war, meaning `the brave, the courageous\u0026rsquo;. The family moved to Pavia in Italy. When he was 15, the son of an officer, he had to join the army himself. He was stationed in Gaul and later became a monk in the region of Poitiers.\nWhile Martin was still a soldier he experienced the vision that became the most-repeated story about his life. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scantily dressed beggar. He impulsively cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed that Jesus came to him and returned the half cloak Martin had shared with him. He heard Jesus say to the angels: \u0026ldquo;Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized; he has clad me.\u0026rdquo; When Martin woke his cloak was restored.\n**The miraculous cloak was preserved as a relic, and entered the relic collection of the Merovingian kings of the Franks. The Latin word for \u0026ldquo;short cloak\u0026rdquo;, cappella in Latin, was extended to the people charged with preserving the cloak of St. Martin, the cappellani or \u0026ldquo;chaplains\u0026rdquo; and from them was applied to the royal oratory that was not a regular church, a \u0026ldquo;chapel\u0026rdquo;. The dream had such an impact on Saint Martin that he was baptised the next day and became a Christian. He decided to leave the army and became a monk near the city of Tours. (**religion facts.com)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_2400\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;525\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Even before I could speak, I remember crawling through blueberry patches in the wild meadows on our hillsides. I quickly discovered Nature was filled with Spirit; I never saw any separation between Spirit and Nature. Much later I discovered our culture taught there was supposed to be some kind of separation - that God, Spirit and Nature were supposed to be divided and different. However, at my early age it seemed absolutely obvious that the church of the Earth was the greatest church of all; that the temple of the forest was the supreme temple. When I went to the sanctuary of the mountain, I found Earth\u0026rsquo;s\nnatural altar - Great Spirit\u0026rsquo;s real shrine. Years later I discovered that this path of going into Nature, bonding deeply with it, and seeing Spirit within Nature - God, Goddess, and Great Spirit - was humanity\u0026rsquo;s most ancient, most primordial path of spiritual cultivation and realization.\u0026rdquo; - John P. Milton, Sky Above, Earth Below[/caption]\nSome of you may want to visit our own St Martin\u0026rsquo;s church here in Toronto after seeing the pictures and hearing a little bit about St. Martin of Tours. The garden is always beautiful but especially in Spring.\n“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.”― Ruth Stout\n","permalink":"/posts/a-garden-paradise-a-sanctuary/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_953\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/St.-Martins-with-St.-Martin-sign.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/St.-Martins-with-St.-Martin-sign-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"St. Martin\u0026#39;s (with St. Martin sign)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures. (Francis Bacon)[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e“The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don’t want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don’t have a soul.” (Thomas Moore)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Garden Paradise ~ A  Sanctuary"},{"content":"\nCulture relates to objects and is a phenomenon of the world; entertainment relates to people and is a phenomenon of life. (Hannah Arendt)\nDownton Abbey Fashion\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_930\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Ashley\u0026rsquo;s Fine China - Toronto[/caption]\nWe all enjoy watching certain television shows and Downton Abbey is a British series that is very popular with many people. Ashley\u0026rsquo;s in Toronto hosted a magnificent Downton Abbey Day yesterday at their store in the Manulife Centre and I was lucky enough to stop by and get these wonderful images.\nThroughout the afternoon, there were talks on different themes such as setting a table Downton Style, Period Fashions, History of Great Food, Servant Life, Perfect Household Tips and Techniques (with Eric Robertson, Butler) and also a talk on table manners and etiquette. I arrived there in time for the talk by the Butler and for the Etiquette Challenge. There were displays of clothing that servants wore back then and also a very stylish gown that was worn by one of the elegant ladies of the period. In the photos, you will see that there were two beautiful ladies who were dressed for that period and were milling around the store. It was nice to be in this grand setting for even the short time I was there.\nThere were refreshments and I had some nice Earl Grey tea. I got to choose my own fine teacup and saucer. Some people were drinking wine. There was a table which, I believe, had some treats - but by the time I got there after the talks, only grapes were left. This was a lovely touch to all things fine and elegant and I\u0026rsquo;m grateful to see that a store such as Ashley\u0026rsquo;s could do something like this.\nTea to the English is really a picnic indoors. ~Alice Walker\nHope you enjoy the collages and for those of you who haven\u0026rsquo;t watched Downton Abbey, I found a short summary that you might find interesting.\nThe series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire Country House, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. The first series spanned the two years before the Great War beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which set the story in motion. The second series covered the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011 Christmas Special covered the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early 1920. The third series picks up soon thereafter, covering 1920 through the autumn of 1921.\nDownton Abbey is aired on Vision TV Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. You can catch the series that is on now if you want to take a look. Here\u0026rsquo;s a final insight into Edwardian society:\nEdwardian Society Menus Caviare, truffles, snipe, partridge, oysters, quail, ptarmigan (white grouse), pressed beef, ham, tongue, chicken, galantines, lobster, melons, peaches, nectarines and specially imported jams and biscuits could always be acquired in the hope of pleasing him. His desires set the tone of extravagance associated with the era. A typical society dinner menu for twenty persons cost approximately £60. That was much more than the annual income of a maid. Conspicuous consumption by the rich was seen as normal and even desirable. That consumption varied from extensive menus, to newly decorated interiors, costly travel abroad, and sartorial art at its most complex. Rich ladies were dressed elaborately and with great variety which was costly. Society hostesses wore different clothes for every occasion. The ultimate consumption was that the art of dressing was so complex that they could not even dress properly without the help of a ladies maid. They epitomised the mood of Edwardian high society.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1721\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Downton Abbey Dress[/caption]\nWhat a life, wouldn\u0026rsquo;t you say? The black and white dress is a maid\u0026rsquo;s outfit and there was even a lady sitting there in a maid\u0026rsquo;s outfit acting out the part of a maid. She was conspicuous but maids were not participants - unless you needed them. She played the part well.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1552\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] This Lladro Figurine was encased in a glass display case at \u0026quot; Downton Abbey Day\u0026quot; - Ashley\u0026rsquo;s Toronto. It is a very expensive piece of sculpture that I admired while I was there.[/caption]\nHope you enjoyed this post and got a taste of what Downton Abbey Day in Toronto was like.\n","permalink":"/posts/downton-abbey-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Downton-abbey-day/i-RnpWgFk/0/KtJQSdwJPx8QXZj7Xk7WDHRxMS6P2cxBBtvGQXW2f/D/Downtown-Abbey-with-Ashley-ad-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Downtown-Abbey-with-Ashley-ad-1024x587.jpg\" title=\"Downton Abbey - Ashley\u0026#39;s Toronto\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/hannaharen402663.html\" title=\"view quote\"\u003eCulture  relates to objects and is a phenomenon of the world; entertainment relates to  people and is a phenomenon of life.\u003c/a\u003e  (\u003ca href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hannah_arendt.html\" title=\"view author\"\u003eHannah  Arendt\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Downton-abbey-day/i-ZcJgZ2D/0/LjkdkdsJqbxcV2Rdd46hPctKSmBkkxcKcf7Lnqrcm/D/Downtown-Abbey-with-ladies-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Downtown-Abbey-with-ladies-1024x581.jpg\" title=\"Downton Abbey (with ladies)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDownton Abbey Fashion\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_930\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Downton-abbey-day/i-hzFptMS/0/MJ5VB5ZhK5LLm8CLXBPqxTV69fVKZT775GrVn6dZM/D/Downtowm-Abbey-table-as-background-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Downtowm-Abbey-table-as-background-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Downton Abbey in Toronto\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Ashley\u0026rsquo;s Fine China - Toronto[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe all enjoy watching certain television shows and Downton Abbey is a British series that is very popular with many people.  Ashley\u0026rsquo;s in Toronto hosted a magnificent Downton Abbey Day yesterday at their store in the Manulife Centre and I was lucky enough to stop by and get these wonderful images.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Downton Abbey Day"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_922\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\n“A mother is not a person to lean upon, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)\nTomorrow is Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day and it was a busy day in downtown Toronto. I visited Chapters which is a big bookstore in the Manulife Centre and many young children and older children, as well as grown-ups were there shopping for cards and other gifts for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day. As I rode the subway, I also saw many people carrying flowers - although Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day is not until tomorrow. I passed a fine chocolate shop where many people were buying chocolates. There was definitely an excitement to all this shopping.\nI left home with a somewhat cynical feeling about the whole commercial aspect to this day and this is what my post would have been mainly about. I would have been saying that it generates too much unnecessary shopping. My trip out, however, changed my mind and my feelings completely and this is a very different post.\nThere was no time while I was out and saw people shopping that I got the feeling that they were purchasing the gifts that they chose out of obligation. There was a long line at Chapters to pay for purchases. A definite holiday feeling was in the air. I came to the conclusion that the mothering role is definitely an appreciated one for most people.\nMothers wear many hats in the home and in the outside world and are sometimes the main nurturers of their offspring. As in all other relationships, it isn\u0026rsquo;t always a smooth road. However, the main task of motherhood is to teach the child, to the best of their knowledge, how to live in the world so that someday they can take their own place in this vast universe. Alexandra Stoddard in her book \u0026ldquo;The Shared Wisdom of Mothers and Daughters\u0026rdquo; says: \u0026ldquo;The sooner we face the reality that we raise children in order that they might grow up and leave us to explore vast opportunities all over the world, and not worry about what their mother will do without them, the happier and healthier we will all be.\u0026rdquo; Leaning on mother is just for a time. The time comes when a different kind of relationship between a mother and her child emerges - one that is no less full - but in which both can learn from each other and hopefully enrich each other\u0026rsquo;s lives through different phases and stages. All the cards in this collage were given to me and I saved them. Happy Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day! Hope you enjoy the collage.\n# “The living self has one purpose only: to come into its own fullness of being, as a tree comes into full blossom, or a bird into spring beauty, or a tiger into lustre.” D.H. Lawrence ","permalink":"/posts/mothers-day-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_922\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Mothers-day-2/i-WnHKQSH/0/K7Pn7g2CdT4sKdFSxDjTPvhLX4XdSDMKtrBjVMKVS/D/Mothers-Day-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mothers-Day-1024x587.jpg\" title=\"Mother\u0026#39;s Day\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A mother is not a person to lean upon, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.”\u003c/strong\u003e (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTomorrow is Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day and it was a busy day in downtown Toronto.  I visited Chapters which is a big bookstore in the Manulife Centre and many young children and older children, as well as grown-ups were there shopping for cards and other gifts for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day.  As I rode the subway, I also saw many people carrying flowers - although Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day is not until tomorrow.  I passed a  fine chocolate shop where many people were buying chocolates.  There was definitely an excitement to all this shopping.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mother's Day!"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;When we go out among nature, clay is returning to clay. We are returning to participate in the stillness of the earth which first dreamed us.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\nHigh Park was packed with lovers of the natural world and beauty last Friday when I visited. It was a spectacular sight to see the Sakura in bloom. We all enjoyed nature\u0026rsquo;s bountiful beauty. We weren\u0026rsquo;t happy to just see the sight, we wanted to take it away with us. Photographers were everywhere. I had my camera along with me and the collages you see here were from that wonderful time.\nIn case you don\u0026rsquo;t know the history behind the High Park Cherry Blossoms, here it is. \u0026ldquo;In 1959, the Japanese ambassador to Canada, Toru-Hagiwara, presented 2000 Japanese Somei-Yoshino Sakura trees to the citizens of Toronto on behalf of the citizens of Tokyo. The trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following the Second World War. Many of these trees were planted on the hillside overlooking Grenadier Pond (southwest of the Grenadier Café) and around the east shore of the pond.\u0026rdquo; [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_905\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;I decided to do this collage with a black background so that there would be contrast here with the colours of the cherry blossoms. I rather like this one.\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis lady was touching the cherry blossoms.\nCherry Blossoms in Pink and White\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_895\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Nature displays her beauty in all its splendor!\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe High Park train was going by and I took this image. You can see the cherry blossoms behind the train. The other images depict young cherry blossom shoots and branches.\nThere is a beautiful song about the Japanese Cherry Blossoms that touched me and for those lovers of lyrics, this is the English translation. After this year\u0026rsquo;s blooms, we will all indeed have to wait another year for this spectacle of Nature\u0026rsquo;s Gifts to grace us again.\nSakura Time fades away, we wait for the day For the day when you come back home again We\u0026rsquo;re standing here, no more crying, no more fear On the lane where cherry blossoms bloom\nYou were always there when a friend needed care Just one smile and you could cure their pain Because of you, we could always make it through The love you gave erased all of our gloom\nSo now here we are But no matter how far Away you go we\u0026rsquo;ll always be with you\nSakura sakura As these cherry blossoms bloom Even they realize that one day a goodbye will have to come So farewell my friend But this is not the end Please stay the same until I see you again\nForget the past, make this moment last And speak only words we truly feel Wish you the best, may your future be blessed And all of your dreams become real\nMoments pass us by As we try not to cry Wherever you go never forget me\nSakura sakura As these cherry blossoms fall They dream silently of next spring when rebirth will come to all Don\u0026rsquo;t you cry now, my friend For this is not the end Keep up that smile until I see you again\nSakura sakura As these cherry blossoms dance Blown in all directions by the wind, their fate is left to chance So farewell, next time, my friend Let\u0026rsquo;s meet right here again.\n","permalink":"/posts/cherry-blossoms-sakura/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eWhen we go out among nature, clay is returning to clay.  We are returning to participate in the stillness of the earth which first dreamed us\u003c/strong\u003e.\u0026rdquo;  (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHigh Park was packed with lovers of the natural world and beauty last Friday when I visited.  It was a spectacular sight to see the Sakura in bloom.  We all enjoyed nature\u0026rsquo;s bountiful beauty.  We weren\u0026rsquo;t happy to just see the sight, we wanted to take it away with us.  Photographers were everywhere.  I had my camera along with me and the collages you see here were from that wonderful time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cherry Blossoms (Sakura)"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_873\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Rachel Persaud - Vocalist and Composer[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Music is the purest form of art\u0026hellip;therefore true poets, they who are seers, seek to express the universe in terms of music\u0026hellip;The singer has everything within him/her. The notes come out from his/her very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.\u0026rdquo; (Rabindranath Tagore)\nThere is nothing that brightens my spirit like music. Last Saturday, I was treated to a concert experience that was uplifting for both soul and spirit and provided an avenue for healing as well. The vocalist was Rachel Persaud and her accompanists were a guitarist and an accordian player. Rachel was at peak performance as this concert was sung in memory of her grandmother who died a few weeks ago. The images in this collage were all taken at St. Matthias Church in Toronto, which was the venue for the concert.\nRachel\u0026rsquo;s selections were carefully chosen to reflect her grandmother\u0026rsquo;s taste in music as well as her loving and playful spirit. Early in the program she sang \u0026ldquo;Red Roses for a Blue Lady\u0026rdquo; which was a song her grandmother taught her and that they sang together many times.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful flexibility and capacity in Rachel\u0026rsquo;s voice that enables her to belt out a Spanish song like \u0026ldquo;La Cucuracha\u0026rdquo; and then switch to a rendition of \u0026ldquo;Amazing Grace\u0026rdquo; which requires a more subdued style of singing. I loved \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t Cry for me Argentina\u0026rdquo; which called for more serious expression and to which Rachel gave her all.\nThroughout her performance, which covered all styles and genres of music, including some of her own compositions, Rachel spoke about her grandmother. Even if you didn\u0026rsquo;t know her, you got to know her, little by little, as the evening went by. I was very fortunate that her life had touched mine and I was doubly touched by this beautiful and loving tribute made by a grand-daughter for her grandmother.\nWe, the audience, were definitely out of chronos time during the performance. The music came right out of her and her expressions, feelings, qualities and movements transported me, and I\u0026rsquo;m sure, the rest of the audience, to a heart and soul space that only music can do. As humans, we are all connected and in relationship on one level or the other. This resonance was definitely there as she shared the gift of her beautiful voice with us. I\u0026rsquo;m sure many different but very human feelings came to the fore. \u0026ldquo;Feeling is where the heart lives. In claiming the heart so swiftly and totally, the beauty of music crosses all psychological and cultural frontiers. There is a profound sense in which music opens a secret door in time and reaches in to the eternal. This is the authority and grace of music: it evokes or creates an atmosphere where presence awakens to its eternal depth.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\nWherever eternity resides or whatever it is, we were all privy to a little portion of its evoking presence during this performance. Rachel\u0026rsquo;s last song was \u0026ldquo;Wind Beneath My Wings\u0026rdquo; and she was completely surrendered to the music - a fitting final tribute in song to the grandmother she so dearly loved. I\u0026rsquo;ve heard it said that \u0026ldquo;to live on in the hearts of those we love is never to die.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m sure this grandmother lives on. Thank you, Rachel, for using your gift to touch so many lives. Keep on singing and blessing.\nI have put the words to \u0026ldquo;Wind Beneath My Wings\u0026rdquo; below for those of you who may not know them. Enjoy the collage!\nOh, oh, oh, oh, oh. It must have been cold there in my shadow, to never have sunlight on your face. You were content to let me shine, that\u0026rsquo;s your way. You always walked a step behind.\nSo I was the one with all the glory, while you were the one with all the strength. A beautiful face without a name for so long. A beautiful smile to hide the pain.\nDid you ever know that you\u0026rsquo;re my hero, and everything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle, \u0026lsquo;cause you are the wind beneath my wings.\nIt might have appeared to go unnoticed, but I\u0026rsquo;ve got it all here in my heart. I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it. I would be nothing without you.\nDid you ever know that you\u0026rsquo;re my hero? You\u0026rsquo;re everything I wish I could be. I could fly higher than an eagle, \u0026lsquo;cause you are the wind beneath my wings.\nDid I ever tell you you\u0026rsquo;re my hero? You\u0026rsquo;re everything, everything I wish I could be. Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle, \u0026lsquo;cause you are the wind beneath my wings, \u0026lsquo;cause you are the wind beneath my wings.\nOh, the wind beneath my wings. You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings. Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high. Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings. Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings. Fly, fly, fly high against the sky, so high I almost touch the sky. Thank you, thank you, thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-eternal-depth-of-music/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_873\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/The-eternal-depth-of-music/i-mv78ZGX/0/NcBBP2qq6hCN95sQgGk7BXWkJT2jgGmkjh3swJfqJ/D/Rachels-Concert-with-caption1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Rachels-Concert-with-caption1-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Rachel\u0026#39;s Concert (with caption)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Rachel Persaud - Vocalist and Composer[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Music is the purest form of art\u0026hellip;therefore true poets, they who are seers, seek to express the universe in terms of music\u0026hellip;The singer has everything within him/her. The notes come out from his/her very life.  They are not materials gathered from outside.\u0026rdquo;  (Rabindranath Tagore)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is nothing that brightens my spirit like music.  Last Saturday, I was treated to a concert experience that was uplifting for both soul and spirit and provided an avenue for healing as well.  The vocalist was Rachel Persaud and her accompanists were a guitarist and an accordian player. Rachel was at peak performance as this concert was sung in memory of her grandmother who died a few weeks ago. The images in this collage were all taken  at St. Matthias Church in Toronto, which was the venue for the concert.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Eternal Depth of Music"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_854\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;~ Impatiens Flower\u0026quot;][/caption]\nSynchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have eyes to see. (Jung)\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been finding myself very impatient with myself lately. Spring is officially here and the weather is still cold in Toronto. In addition to that, although some shoots are out in the garden, nothing is in bloom. I can\u0026rsquo;t seem to wait for the flowers to bloom.\nWhile I know that \u0026ldquo;patience is virtue\u0026rdquo; and it\u0026rsquo;s better to be patient than impatient, I can\u0026rsquo;t seem to bring myself to the possession of this virtue right now. This led me to looking at some of last year\u0026rsquo;s Spring and Summer garden photos that I had taken. The \u0026ldquo;impatiens\u0026rdquo; flowers with their bright colours caught my attention and the results of my impatience can be seen in this collage.\nIt is also said that \u0026ldquo;one thing leads to another.\u0026rdquo; I got to thinking about my impatience, and how, of all the images I would choose to make a collage, it would be the \u0026ldquo;impatiens\u0026rdquo; flower. I wondered if the name had anything to do with the human quality of impatience. This is what I discovered. \u0026ldquo;Dubbed the number one shade annual, impatiens take their scientific name from the Latin for \u0026ldquo;impatient\u0026rdquo;, which refers to the way that they shoot out their seed from their turgid seed pods. They are the largest member of the balsam family, and brighten the garden with their hot colors and quick spread. In fact, it\u0026rsquo;s not unnatural to see mass plantings of impatiens act as a sort of groundcover in a border garden.\u0026rdquo; The discovery of the Latin derivative of this \u0026ldquo;impatiens\u0026rdquo; flower - meaning impatience - led me to thinking that all this was synchronicity.\nMy impatience for spring blooms led me to looking at my garden photos, which then brought me to making the collage, and then discovering that \u0026ldquo;impatiens\u0026rdquo; meant impatience. \u0026ldquo;Synchronicity is the bridge between matter, mind and the eternal. Synchronistic events are those subjective experiences that make up life\u0026rsquo;s meaningful coincidences. Some seem more meaningful than others; some are \u0026ldquo;just so\u0026rdquo; stories.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;ll let you be the judge here about my story.\nWhatever you decide, enjoy the \u0026ldquo;impatiens.\u0026rdquo;\n.\n","permalink":"/posts/impatiens-impatience/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_854\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;~ Impatiens Flower\u0026quot;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Impatiens-impatience/i-gPWbhbD/0/NS7DBHXLfzvjWqntMzsXMbRhqfbR4hLsJk9BHbWrM/D/Impatiens-impatience-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Impatiens-impatience-1024x584.jpg\" title=\"Impatiens (impatience)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e   \u003cstrong\u003eSynchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have eyes to see.\u003c/strong\u003e (Jung)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve been finding myself very impatient with myself lately.  Spring is officially here and the weather is still cold in Toronto.  In addition to that, although some shoots are out in the garden, nothing is in bloom.  I can\u0026rsquo;t seem to wait for the flowers to bloom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile I know that \u0026ldquo;patience is virtue\u0026rdquo; and it\u0026rsquo;s better to be patient than impatient, I can\u0026rsquo;t seem to bring myself to the possession of this virtue right now.  This led me to looking at some of last year\u0026rsquo;s Spring and Summer garden photos that I had taken.  The \u0026ldquo;impatiens\u0026rdquo; flowers with their bright colours caught my attention and the results of my impatience can be seen in this collage.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Impatiens (impatience)"},{"content":"~ Pope Benedict XVI - Vatican City\nAudience with Pope Benedict XVI\n\u0026ldquo;Knowing when to walk away, is Wisdom. Being able to, is Courage. Walking away with Grace, and your head held high, is Dignity. (Ritu Ghatourey)\nI had the enviable experience of going to an audience with a living Pope and seeing him close-up. This Pope is Pope Benedict XVI - our newly retired Pope. During Easter Week, a few years ago, I had this historical experience. With all the furor surrounding Pope Benedict\u0026rsquo;s decision to resign from the Papacy and the election of Pope Francis, I decided to revisit that special time by looking at my Rome photos. These two collages were created as a result of that reminiscence.\nAlthough I\u0026rsquo;m not a Roman Catholic, seeing Pope Benedict in Rome, hearing him speak, and being at St. Peter\u0026rsquo;s in Vatican City, was like being with a celebrity. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike, the Pope is somewhat a celebrity figure. I had originally thought an audience with the Pope was confined to a few people but to my shock and amazement, there were thousands of people there. We were all excited and caught up in the moment.\nHad Pope Benedict not resigned, that historical moment for me, had gladly come and, as far as I was concerned, gone - except for the lovely photos I have of my time in Rome. However, this act of leaving the Papacy, brought me to thinking of this man and his life. It also brought me to thinking of my own ideas of martyrdom as it relates to what my understanding of a good Christian has always been. When I saw Pope Benedict that day in Rome, I just assumed that he would see this job out until death. He was elected Pope in 2005 at the age of seventy-eight.\nA Pope has not resigned for 598 years. In 1415, Pope Gregory XII resigned. He resigned because there was a lot of division in the Catholic church. Not only was he the Pope in Rome but there was a Pope in France. The duration of this peculiar situation was about forty years. From 1409, there was also a third Pope in Pisa. This is what precipitated Pope Gregory\u0026rsquo;s resignation.\nPope Benedict, on the other hand, has stepped down because of his health. This is the first for a Pope. While it is sad, it is also a breakthrough and a breaking away from the old way of \u0026ldquo;martyring\u0026rdquo; oneself. This is a sensible choice for him personally and it sends a powerful lesson to the whole world that a job or vocation or calling may have to be let go of. Here is a man who is giving up celebrity status as a world-renowned figure to live out his calling in a different way. It is a very impressive and mindful decision in the light of the fact that there isn\u0026rsquo;t a precedent that was set for him to follow.\nThis is what makes this so historical for me. I see a person here who\u0026rsquo;s listening to his own feelings and his own heart. Despite what his physicians have told him, he himself had to come to this moment of giving in his resignation and giving up the power. He said: \u0026ldquo;I am simply a pilgrim beginning the last leg of his pilgrimage on this Earth.\u0026rdquo; In spite of myself, I find myself a Pope admirer - especially of Pope Benedict XVI. I see a very \u0026ldquo;human\u0026rdquo; being. I am proud to see the part of history he is making.\nFor those of you who haven\u0026rsquo;t seen or heard his words of resignation or farewell, they are below for your perusal. I was also fortunate enough to visit the town of Castel Gandolfo, and to see the Pope\u0026rsquo;s summer home and to take many pictures of the lovely, hilly area. The words immediately below were given there on February 28th. He was spending some time there before returning to take up residence at a convent in the Vatican. These are English translations.\n\u0026ldquo;Dear friends, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to be with you, surrounded by the beauty of creation and your well-wishes which do me such good. Thank you for your friendship, and your affection. You know this day is different for me than the preceding ones: I am no longer the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, or I will be until 8 o\u0026rsquo;clock this evening and then no more.\nPope\u0026rsquo;s last day: Benedict XVI leaves the Vatican for the final time \u0026ldquo;I am simply a pilgrim beginning the last leg of his pilgrimage on this Earth. But I would still \u0026hellip; thank you \u0026hellip; I would still with my heart, with my love, with my prayers, with my reflection, and with all my inner strength, like to work for the common good and the good of the church and of humanity. I feel very supported by your sympathy.\n\u0026ldquo;Let us go forward with the Lord for the good of the church and the world. Thank you, I now wholeheartedly impart my blessing. Blessed be God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Good night! Thank you all!\u0026rdquo;\nThis is Pope Benedict\u0026rsquo;s resignation address.\n\u0026ldquo;Dear Brothers,\nI have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today\u0026rsquo;s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.\nDear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you like the collages!\n","permalink":"/posts/history-in-the-making/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e~ Pope Benedict XVI - Vatican City\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/History-in-the-making/i-rPx97Mg/0/L4Wjprks42DhLHL3dxjxPNLsD44XkFvggk2PsHF99/D/Pope-Benedict-XVI1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Pope-Benedict-XVI1-1024x590.jpg\" title=\"Pope Benedict XVI\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAudience with Pope Benedict XVI\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/History-in-the-making/i-SJ8kx3q/0/NFzsBzfDNkpxSKjXBv4b2dF39vVhTmm8nG7RBGVLJ/D/Pope-Benedict-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Pope-Benedict-for-blog-1024x584.jpg\" title=\"Pope Benedict (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Knowing when to walk away, is Wisdom.  Being able to, is Courage.  Walking away with Grace, and your head held high, is Dignity.  (Ritu Ghatourey)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had the enviable experience of going to an audience with a living Pope and seeing him close-up.  This Pope is Pope Benedict XVI - our newly retired Pope.  During Easter Week, a few years ago, I had this historical experience.  With all the furor surrounding Pope Benedict\u0026rsquo;s decision to resign from the Papacy and the election of  Pope Francis, I decided to revisit that special time by looking at my Rome photos.  These two collages were created as a result of that reminiscence.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"History in the Making"},{"content":"**\u0026ldquo;Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.\u0026rdquo; (**Jawaharlal Nehru)\nA visit to India provides a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and tastes, that bring about a change in one’s overall sensory experiences. There are stories upon stories about India that abound everywhere – some good, some bad. Like many other countries all over the world, India has great poverty and great wealth. What is very evident on a visit to India is extremes. You can be appalled, in awe, and frustrated, in the very same hour of the same day. There are high moments and low ones as well. Scenes and scenery change rapidly. It’s all part of what’s amazing and incredible about India.\nThe Indian movie industry is bigger than Hollywood and many Indians are influenced in their style of dress by what their favorite movie stars are wearing. Saris and lehengas come in all colors, designs, and styles and there is something to suit everyone\u0026rsquo;s taste. I bought a nice lehenga to wear for the wedding I attended in Chandigar.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_810\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Jal Mahal ~ (meaning \u0026ldquo;Water Palace\u0026rdquo;) is located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. Rajput and Mughal Architecture with Bengali style elements. It was built by Sawai Jai Singh II as a pleasure palace for royal Jaipurites and their friends.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_840\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The Hawa Mahal is in Jaipur - known as the Pink City. It is five stories and was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. He built it to be a safe place for the royal women to watch royal processions and other happenings in the market below without having to be seen - looking through tiny windows. There are 953 latticed windows known there as jharokas. The building was designed so as to allow cool breezes to circulate through its interiors. It is a sandstone structure and is very beautiful.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_809\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fatehpuh Sikri is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by Akbar in 1571 and the city is carved entirely from red sandstone. There are Persian design elements, as well as Hindu and Jain. Akbar was a Mughal emperor who didn\u0026rsquo;t have a male heir and he went to visit a Sufi saint, who gave him a blessing which resulted in the birth of a son the following year. He established the city in 1570 in honour of the saint but it was only inhabited for 14 years. Rumour has it that it could not be used after that due to water shortages.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_808\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Agra Fort is one of the area\u0026rsquo;s 7 World Heritage Sites. It\u0026rsquo;s really a fortified palace, with royal apartments, mosques, assembly halls, and a dungeon. Our driver told us that Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife) was imprisoned here by his own son toward the end of his life. He told us that he had an excellent view of the Taj Mahal from the tower he lived in at the Fort and died there.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_807\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These are some of the animals I saw in India. I also saw monkeys at the Taj Mahal but they were very swift and I wasn\u0026rsquo;t able to get a picture. There was also a snake charmer I saw at a roadside stop. Many stray dogs wander around but I didn\u0026rsquo;t take any pictures of those. In this collage, the background is the Amber Palace.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_838\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The Taj Mahal is India\u0026rsquo;s most famous monument. It is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture and is a monument to love. It is in Agra and was built by Shajahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz. It was designed by the Persian architect, Ustad Isa. There is a beautiful garden which features a symettrical layout of fountains and green areas, including a long reflecting pool.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_805\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Architectural Details in India[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_804\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Building behind Taj Mahal - Mehman Khana (guesthouse)[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_803\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Central Delhi\u0026rsquo;s India Gate (War Memorial Arch). It takes on a party-like atmosphere in the evening and families gather to enjoy the grounds and have ice-cream and other treats. Also Parliament Building image.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_802\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Advertising in India (English \u0026amp; Hindi)[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_800\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Golden Temple - Harmandir Sahib is a prominent Sikh Gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab. Sri Harmandir Sahib is considered holy by Sikhs. The most holy text of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, is always present inside the Gurdwara. Its construction was mainly intended to build a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally. Sri Harmandir Sahib is considered holy by Sikhs.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_867\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These beautiful sculptures were at a roadside stop we made for tea. They were colorful and gave a good idea of another aspect of the culture.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_799\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Indian food is very spicy and delicious as well. Various types of curries are popular - some vegetarian and some with meat. Some very common Indian spices are tumeric, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, tamarind paste. cinnamon, cardamon, and red chili powder or fresh chilis. \u0026ldquo;Masala\u0026rdquo; is the Hindi word for \u0026ldquo;spice.\u0026rdquo; When many different spices, herbs, and other condiments are mixed together, it is also called \u0026ldquo;masala.\u0026rdquo; Popular Indian dishes are Biryani, Butter Chicken, Vindaloo, Rogan Josh, Tandoori Chicken, Palak Paneer, Chole-Bhature (chick-peas), Naan, and Samosas. There are many tasty sweet treats such as Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, Rasmalai, Burfi, Kulfi, and Ladoo. Lassi is a popular Indian drink. Chai masala tea is very popular too. There are many wonderful dishes to sample and everything from roadside stands to the finest of restaurants.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_798\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Fresh flowers are used in decorating for an Indian wedding. I have never seen such beautiful and exquisite decorating aywhere else in the world. The pictures speak for themselves. The last picture with the yellow flowers was the wedding cake and it was very beautiful.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_797\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] There was a lot of music, dancing, and merriment at the pre-wedding party. Lots more ladies than men were on the dance floor. A good time was had by all.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_796\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] The actual wedding day was the grand finale. The wedding was kept at a big hall and there were many guests there, lots of food and drink, music and dancing, and drumming. It was a wonderful experience to attend such a glamorous affair.[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_816\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignnone\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Shopping in India is fun. There are all kinds of souvenirs that you might want to bring back with you. Indian rugs and jewelry as well as nice saris and lenghas are popular shopping items. Bargaining is the norm. There are many bazaars and markets as well as government emporiums. Hawkers are everywhere too. I bought some nice cushion covers, Jaipur earrings, an Indian style necklace, silk scarves, and some beautiful bedspreads. You are sure to find whatever you want as India is a mecca for shopping[/caption]\nIndia was a fascinating and mystical journey that I experienced.\nI enjoyed creating the collages very much.\n","permalink":"/posts/mystical-india/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e**\u0026ldquo;Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.\u0026rdquo;  (**Jawaharlal Nehru)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA visit to India provides a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and tastes, that bring about  a change in one’s overall sensory experiences.  There are stories upon  stories about India that abound everywhere – some good, some bad.  Like many other countries all over the world, India has great poverty and great wealth.  What is very evident on a visit to India is extremes.  You can be appalled, in awe, and frustrated, in the very same hour of the same day. There are high moments and low ones as well.  Scenes and scenery change rapidly.  It’s all part of what’s amazing and incredible about India.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mystical India!"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_773\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Easter[/caption]\nEaster is not a time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous generation or even to prove life eternal. It is a day to fan the ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown. (Author unknown)\nThe signs of Easter were around everywhere I went during the last month or so. Most of the shops and malls had lovely displays of Easter bunnies and eggs. The images in this collage were taken in many different places.\nEaster bunnies and eggs are synonymous with Easter.\nThe Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the spring season. Receiving bunnies and eggs is a highlight of the Easter season for boys and girls. I observed many parents and grandparents buying Easter eggs and bunnies for their special boys and girls ~ chocolate ones. Another favourite symbol of Easter for me are the Easter lilies. These along with the daffodils, tulips, hydrangeas, and other types of flowers that are in abundance in the flower shops make me aware that Easter is here. In Toronto, no flowers are out of the ground yet, but there are flowers everywhere for Easter and, of course, Spring. We are looking forward to the earth\u0026rsquo;s rebirth here and, hopefully, it will be very soon. In fact, we know by this time of year, that it will be very soon. Whatever hope we have buried in us this Easter, may it come alive.\nWhether Easter is steeped in religious symbolism for you or whether it is about Easter bunnies and eggs, or about Spring and rebirth, have a Happy Easter! Don\u0026rsquo;t forget your Hot Cross Buns. We had some for breakfast this morning.\n","permalink":"/posts/easter-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_773\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Easter-2/i-JmSscKW/0/Msxr4XcTQ2zDn8kBX9kZ374NcmCwsXj97S8vkjsSD/D/Happy-Easter-final-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Happy-Easter-final-for-blog-1024x610.jpg\" title=\"Happy Easter! (final for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Easter[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEaster is not a time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous generation or even to prove life eternal.  It is a day to fan the ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown.  (Author unknown)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Easter"},{"content":" I hope some day to meet God, because I want to thank Him for the flowers. ~ (Robert Brault)\nWhen I visited \u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms\u0026rdquo; yesterday, my heart resonated and echoed these words. The flowers were magnificent and it was truly a taste of what we are all looking forward to seeing outdoors in the not too distant future. In my last post, as I mentioned, I had not yet started collaging or blogging. I have also never used several collages in one post. However, in this post I will share several photos that I took yesterday and made into collages. Springtime is truly not very far away.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_761\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms - Glimpses\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nLandscape Gardening\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_759\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Flower Creations\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nCakes made of Plant Material\n“Beauty is a primeval phenomenon, which itself never makes its appearance, but the reflection of which is visible in a thousand different utterances of the creative mind, and is as various as nature herself.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Creative minds were definitely at work here. We tend to think of creativity and talent as musical and artistic ventures of the highest order - for the Mozart\u0026rsquo;s and Van Gogh\u0026rsquo;s. These beautiful cake designs, while inedible, are truly masterpieces and works of art as far as I\u0026rsquo;m concerned. I had lots of fun seeing and taking these images and making this collage. [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_750\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Flowers in Decorating\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWe all like flowers in their natural settings. However, we just don\u0026rsquo;t feel good about not having them indoors when we have special occasions. These tables were magnificent with their lovely white tablecloths, fine chinaware, and, of course, flowers. The images in the middle of the collage were part of other floor displays. Enjoy!\nFlowers in Purple and Pink\nThese pink and purple tulips - with a few sprinklings of white ones in between, were stunning. Those of us with gardens are waiting with bated breath for the first arrival of our own tulips in the not too distant future. I used the other images because they were beautiful and enhanced the collage.\nIt was lots of fun doing the collages for this post. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that I didn\u0026rsquo;t miss this year\u0026rsquo;s show. Hope you enjoyed the flowers.\n","permalink":"/posts/more-blooms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eI hope some day to meet God, because I want to thank Him for the flowers\u003c/em\u003e. ~ (Robert Brault)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I visited \u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms\u0026rdquo; yesterday, my heart resonated and echoed these words.  The flowers were magnificent and it was truly a taste of what we are all looking forward to seeing outdoors in the not too distant future.  In my last post, as I mentioned, I had not yet started collaging or blogging.  I have also never used several collages in one post.  However,  in this post I will share several photos that I took yesterday and made into collages.  Springtime is truly not very far away.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"More Blooms"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_744\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWe can all do with seeing a few flowers in bloom here in Toronto after our last few weeks of snowy weather and cold. I noticed that the garden show called \u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms\u0026rdquo; which is now in its seventeenth year is presently on. All the images in this collage were from last year\u0026rsquo;s Canada Blooms.\nAt that time, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t started to use my photos in the way I\u0026rsquo;m doing now. However, I was so uplifted in body, mind, and spirit, by being there that I wanted to capture lots of those special moments on my digital camera. Apparently, there is no other garden show as large as this one in Canada. It covers many different areas of gardening: (i) Flowers which come from the magnificent floral presentations of the Toronto Flower Show and innovative displays from well known professional florists and growers (ii) Education, featuring the best known garden and landscape experts from across Canada (iii) Marketplace showcasing the latest and greatest garden products and services (iv) Feature Gardens created by Ontario’s premier landscape designers (v) Special Sponsor Features\nI read that the theme of this year\u0026rsquo;s show is \u0026ldquo;The Magic of Spring.\u0026rdquo; It runs until March 24th. That means that there are still a few days left to get to this year\u0026rsquo;s show and experience that magic. Spring is truly a magical time of year. Who doesn\u0026rsquo;t like to see the first little shoots appear in the ground? While we\u0026rsquo;re not there yet here in Toronto, we are eagerly awaiting that day. In fact, on my calendar today, it shows under March 20th, First Day of Spring.\nAs life goes by, especially for those in our later years of life, we may be slowing down, but we really don\u0026rsquo;t want to miss out on the important details of life. Those details may be different for each person. As I was doing this collage and thinking of the theme for this year\u0026rsquo;s show, I was reminded of a poem that I read that was was written by an eighty-five year old woman. About Spring, she said: If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.\nI was having a game of table-tennis with a friend yesterday who lost her father four months ago. He was in his nineties. She celebrated her Birthday last Friday and was out with her sons and their spouses for a birthday celebration at a restaurant the same evening. Coincidentally, the day of her birthday, was the ninth anniversary of her mother\u0026rsquo;s death, and she visited her grave that morning as she usually does every anniversary of her mother\u0026rsquo;s death. She told me that in her country and culture, mourning for a deceased loved one is for one year.\nI found myself telling her that this kind of tradition and thinking had to be done away with because she too would be dying sooner rather than later and that it was good for her to celebrate with her sons now. She said this is what her sons told her and they all had an enjoyable time enjoying her special day. I didn\u0026rsquo;t mention the poem to my friend but I was glad that she wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have to regret missing out on celebrating her birthday because of a tradition that was carried on in another time and place.\nI have put the poem in its entirety here since it may be an interesting read. It is called \u0026ldquo;If I had my life to live over again\u0026rdquo; and is attributed to Nadine Stair. Enjoy every little sprout that comes out of the ground this Spring and walk barefoot early if you like. Hope you like the collage too.\nIf I had my life to live over, I\u0026rsquo;d dare to make more mistakes next time. I\u0026rsquo;d relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I\u0026rsquo;d have fewer imaginary ones.\nYou see, I\u0026rsquo;m one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I\u0026rsquo;ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I\u0026rsquo;d have more of them. In fact, I\u0026rsquo;d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I\u0026rsquo;ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.\nIf I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.\n","permalink":"/posts/canada-blooms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_744\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Canada-blooms/i-g3LwncR/0/LzXwCHNh7M7Qkq9wWLfXMnCq7xP8sbHZZjjSFkH75/D/Canada-Blooms2-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Canada-Blooms2-1024x600.jpg\" title=\"Canada Blooms2\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe can all do with seeing a few flowers in bloom here in Toronto after our last few weeks of snowy weather and cold.  I noticed that the garden show called \u0026ldquo;Canada Blooms\u0026rdquo; which is now in its seventeenth year is presently on.  All the images in this collage were from last year\u0026rsquo;s Canada Blooms.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt that time, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t started to use my photos in the way I\u0026rsquo;m doing now.  However, I was so uplifted in body, mind, and spirit, by being there that I wanted to capture lots of those special moments on my digital camera.  Apparently, there is no other garden show as large as this one in Canada.  It covers many different areas of gardening: \u003cstrong\u003e(i) Flowers which come from the magnificent floral presentations of the Toronto Flower Show and innovative displays from well known professional florists and growers\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e(ii) Education, featuring the best known garden and landscape experts from across Canada\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e(iii) Marketplace showcasing the latest and greatest garden products and services\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e(iv) Feature Gardens created by Ontario’s premier landscape designers\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e(v) Special Sponsor Features\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Canada Blooms"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_739\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Bijoux (Jewels)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAll the images in this collage were taken at a very lovely party for a friend who turned eighty-five. It was a Sunday and everyone was in their Sunday best and more. I was fascinated with the beautiful pieces of jewelry that were worn by the women for extra adornment on this special occasion. These images are of women all over the age of seventy.\nThere were fascinating stories and history behind some of these pieces and that is what made this time so special. We were all seated at the same table and I had been admiring how personable and beautiful these women were. They were very pleased to tell me some of the stories and were flattered that I wanted to take photos of their jewelry.\nThe ring with the small ruby stone was an engagement ring that had been passed on to a daughter by her mother. She also wore a huge sapphire stone that had an unusual setting. She told me the story of how this ring had got lost and how she found it after seventeen years of looking for it - on the hand of a woman in a line at a bank, in Toronto. I was privy to the tale of how she got it back. Many pieces of jewelry that are worn by older women have great sentimental value as they were given to them by someone special. That ring had been a gift to her by her husband.\nAs women, we never lose our flair for dressing-up, fixing our face, hair, and nails - and beautifying ourselves with elegant pieces of jewelry. Our cave ancestors used bones, wood, seeds, and whatever they could find, to embellish themselves. We are using gold, silver, precious stones, and costume jewelry, to add style and flair to our own unique style of dressing. There is no age for a woman to stop wanting to make herself look good.\nAs an older woman myself, I often wonder if I\u0026rsquo;m too old to wear certain items of clothing, shoes, hair style, make-up, and jewelry, and whether I\u0026rsquo;m too old to do certain things as well. I\u0026rsquo;m sure other women feel the same way too. We\u0026rsquo;re never sure what is appropriate for our age.\nI realize that it\u0026rsquo;s really about the way we feel inside. I myself was dressed up for this 85th Birthday Celebration and wore nice clothing, make-up, and jewelry. Our friend is a youthful eighty-five year old who is a literal \u0026ldquo;party animal.\u0026rdquo; She takes acting courses, plays ping-pong, dances, exercises, and is a beautiful blonde. We all dressed for her special occasion to make her happy and to make ourselves happy and feel good about ourselves. We weren\u0026rsquo;t feeling our age. It didn\u0026rsquo;t matter. I remembered reading this Samuel Ullman poem many years ago and it came to mind as expressing appropriate sentiments for this particular post. Hope you enjoy the collage too!\nYouth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.\nYouth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of sixty more than a boy of twenty. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.\nYears may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.\nWhether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what’s next, and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long are you young.\nWhen the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at twenty, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch the waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at eighty.\n\u0026ldquo;Youth\u0026rdquo; - Samuel Ullman\n","permalink":"/posts/bijoux/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_739\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Bijoux (Jewels)\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Bijoux/i-56BDGcW/0/LNGVZNVWkMGnWtN5tGxStQKXRFHB9bXqBmDHc7HdJ/D/Bijoux-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Bijoux-1024x601.jpg\" title=\"Bijoux\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the images in this collage were taken at a very lovely party for a friend who turned eighty-five.  It was a Sunday and everyone was in their Sunday best and more.  I was fascinated with the beautiful pieces of jewelry that were worn by the women for extra adornment on this special occasion.  These images are of women all over the age of seventy.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bijoux"},{"content":"\nAll the images in this collage are of my own Calico cat. Her name is Cali. She likes to be the queen here at home. Other cat owners have told me the same about their own cats. They have that superior attitude about themselves and want things their own way.\nI crowned her and she looks adorable and regal in these pictures. Hope you enjoy the collage and the poem. Cali is a good companion and friend to me**.**\nCats are Wonderful Friends\nGentle eyes that see so much, paws that have the quiet touch, Purrs to signal \u0026ldquo;all is well\u0026rdquo; and show more love than words could tell. Graceful movements touched with pride, a calming presence by our side A friendship that takes time to grow Small wonder why we love them so.\nAuthor Unknown\n","permalink":"/posts/crown-the-cat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Crown-the-cat/i-wVGGMm4/0/KP6GcTsxqdgDXwNXxzX3P3P9SHDp9HFxwdc6Sjv9m/D/Pet-Queen1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Pet-Queen1-1024x625.jpg\" title=\"Pet Queen\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the images in this collage are of my own Calico cat.  Her name is Cali.  She likes to be the queen here at home.  Other cat owners have told me the same about their own cats.  They have that superior attitude about themselves and want things their own way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI crowned her and she looks adorable and regal in these pictures.  Hope you enjoy the collage and the poem.  Cali is a good companion and friend to me**.**\u003c/p\u003e","title":"My Regal Cat"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_722\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI wandered lonely as a Cloud\nI wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o\u0026rsquo;er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd A host of dancing Daffodils; Along the Lake, beneath the trees, Ten thousand dancing in the breeze. The waves beside them danced, but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: \u0026ndash; A poet could not but be gay In such a laughing company: I gaz\u0026rsquo;d\u0026ndash;and gaz\u0026rsquo;d\u0026ndash;but little thought What wealth the shew to me had brought: For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude, And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils.\nWilliam Wordsworth Poems in Two Volumes: Moods of my Mind 7 (1807)\nThis poem by Wordsworth was a favourite of mine when I was a child. Some of us know it as \u0026ldquo;Daffodils\u0026rdquo; and some as \u0026ldquo;I wandered lonely as a cloud.\u0026rdquo; I came across it the other day and fondly remembered it and was inspired to do this collage. I was not looking for any specific clouds when I took these photos. I was just having fun. The daffodils are from my own garden and were taken last spring. I\u0026rsquo;m hoping to see some signs of daffodils in Toronto by the end of March.\nI like the imagery he uses at the beginning of the poem - \u0026ldquo;I wandered lonely as a cloud.\u0026rdquo; At some point in life, we are all fascinated by clouds and like to watch them. We are also subject to loneliness at some point in time. His loneliness didn\u0026rsquo;t last for long though and with the sight of the daffodils, he was in great company. Yellow is a vibrant colour and appeals to the senses. \u0026ldquo;Yellow brings with her the nature of brightness and has a delightful, encouraging, exciting and soft quality,\u0026rdquo; Goethe says.\nWe get the picture of delight that the poet experiences on coming across the daffodils when we read the poem. At the end of the poem, we are left with the fascinating imagery of solitude, instead of loneliness. When he is alone and he remembers the daffodils, his heart is blessed by the memory. Their beauty lingers on with him.\nIt is said that \u0026ldquo;a picture is worth a thousand words.\u0026rdquo; I love the poem and I hope that the collage expresses some of those feelings. Enjoy!\n","permalink":"/posts/poetry-as-inspiration/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_722\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Poetry-as-inspiration/i-SCLhd26/0/LSxZ9Mx66DXLqfWVBPb5DrRz95jPMd7QCJDkDBXVM/D/I-Wandered-Lonely-as-a-Cloud-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/I-Wandered-Lonely-as-a-Cloud-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wandered lonely as a Cloud\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o\u0026rsquo;er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd A host of dancing Daffodils; Along the Lake, beneath the trees, Ten thousand dancing in the breeze. The waves beside them danced, but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: \u0026ndash; A poet could not but be gay In such a laughing company: I gaz\u0026rsquo;d\u0026ndash;and gaz\u0026rsquo;d\u0026ndash;but little thought What wealth the shew to me had brought: For oft when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude, And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Poetry as Inspiration"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_711\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Pet Shop Twins\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe cat is the animal to whom the Creator gave the biggest eye, the softest fur, the most supremely delicate nostrils, a mobile ear, an unrivaled paw and a curved claw borrowed from the rose-tree. Sidonie Gabrielle The images in this collage are of twin cats who belong to the owner of a pet shop that I visited. They are beautiful and I was fascinated at how they followed each other around. I read somewhere that in the case of animals, they are twins if they come out of the same sac. The information that they were twins was given to me by the owner. She was happy that I was photographing them and that I liked them so much. Although I have my own cat, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t noticed her enough to describe her in the way that the writer of the above quote did. Sometimes we see without really knowing what it is that we see. \u0026ldquo;The imagination is like a lantern. It illuminates the inner landscapes of our life and helps us discover their secret archaeologies.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue) Hope you enjoy the collage and that your insights and imagination are working well. I\u0026rsquo;m glad that the quote set my imagination to work. ","permalink":"/posts/pet-shop-twins/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_711\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Pet Shop Twins\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Pet-shop-twins/i-cmqtqb4/0/LCRf27xf2jgj9vwnN82vt8hKZsZ3GsQq2DfLbVTGS/D/twin-cats-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/twin-cats-1024x590.jpg\" title=\"twin cats\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n  \u003cthead\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://www.searchquotes.com/images/quotemarkleft.png\"\u003e The cat is the animal to whom the Creator gave the biggest eye, the softest fur, the most supremely delicate nostrils, a mobile ear, an unrivaled paw and a curved claw borrowed from the rose-tree. \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://www.searchquotes.com/images/quotemarkright.png\"\u003e  Sidonie Gabrielle  The images in this collage are of twin cats who belong to the owner of a pet shop that I visited. They are beautiful and I was fascinated at how they followed each other around.  I read somewhere that in the case of animals, they are twins if they come out of the same sac.  The information that they were twins was given to me by the owner.  She was happy that I was photographing them and that I liked them so much.  Although I have my own cat, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t noticed her enough to describe her in the way that the writer of the above quote did.  Sometimes we see without really knowing what it is that we see.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The imagination is like a lantern.  It illuminates the inner landscapes of our life and helps us discover their secret archaeologies.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)  Hope you enjoy the collage and that your insights and imagination are working well.  I\u0026rsquo;m glad that the quote set my imagination to work.\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/thead\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n  \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e","title":"Pet Shop Twins"},{"content":"\n\u0026ldquo;Just remember, in the winter\nFar beneath the bitter snows\nLies the seed, that with the sun\u0026rsquo;s love\nIn the spring, becomes the rose\u0026rdquo;\nI was at Niagara Falls just after the snowstorm we had two weeks ago. All the images in this collage are from the 22nd floor hotel room we stayed in that overlooked the Horseshoe Falls. The Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian side and is the bigger of the three Falls. \u0026ldquo;Did you know the Canadian Horseshoe Falls crest line is approximately 670m(2,200ft) wide? It drops about 57m(188ft) into the Lower Niagara River. The American and Bridal Veil Falls have a total crest line of about 326m(1,100ft). It drops about 57m(188ft). The broken rock at the bottom of the American and Bridal Veil Falls is called talus. This talus reduces the interrupted fall of the water to as little as 21m(70ft).\u0026rdquo;\nNiagara Falls inspires awe no matter what time of year one visits. It is certainly one of the wonders of the Canadian world. I would say it is naturally beautiful. It is one of my favourite spots to visit. It has been my good fortune for the past several years to be invited by a good friend for overnight stays that include dinner, a show, and spectular views of all three Falls. While winter is not my favourite time of year, a visit to Niagara always brightens my spirit.\nFor many of us who are not younger anymore and for whom winter provides different kinds of challenges, it is good to remember that Nature is at work even beneath the snow - and that surely Spring will arrive. There are \u0026ldquo;winters\u0026rdquo; too in every life and we often don\u0026rsquo;t know how things will turn out and we are discontent with things the way they are. The lyrics to this song by Amanda McBroom remind us that change is beneath all this and that \u0026ldquo;spring\u0026rdquo; will arrive.\nHope you enjoy this collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/niagara-falls-in-winter/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Niagara-falls-in-winter/i-WRbZQ92/0/NHWCmBnvmWfNhtNDfpnnB8nbGXpbw9wQbtTNrVjMH/D/Niagara-Falls-in-Winter-final-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Niagara-Falls-in-Winter-final-for-blog-1024x630.jpg\" title=\"Niagara Falls in Winter (final for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Just remember, in the winter\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFar beneath the bitter snows\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLies the seed, that with the sun\u0026rsquo;s love\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the spring, becomes the rose\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was at Niagara Falls just after the snowstorm we had two weeks ago.  All the images in this collage are from the 22nd floor hotel room we stayed in that overlooked  the Horseshoe Falls. The Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian side and is the bigger of the three Falls.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Did you know the Canadian Horseshoe Falls crest line is approximately 670m(2,200ft) wide?  It drops about 57m(188ft) into the Lower Niagara River.  The American and Bridal Veil Falls have a total crest line of about 326m(1,100ft).  It drops about 57m(188ft).  The broken rock at the bottom of the American and Bridal Veil Falls is called talus.  This talus reduces the interrupted fall of the water to as little as 21m(70ft).\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Niagara Falls in Winter"},{"content":"\n\u0026ldquo;Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.\u0026rdquo; ~ Andre Simon\nAll the images in this collage were taken recently when we had a buffet dinner party at our home. Although I\u0026rsquo;m not a wine-drinker anymore, I was delighted to discover that wine bottles make for good decor. This came upon me quite by accident, one might say.\nI had decided that the table in the hallway would be a good place for drinks and had placed wine glasses on a tray there and some napkins. To make that space beautiful, I placed a flower arrangement there with some battery-powered lights among the blooms. The only thing I hadn\u0026rsquo;t put there when I left to go out the evening before the party was the beverages.\nOn my return home, I discovered to my surprise and amazement that another family member had brought several bottles of wine and placed them on the table. The table was transfigured. Everything looked as beautiful as I had wanted it to look in the first place. \u0026ldquo;The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere - in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and in ourselves. No-one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the Beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\nOur guests enjoyed themselves to the wine, and I daresay, had a fine time. Hope you enjoy this collage and get some decorating ideas for your next party.\n","permalink":"/posts/wine-as-decor/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Wine-as-decor/i-FjtWgFS/0/LFFtPHfcGgHZdkDJMjz5sqcgDthkjsWxkQpZdkhBP/D/Wine-as-Decor1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Wine-as-Decor1-1024x642.jpg\" title=\"Wine as Decor\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.\u0026rdquo;        ~ Andre Simon\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the images in this collage were taken recently when we had a buffet dinner party at our home.  Although I\u0026rsquo;m not a wine-drinker anymore, I was delighted to discover that wine bottles make for good decor.  This came upon me quite by accident, one might say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had decided that the table in the hallway would be a good place for drinks and had placed wine glasses on a tray there and some napkins.  To make that space beautiful, I placed a flower arrangement there with some battery-powered lights among the blooms. The only thing I hadn\u0026rsquo;t put there when I left to go out the evening before the party was the beverages.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Wine as Decor"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_687\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Simple Flower Arrangements\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nFlowers\u0026hellip; are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. - Ralph Waldo Emerson\nThese simple flower arrangements were put together for use in my home a couple weeks ago. It was a special occasion. I decided to use Baby\u0026rsquo;s Breath (Gypsophila) as a big part of the arrangements and not just as a filler flower as it is often used. It is one of my favourites because it has such a delicate, light look, to it. It goes well wherever it is used.\nI wasn\u0026rsquo;t trying to create an abundant, plentiful look, in the arrangements - but rather a simple, elegant style. Besides the Baby\u0026rsquo;s Breath, I bought a bunch of white orchids, a bunch of orange-coloured roses, and a few other bunches that looked pleasing to me that were mainly white. It was fun choosing the flowers which I bought at a local florist. If you ask, they usually give you a few pieces of greenery. I used those with a few stems of the Baby\u0026rsquo;s Breath in one of the arrangements which I put in the front window.\nI made two very small arrangements in teacups using all white flowers. For two of the other arrangements, I used tall, champagne glasses, and put little stones in the bottom of those to give an earthy, natural effect. Those two arrangements have coloured flowers in them. For the hallway table, I used a nice bright, coloured glass container, which contained Baby\u0026rsquo;s Breath and coloured flowers. For an added touch to this, I put some lights that were battery-powered and looked pretty at night.\nAlthough everything was simply done, I was pleased with the beauty that they brought to our home and the joy and beauty that comes into my own life when I create with flowers. I like the Emerson quote and hope you do too. Hope you enjoy this collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/babys-breath/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_687\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Simple Flower Arrangements\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Babys-breath/i-HNtx5SG/0/KfhbSQxfQTJRVMpztSxftkzgxbG6PkdpR7gJPgtkJ/D/Simple-Flower-Arrangements-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Simple-Flower-Arrangements-1024x638.jpg\" title=\"Simple Flower Arrangements\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFlowers\u0026hellip; are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world.   - Ralph Waldo Emerson\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese simple flower arrangements were put together for use in my home a couple weeks ago.  It was a special occasion.  I decided to use Baby\u0026rsquo;s Breath (Gypsophila) as  a big part of the arrangements and not just as a filler flower as it is often used.  It is one of my favourites because it has such a delicate, light look, to it.  It goes well wherever it is used.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Baby's Breath"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_681\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Flowers - Niagara-on-the-Lake\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s lovely and white today in Toronto with all the snow that has fallen. I\u0026rsquo;m lucky that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to go out or shovel snow. While I very much enjoy the beauty of all this whiteness, my soul and spirit longed for colour tonight.\nLuckily, I found some images that I had taken while visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake this past summer that brightened my spirit. Hope this collage will brighten your spirit too. For all those who like gardening and are looking forward to the time when flowers bloom again, here\u0026rsquo;s a poem for you in the dead of this winter.\nHe Knows No Winter\nHe knows no winter, he who loves the soil, For, stormy days, when he is free from toil, He plans his summer crops, selects his seeds From bright-paged catalogues for garden needs. When looking out upon frost-silvered fields, He visualizes autumn\u0026rsquo;s golden yields; He sees in snow and sleet and icy rain Precious moisture for his early grain; He hears spring-heralds in the storm\u0026rsquo;s \u0026rsquo; turmoil­ He knows no winter, he who loves the soil. -SUDIE STUART HAGER\n","permalink":"/posts/february-flowers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_681\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Flowers - Niagara-on-the-Lake\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/February-flowers/i-gvNwzJM/0/K7tGdhzKc3NrTp7WgnLpf9R4DrL8tx63WpG673NSs/D/February-flower-collage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/February-flower-collage-for-blog-1024x596.jpg\" title=\"February flower collage for blog\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s lovely and white today in Toronto with all the snow that has fallen.  I\u0026rsquo;m lucky that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to go out or shovel snow.  While I very much enjoy the beauty of all this whiteness, my soul and spirit longed for colour tonight.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuckily, I found some images that I had taken while visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake this past summer that brightened my spirit.  Hope this collage will brighten your spirit too.  For all those who like gardening and are looking forward to the time when flowers bloom again, here\u0026rsquo;s a poem for you in the dead of this winter.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February Flowers"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_671\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Sari Fabric\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe history of Indian textiles is very ancient. The discovery of several spindles, and a piece of cotton stuck to a silver vase, revealed that the spinning and weaving of cotton was known to the Harrappans, nearly five thousand years ago. References to weaving are found in the history of Vedic literature on the method of spinning the various materials used. The foundations of the Indian textile trade with other countries began as early as the second century BC. A hoard of block printed and resist-dyed fabrics, mainly of Gujrati origin, found in the tombs of Fostat, Egypt, are the proof of large scale Indian export of cotton textiles to Egypt in medieval times.\u0026quot;\nWe receive some of the most beautifuI textiles from India. I find the sari to be one of the most elegant and beautiful of all dress forms. There is such a wide variety of material to choose from and prices ranging from the very inexpensive to the most expensive. All the images in this collage were taken in Little India, Toronto. One of the store-owners there was so accomodating that he turned all the lights on and gave my friend and I free reign to take as many pictures as we wanted. It was a sari extravaganza!\nThere were bright and pastel coloured saris. Some were in fabrics such as cotton, crepe, georgette, and satin, and others were silk, brocade, net, and jacquard. Some were plain and others had borders. However, borders are very common on most saris.\nThey all seemed to have some attractive print or motif, ranging from the abstract to the floral, some geometric, and those with a golden print. The more elaborate they were, the more embroidery, stones, beads, and mirror work they had.\nBecause there is such a wide variety of design, there is something there for everyone\u0026rsquo;s taste and figure - from draped saris to the newer Lehenga style ones. Those are very comfortable to wear as the bottom part is a very wide pant or can be like a legging. The top is like a long dress.\nA large amount of material is needed for a sari to be draped properly. \u0026ldquo;A sari is made of 6 metres of cloth that is wrapped to form a skirt and then draped over the shoulder. It is worn with a stitched, fitted blouse called a choli. To wear a sari, a woman begins to tuck one end of the fabric into a matching petticoat and wraps it all the way around her waist. She then pleats the fabric and tucks them all together into the front of the petticoat. The remaining fabric is draped over her blouse and shoulder, falling behind her. This end, called the pallav, is often decorated with detailed patterns or embroidery.\u0026rdquo; Hope you like the sari collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/sari-extravaganza/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_671\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Sari Fabric\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Sari-extravaganza/i-nHDJMGT/0/LBF5dMQnphq3RvhkDFnpzBh7S6krtdKN8cvhmv29k/D/Sari-Fabric-best-collage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sari-Fabric-best-collage-for-blog-1024x591.jpg\" title=\"Sari Fabric (best collage for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe history of Indian textiles is very ancient. The discovery of several spindles, and a piece of cotton stuck to a silver vase, revealed that the spinning and weaving of cotton was known to the Harrappans, nearly five thousand years ago. References to weaving are found in the history of Vedic literature on the method of spinning the various materials used. The foundations of the Indian textile trade with other countries began as early as the second century BC. A hoard of block printed and resist-dyed fabrics, mainly of Gujrati origin, found in the tombs of Fostat, Egypt, are the proof of large scale Indian export of cotton \u003cstrong\u003etextiles to Egypt in medieval times.\u0026quot;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sari Extravaganza!"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_660\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Happy New Year!\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWhen I was younger, New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve was a time for partying, celebrating, and much revelry. All your friends were going out and if you didn\u0026rsquo;t have somewhere to go, you felt left out. You heard about New Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions wherever you went and felt you had to make some of your own - even if you didn\u0026rsquo;t tell anyone what they were. It didn\u0026rsquo;t seem as though you had a voice of your own.\nMany years down the road, the realization that the New Year is a time for reflection and, perhaps, an appraisal of one\u0026rsquo;s life, is the recurring theme. Nothing new or life-changing will happen as of midnight tonight. The potential for the new lies withing each and everyone of us though. The date will change to January 1st and the year to 2013.\nAt this time of life, it is a time for gratitude. Another year of challenges and opportunities has passed and with the dawning of a New Year, I am hopeful that I will be given the strength to deal with whatever is in store. As each year rolls by, I hope to be able to voice more of who I really am. I want the resolutions to be truly mine.\nWhether this is a time of revelry or a time of reflection, hope you all have a very Happy New Year - new beginnings, new ways of voicing! All the images in this collage were taken at different times in the past year at many wonderful celebrations of life, love, and friendship. Enjoy the collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-new-year/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_660\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Happy New Year!\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Happy-new-year/i-KD8V9fk/0/KLRWWNd7bRn62ND3x55Kf6VBWFxtwFbj7rvDXdtbT/D/Happy-New-Year-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Happy-New-Year-collage-1024x679.jpg\" title=\"Happy New Year collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was younger, New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve was a time for partying, celebrating, and much revelry. All your friends were going out and if you didn\u0026rsquo;t have somewhere to go, you felt left out.  You heard about New Year\u0026rsquo;s resolutions wherever you went and felt you had to make some of your own - even if you didn\u0026rsquo;t tell anyone what they were.  It didn\u0026rsquo;t seem as though you had a voice of your own.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy New Year!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_641\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Let it Snow\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve been hearing a song by this name playing in many different places prior to Christmas and some of us were \u0026ldquo;Dreaming of a White Christmas\u0026rdquo; as is sung in another song. Toronto received all this white stuff Boxing night - over ten inches. Beautiful and white, isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\nI was out for a walk yesterday and took these snow pictures in the neighbourhood. Even the little angel on my porch is now sitting in snow. All the little children love the snow and can make their own snowman now. They also like to lie in the snow and make \u0026ldquo;snow angels.\u0026rdquo;\nThere are many evergreens on the street and the branches are heavy with snow. This is the kind of snow that I like. It\u0026rsquo;s crisp, fresh, and white. \u0026ldquo;Snow crystals are born in the clouds when water vapor freezes on a particle of dust, a floating bit of bacteria, or another solid material. When cloud temperatures are at the freezing point or below, and there is an ample supply of moisture in the air, ice crystals form around a core particle. As water vapor condenses and freezes, the complex pattern of a snowflake is born, one molecule at a time. A snowflake\u0026rsquo;s hexagonal shape is born at the atomic level. It is here that water molecules bond together into stable crystal structures.\u0026rdquo;\nWhether you like snow or not, I hope you like the \u0026ldquo;Let it Snow\u0026rdquo; collage. \u0026ldquo;The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?\u0026rdquo; J.B. Priestley\n","permalink":"/posts/let-it-snow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_641\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Let it Snow\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Let-it-snow/i-HsF23QK/0/NFVGnF3SVn9djmPng25FQknsNV7Pzc4Rfq9m55wBh/D/Christmas-Snowstorm-2012-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Christmas-Snowstorm-2012-collage-1024x592.jpg\" title=\"Christmas Snowstorm 2012 collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe\u0026rsquo;ve been hearing a song by this name playing in many different places prior to Christmas and some of us were \u0026ldquo;Dreaming of a White Christmas\u0026rdquo; as is sung in another song.  Toronto received all this white stuff Boxing night - over ten inches.  Beautiful and white, isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was out for a walk yesterday and took these snow pictures in the neighbourhood.  Even the little angel on my porch is now sitting in snow.  All the little children love the snow and can make their own snowman now.  They also like to lie in the snow and make \u0026ldquo;snow angels.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Let it Snow!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_653\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Lights[/caption]\nThe images in this collage were taken at night. I admired the Christmas outdoor lighting on my street for a long time before getting around to taking these pictures. However, I\u0026rsquo;m glad I waited, as they are more beautiful with the presence of the snow. \u0026ldquo;We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul. For a while the strains of stuggle and endurance are relieved and our frailty is illuminated by a different light in which we come to glimpse behind the shudder of appearances the sure form of things.\u0026rdquo;\nIn many traditions, light has great meaning in the various rituals and celebrations. For Christians, the Christ-light is the meaning behind all the lighting up at Christmas. The light inside is just as important as the light outside - something we\u0026rsquo;re working on bringing into all of our lives.\nAren\u0026rsquo;t the trees lovely with the lights and the snow? Hope you enjoy this collage and may your New Year be bright.\n","permalink":"/posts/lights-camera-snow/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_653\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Lights-camera-snow/i-Bh5PPHH/0/L8HNZBH3jzztSnr4fSX9rb9QFvr7VS7qP9RThr5gw/D/Christmas-Trees-with-snow-and-Lights-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Christmas-Trees-with-snow-and-Lights-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Christmas Trees with snow and Lights\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Christmas Lights[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe images in this collage were taken at night.  I admired the Christmas outdoor lighting on my street for a long time before getting around to taking these pictures.  However, I\u0026rsquo;m glad I waited, as they are more beautiful with the presence of the snow.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul.  For a while the strains of stuggle and endurance are relieved and our frailty is illuminated by a different light in which we come to glimpse behind the shudder of appearances the sure form of things.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lights, Camera, Snow!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_632\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Birthday of a King\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nChristmas Day is celebrated all over the world - even by those who are not Christians. The birthday of Jesus is significant because of the message of love, peace, and forgiveness that he taught. As I did this Christmas collage, I was reminded of a Christmas concert that I once attended and of a wonderful song that was sung. It was called \u0026ldquo;Birthday of a King.\u0026rdquo; These are the words:\nIn the little village of Bethlehem There lay a child one day And the sky was bright With a holy light O\u0026rsquo;er the place where Jesus lay.\nAlleluia O how the angels sang! Alleluia How it rang! And the sky was bright With a holy light \u0026lsquo;Twas the birthday of a King.\nHumble birthplace But O How much God gave to us that day! From the manger bed what a path has led What a perfect holy way.\nWhether you are participating in this celebration or not, hope you enjoy the collage. The images were taken at different times and in different places. I also included my own mosaic of Mary holding the Baby Jesus which I used in an earlier collage on another topic.\nMerry Christmas!\n","permalink":"/posts/birthday-of-a-king/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_632\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Birthday of a King\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Birthday-of-a-king/i-n2Xb4fw/0/KW8sjQDJwt4QMGZvctxHfm7QnWj5DpW5kXBwxtW9G/D/Christmas-Day-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Christmas-Day-Collage-1024x610.jpg\" title=\"Christmas Day Collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristmas Day is celebrated all over the world - even by those who are not Christians. The birthday of Jesus is significant because of the message of love, peace, and forgiveness that he taught.  As I did this Christmas collage, I was reminded of a Christmas concert that I once attended and of a wonderful song that was sung.  It was called \u0026ldquo;Birthday of a King.\u0026rdquo;  These are the words:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Birthday of a King"},{"content":"\n**\u0026quot;**The Nutcracker Suite opened in St. Petersburg on December 17, 1892. It is the tale of a girl named Clara who is given a nutcracker doll for Christmas by her godfather, Drosselmaier. That night she falls asleep and is disturbed by an attack of mice led by the Mouse King, who wishes to take her away to his kingdom. She is rescued by soldiers and the Nutcracker who, as a prince, takes her to his land, a country full of sugarplums and waltzing flowers. She awakens the next morning with only the nutcracker doll and memories of her Christmas adventure.\u0026quot; (The World Encyclopedia of Christmas)\nAttending a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet is one of the traditions surrounding the Christmas Season for some people - especially those who like ballet. Tchaikovsky\u0026rsquo;s well-known musical score combined with talented dance performance makes this a sight to behold. This performance was danced by the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement who have been doing this for twenty-eight years.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1512\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Tchaikovsky\u0026rsquo;s Nutcracker[/caption]\nIt was very exciting to be with all the parents, grandparents, children of all ages, and other guests in the lobby before the show. There were ballet dancers everywhere - on the Christmas trees, on the tables, and those waiting backstage to perform. Everything connected with dancing and ballet dancing was there, as well as what the performance was about - \u0026ldquo;The Nutcracker.\u0026rdquo; It was sheer magic. Many beautiful flower arrangements lovingly put together by some of the parents were being sold. They were out of this world. They were all different colors and as fine and delicately put together as any of the \u0026ldquo;fairies\u0026rdquo; in the ballet. I lingered for a long time in this space.\nAren\u0026rsquo;t these beautiful?\nThere was also a table with all kinds of wonderful cakes, cookies, and other goodies, that was absolutely spectacular. During the intermission, we had some treats and they were all very good - home-made. For a production of this spectacle and magic, there were hundreds of people involved. I admired all the hard work of the performers themselves and all those behind the scenes who gave unselfishly of their time and effort to bring this about. Some of the performers were very young children and there were those as part of the production who were in their 70\u0026rsquo;s. The Nutcracker Ballet is really a family affair for many people. It is one big party for those of us who like attending this sort of affair. It\u0026rsquo;s a Christmas party. There\u0026rsquo;s a big Christmas tree on the stage and the opening scene for the ballet is actually a Christmas party at which presents are given to the children. Like all good things, the show came to an end. The memory of this beautiful evening lingers in my memory and the joy of being in such hospitable and wonderful surroundings with all these beautiful people makes me feel truly blessed. I would have liked to stay a little longer in this world of fantasy with Clara and Fritz, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince, and all the other dancers - and the Nutcracker, of course.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1514\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;480\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;Dance is the hidden music of the soul.\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\nClara: This is all like a dream come true. The Land of the Dolls is so beautiful and everyone\u0026rsquo;s so kind. I\u0026rsquo;ve known some of you all my life. And to think we could all be together forever. Nutcracker: Then you\u0026rsquo;ll stay. (Clara hangs her head) Clara, what is it? Clara: Oh, I want to. I want to stay with you, I do. But\u0026hellip; Nutcracker: But? But what? Clara: Oh, I don\u0026rsquo;t know, I\u0026rsquo;m so confused. It\u0026rsquo;s just, well, the Land of the Dolls is where you all belong. But I want to grow up. There\u0026rsquo;s a million things I want to do; people to meet, worlds to explore. I\u0026rsquo;ve always wanted to dance in the ballet. Nutcracker, I do love you, but I can\u0026rsquo;t stay in the Land of the Dolls forever. Hope you have some special, magical moments too, in your Christmas festivities. Enjoy the collages! Merry Christmas!\nNotes: The first collage and the flower table include images taken at the performance. All the other collages comprise images that were taken in Christmas stores, and the like. To make my collages and blog post interesting and beautiful requires lots of images. I wish I had taken more pictures that evening.\n","permalink":"/posts/nutcracker-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Nutcracker-time/i-WnjbjDP/0/LTsM5vgNQ5HkNfVKHHxFH22tdmtP9fqK2j3zHLGSg/D/Nutcracker-Time-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Nutcracker-Time-for-blog-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Nutcracker Time (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e**\u0026quot;**The Nutcracker Suite opened in St. Petersburg on December 17, 1892.  It is the tale of a girl named Clara who is given a nutcracker doll for Christmas by her godfather, Drosselmaier.  That night she falls asleep and is disturbed by an attack of mice led by the Mouse King, who wishes to take her away to his kingdom.  She is rescued by soldiers and the Nutcracker who, as a prince, takes her to his land, a country full of sugarplums and waltzing flowers.  She awakens the next morning with only the nutcracker doll and memories of her Christmas adventure.\u0026quot;  (The World Encyclopedia of Christmas)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nutcracker Ballet"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_618\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Cat[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o\u0026rsquo; fur?\u0026rdquo; - Irish Saying\nIt was fun making my pet, Cali, look beautiful for Christmas. She obliged for just a short while and I was able to take these images. With the lovely colors of her coat of hair and the red ribbon, she makes a striking picture.\nCali is a calico cat. We adopted her four years ago from a family who couldn\u0026rsquo;t take care of her any longer. At that time she was already four years old. Cali loves Christmas. She loves tissue paper, gift wrap, and bags, and has lots of fun when we are opening the presents Christmas Day.\nFor her first Christmas with us, I bought this beautiful, soft pink - almost furry material to put in her cat bed. A good friend sewed the ends up and also made a little pillow for her head. I thought she would love the warmth and feel of this fabric and that this would be the perfect present for her. I was wrong. She was scared by the texture as she thought it was another animal. I was able to drape it around her once and took a beautiful picture of her which is in one of my earlier collages. So much for giving Cali Christmas presents!\nWhile I got Cali because I wanted a pet, I didn\u0026rsquo;t know that I would love her so much that I would want to dress her up. I had seen people with their pets and had visited pet stores before so I knew that there were all kinds of \u0026ldquo;toys\u0026rdquo; out there for cats and dogs. At the time though, I didn\u0026rsquo;t understand the deep bond that grows between a pet owner and their pet. On occasion in conversation, I even berated pet owners for spending so much money on animals when people didn\u0026rsquo;t have food to eat.\nLittle did I know that this little ball of fur would worm her way into my heart and that I too would delight in doing nice things for her. This is also a good reminder to myself to not make judgement calls on the actions and behaviours of others.\nIn fact, many people spend Christmas far away from friends and loved ones. Their only companion for the holidays is their pet. They would love this quote: \u0026ldquo;If there is no one at home at Christmastime, my cat would hold the energy of home and make every day into a holiday.\u0026rdquo;\nFor all you cat-lovers out there, hope you like this Christmas Cat collage. Have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Here\u0026rsquo;s a nice poem too for you:\nThe Cat of All Cats\nMy Cat is the cat of all cats For she is like a beautiful Painting She sleeps and awakes in the early morning To demand her requests for the day. My Cat is the cat of all cats She is royal and dignified. Poets and Writers have long been inspired She is admired by all who encounter her My Cat is the cat of all cats And shall remain so, until the end of her nine lives.\nKim Day\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3860\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;2935\u0026rdquo;] A meow massages the heart. Stuart McMillan[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3861\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] If there is no one at home at Christmastime, my cat would hold the energy of home and make every day into a holiday.[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/christmas-cat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_618\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Christmas-cat/i-M7QRDZT/0/NK6jM6vLF6drpb2fDg3LCnWPzPtr97CVfBbGb6PD2/D/Cali-the-Christmas-Cat-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Cali-the-Christmas-Cat-1024x597.jpg\" title=\"Cali the Christmas Cat\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Christmas Cat[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o\u0026rsquo; fur?\u0026rdquo; - Irish Saying\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was fun making my pet, Cali, look beautiful for Christmas.  She obliged for just a short while and I was able to take these images.  With the lovely colors of her coat of hair and the red ribbon, she makes a striking picture.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCali is a calico cat.  We adopted her four years ago from a family who couldn\u0026rsquo;t take care of her any longer.  At that time she was already four years old.  Cali loves Christmas. She loves tissue paper, gift wrap, and bags, and has lots of fun when we are opening the presents Christmas Day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas Cat"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_607\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Evergreens[/caption]\nThe preparations for Christmas begin long before Christmas and never seem to stop. One of my favorite activities a few weeks before Christmas is to stop by at one of the flower shops selling fresh branches and buy a bunch to make my own indoor creations. I like the look and smell of dogwood, spruce, pine, and cedar. All the images in this collage are creations of mine that bring the joy of the holiday season inside my heart and my home.\nThis tradition has been going on for a long time and here\u0026rsquo;s some interesting data that I found about this: \u0026ldquo;The use of Christmas greenery was originally a pagan custom. They used it for winter decorations in the home. Evergreens were seen as almost miraculous among the ancients and were almost worshiped. Anything green was thought to bring good luck and guarantee the return of growth in the spring. Some didn’t stop at decorating the house but also wore sprigs for good luck. The greenery used by the ancients had symbolic value. Staying green in the dead of winter meant it symbolized eternal life since they didn’t die over the winter like everything else. Greenery was used in Rome for Saturnalia celebrations and for Kalends—the New Year in ancient Rome and elsewhere in Europe. On New Year’s Eve the Romans exchanged sprigs of holly with friends. They used it to celebrate the birthday of the Unconquerable Sun to honor Mithras, the sun god. This was held just after the winter solstice. Northern Europeans used it for Yule, the winter festival during pre-Christian times. Greenery and flowers were used during the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles when Jesus entered Jerusalem.\u0026rdquo;\nI\u0026rsquo;m glad that the pagans started using greenery for winter decorations. It was a very good idea that certainly caught on with many other cultural groups and remains an important part of our Christmas celebrations today. I don\u0026rsquo;t have any ivy in my greenery arrangements but I have some fake holly. Christmas arrangements can be as diverse as the people who make them. That reminds me of the song that is a popular one at Christmas:\nThe holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown.\nHave a glorious and joyous Christmas whether you bring evergreens in to decorate with or just have an artificial Christmas tree and other artificial decorations. It\u0026rsquo;s the spirit of Christmas that matters - although the decoratons certainly add to the excitement of the Season. Hope you like the collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/bringing-christmas-inside/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_607\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Bringing-christmas-inside/i-3pb2pDR/0/Lx488xm99qW8Br4qjKJ2qTSPWTwc6JBzjwMVkWTqD/D/Christmas-evergreens-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Christmas-evergreens-1024x600.jpg\" title=\"Christmas Evergreens\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Christmas Evergreens[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe preparations for Christmas begin long before Christmas and never seem to stop.  One of my favorite activities a few weeks before Christmas is to stop by at one of the flower shops selling fresh branches and buy a bunch to make my own indoor creations. I like the look and smell of dogwood, spruce, pine, and cedar.  All the images in this collage are creations of mine that bring the joy of the holiday season inside my heart and my home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bringing Christmas Inside"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_598\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Christmas Angels[/caption]\n“When the song of the angel is stilled/When the star in the sky is gone/When the kings and princes are home/When the shepherds are back with their flock/The work of Christmas begins:/To find the lost/To heal the broken/To feed the hungry/To release the prisoner/To rebuild the nations/To bring peace among brothers and sisters/To make music in the heart.” - Howard Thurman\nAngels abound everywhere at Christmas - in manger scenes, on Christmas trees, in store windows, and even as cookies. It was the angel Gabriel who foretold the birth of Jesus to Mary. Angels appeared too to shepherds who were tending their flock - to announce the birth of Jesus. My earliest memory of angels comes from the pageants at church where the story of the birth of Jesus was acted out by the children. They were light on their feet and had beautiful wings. In the Greek language, the word angel means messenger.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1505\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Angels For Sale[/caption]\nFrom my experience of many Christmases, it appears to me that not all angels have wings and appear seemingly out of nowhere. Many \u0026ldquo;angels\u0026rdquo; are caring for the sick in hospitals and for the elderly in nursing homes or in their own homes. Some work in orphanages and shelters, and some are busy getting presents ready for the little and not so little \u0026ldquo;children\u0026rdquo; who will not otherwise have presents. In every walk of life, there are \u0026ldquo;angels\u0026rdquo; out there. While all the festivities and celebrations are going on, they are busily working away.\nWhat would Christmas be without angels of all kinds? I took the images in these collages in a year-round Christmas store. They are beautiful ornaments for hanging on a Christmas tree or for a tree-top.\nAfter all the Christmas angels disappear - the ones on trees, cards, pageants, and the like, the \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; angelic work goes on. The quote above gave me something to think about and reflect on as I enjoy all the Christmas angels.\nHappy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - whatever you\u0026rsquo;re celebrating. May the angels be with you.\n","permalink":"/posts/christmas-angels/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_598\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Christmas-angels/i-93BtWGM/0/MkjnDdBrgd5PnCKZWbrWcsTnk6nZJn7T9mpCwLg4G/D/Angel-collage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Angel-collage-for-blog-1024x618.jpg\" title=\"Angel collage (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Christmas Angels[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“When the song of the angel is stilled/When the star in the sky is gone/When the kings and princes are home/When the shepherds are back with their flock/The work of Christmas begins:/To find the lost/To heal the broken/To feed the hungry/To release the prisoner/To rebuild the nations/To bring peace among brothers and sisters/To make music in the heart.” - Howard Thurman\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Christmas Angels"},{"content":"More than any other symbol of Christmas, the poinsettia brings a magical feeling to me and tells me that it\u0026rsquo;s Christmas time. All the images in this collage were taken in a Loblaws supermarket with a beautiful selection of poinsettias of various colours. I added the greenery image with the Christmas ornament for contrast within the collage.\nThis really is my favourite Christmas shrub. While red is my favourite colour, I like to put a few of the other colours in with it as well when I\u0026rsquo;m decorating at Christmas time. The poinsettia takes its name from Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. I read that he first saw this plant in Taxco and was fascinated by its beauty. This was an interesting piece of information since I have visited Taxco myself. As they say, it\u0026rsquo;s a small world.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1598\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] My fascination with poinsettias is reawakened every year. These images were taken December 2014 and this collage added to the blog post.[/caption]\nMany churches use poinsettias as part of their Christmas display and there is a beautiful legend which concerns a Christmas miracle. Hope you enjoy the collages and the story about this Poinsettia Miracle.\nLegend of the Poinsettia Mexican legend tells of a young girl who couldn\u0026rsquo;t afford a gift to leave at the manger scene of the local church one Christmas Eve. As she watched others give expensive presents, she was very sad and desperately wished she had something to leave for the Baby Jesus. Then an angel appeared to the girl and told her that even the most humble gift when given with love would be acceptable. The angel told the child to gather weeds and take them back to the manager. When the girl returned to the church, she lovingly placed the weeds by the manager and suddenly red \u0026ldquo;blossoms\u0026rdquo; sprouted and the weeds became beautiful poinsettias. It was a Christmas miracle.\nThe true miracle of Christmas is what joy we have in our own hearts and whether we can keep this joy for longer than just a day. “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens) Enjoy all the poinsettias this Christmas and the miracles big and small that come your way. Merry Christmas!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1542\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Early December 2013. Our cat is delighted with the first poinsettia we bought for the Season.[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/poinsettia-miracle/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Poinsettia-miracle/i-73BpHKJ/0/MFFDkZv8sR6Cscdh7rWvcJgQZHvvQs8g4dRPgPv4S/D/Poinsietta-Collage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Poinsietta-Collage-for-blog-1024x608.jpg\" title=\"Poinsettia Collage (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eMore than any other symbol of Christmas, the poinsettia brings a magical feeling to me and tells me that it\u0026rsquo;s Christmas time.  All the images in this collage were taken in a Loblaws supermarket with a beautiful selection of poinsettias of various colours.  I added the greenery image with the Christmas ornament for contrast within the collage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis really is my favourite Christmas shrub.  While red is my favourite colour, I like to put a few of the other colours in with it as well when I\u0026rsquo;m decorating at Christmas time. The poinsettia takes its name from Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.  I read that he first saw this plant in Taxco and was fascinated by its beauty.  This was an interesting piece of information since I have visited Taxco myself. As they say, it\u0026rsquo;s a small world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Poinsettia Miracle"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_583\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Hand-made Christmas cards[/caption]\nGarrison Keillor - A lovely thing about Christmas is that it\u0026rsquo;s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.\nThat time of year for merriment, festivity, and joy is upon us. Christmas Day is just around the corner. As the day draws closer and closer, many of us look forward to receiving our Holiday Greetings. We put them where we can see them and they are tangible reminders of our friends and family who have taken the time to remember us and share their good wishes for our happiness, health, and wellness at Christmas, and in the New Year.\nAll the cards in this collage were made and photographed by me. I bought lots of colored craft stones at the dollar store and had lots of fun making these. The plaque saying \u0026ldquo;Delight in the little things\u0026rdquo; was photographed in a year-round Christmas store. I decided to add it to this collage since we tend to get carried away in unnecessary consumerism at Christmas.\nA few hours of card-making can be fun. With e-cards being so easy to send, and many families sending computerized newsletters, making a home-made Christmas card is somewhat antiquated. I myself send lots of e-cards - especially when it\u0026rsquo;s too late to mail a card. My hand-made cards are for special people.\nIt occurred to me that I didn\u0026rsquo;t really know anything about how we came to send Christmas cards to each other. This is what I found:\nChristmas cards are one of the most popular holiday traditions we have today. They are mailed out all over the world to friends, family and acquaintances during the holiday season every year. They are available in any size, shape or color imaginable, and with a countless variety of thoughful messages. However, some may be interested in learning about the history of Christmas cards and how they came to be so popular in our society today. The custom of sending greeting cards dates back to Ancient China. In order to celebrate the New Year, the ancient Chinese delighted in sending messages of good will. Early Egyptians utilized papyrus scrolls to send their greeting. New Year\u0026rsquo;s tidings were being produced in Germany as early as the 1400\u0026rsquo;s.\nThe origin of the Christmas card is in England. They are a product of boys practicing their writing skills. The boys would practice by making cards for their parents. The history of Christmas cards goes all the way back to the year 1843, where the very first Christmas card on record was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole. The illustrations, which depicted a family, including a small child, enjoying wine together, was created by the artist John Calcott Horsley. The Illustration, and the concept of the Christmas card itself, create a fair amount of controversy. However, one thousand of the cards were reproduced, and each one sold for one shilling. This was how the Christmas card came into being.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s lovely to receive a card made just for you. In schools all over the world, many children are busy making Christmas cards and gifts for their parents. Their parents will be delighted. May you receive lots of greetings this year - even if they aren\u0026rsquo;t hand-made. Hope you enjoy this collage - even if you haven\u0026rsquo;t got the time to make your own cards. Merry Christmas!\n","permalink":"/posts/deck-the-halls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_583\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Deck-the-halls/i-ZZQwQz3/0/Mfv8VbfDBGD9MSSx9RmDsK9b3KwZXJ7sxPJvLbV8R/D/Hand-made-Christmas-cards-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Hand-made-Christmas-cards-1024x608.jpg\" title=\"Hand-made Christmas Cards\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Hand-made Christmas cards[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGarrison Keillor -\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eA lovely thing about Christmas is that it\u0026rsquo;s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat time of year for merriment, festivity, and joy is upon us.  Christmas Day is just around the corner.  As the day draws closer and closer, many of us look forward to receiving our Holiday Greetings.  We put them where we can see them and they are tangible reminders of our friends and family who have taken the time to remember us and share their good wishes for our happiness, health, and wellness at Christmas, and in the New Year.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Deck the Halls!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_574\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Rose Arbour Collage\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nOne thing in life calls for another; there is a fitness in events and places. The sight of a pleasant arbour puts it in our minds to sit there. One place suggests work, another idleness, a third early rising and long rambles in the dew. - Robert Louis Stevenson\nAt the entrance to our garden, there is a rose arbour. It is particularly beautiful in the summertime when a variety of roses are out and we can enjoy walking under this canopy of roses to get to our door. When we sit on our front porch, we are also graced by this view.\nThese images were taken in the summer and as I pass the arbour now, there are a few buds trying to come into bloom but they will not make it as their blooming time has passed. As it\u0026rsquo;s oft been said, there\u0026rsquo;s a time for everything. It\u0026rsquo;s nice that I have these photographs to remind me of the \u0026ldquo;days of wine and roses\u0026rdquo; - the glorious summertime.\nTo be a true collage, it is necessary to have more than one image. This collage is a kind of puzzle as you have to try to find where I put some extra roses on the arbour. It was also fun for me as it involved some creative expression. We can\u0026rsquo;t all be \u0026ldquo;professional\u0026rdquo; artists but we can aspire to artistic expression. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure how it would turn out but hope you enjoy it anyways. There\u0026rsquo;s an interesting quote below on not being sure in life. Hope you enjoy this collage and watch out for the butterflies!\n\u0026ldquo;Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows, We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.\u0026rdquo; Agnes de Mile ","permalink":"/posts/the-rose-arbour-collage/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_574\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;The Rose Arbour Collage\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/The-rose-arbour-collage/i-vqf9Xcz/0/LhJrwB5RkTtL8Xgdn7wg8SKBZjdLjPpQKCXVRHqSt/D/front-garden-roses-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/front-garden-roses-collage-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"The Rose Arbour Collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne thing in life calls for another; there is a fitness in events and places. The sight of a pleasant arbour puts it in our minds to sit there.  One place suggests work, another idleness, a third early rising and long rambles in the dew.\u003c/strong\u003e                                                                                              \u003cstrong\u003e- Robert Louis Stevenson\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the entrance to our garden, there is a rose arbour.  It is particularly beautiful in the summertime  when a variety of roses are out and we can enjoy walking under this canopy of roses to get to our door. When we sit on our front porch, we are also graced by this view.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Rose Arbour Collage"},{"content":"\nDiwali is being celebrated all over the world where people of East Indian origin live. It is a Hindu and Sikh Festival. \u0026ldquo;The name \u0026ldquo;Diwali\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Divali\u0026rdquo; is a contraction of \u0026ldquo;Deepavali\u0026rdquo; Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into \u0026ldquo;row of lamps\u0026rdquo;. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one\u0026rsquo;s house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. Firecrackers are burst because it is believed that it drives away evil spirits. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.\u0026rdquo;\nThe images that make up this collage were taken yesterday in Little India, Toronto. Many people were out shopping for their Diwali sweets, clothing, diyas, firecrackers, and other necessities for the celebration. Many celebrations have been going on for a few weeks prior, although tomorrow is the official date given on the calendar for Diwali. When I was growing up, I remember our Hindu neighbours and friends \u0026ldquo;lighting up\u0026rdquo; their homes for Diwali. It was a fun time.\nA stage was set up on one of the side streets in Little India yesterday and some performances were supposed to take place in the evening. One of the images shows a dancer who was hurrying along to participate and I asked her if I could take her picture. She was wearing red. Many saris and lenghas on display in the show windows were also red. This seems to be a popular Diwali colour.\nIn many stores, there were whole areas given over to tables with every imaginable type of Indian dessert. I was there with a friend who bought several boxes of these to give out as gifts. Many others were doing the same thing. If you have a sweet tooth, Diwali is the time to have your fill.\nIt was also fascinating to see the variety of \u0026ldquo;diyas\u0026rdquo; that were available. Some were for a single candle and others could hold many candles. The symbolism behind lighting candles is to extinguish the \u0026ldquo;darkness\u0026rdquo; - not only the darkness outside but the darkness inside as well. \u0026ldquo;In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it\u0026rsquo;s a celebration of South-Asian identities. If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you enjoy the Diwali Collage and have a Happy Diwali!\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-diwali/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Happy-diwali/i-23cpsc7/0/LspKVpwTDfkn6vx4fD5LMmHVdWFbLGxZ3Ggd3pgNf/D/Diwali-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Diwali-1024x602.jpg\" title=\"Happy Diwali!\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiwali is being celebrated all over the world where people of East Indian origin live.   It is a Hindu and Sikh Festival. \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The name \u0026ldquo;Diwali\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Divali\u0026rdquo; is a contraction of \u0026ldquo;Deepavali\u0026rdquo; Sanskrit: दीपावली \u003cem\u003eDīpāvalī\u003c/em\u003e), which translates into \u0026ldquo;row of lamps\u0026rdquo;. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (\u003cem\u003edīpa\u003c/em\u003e in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one\u0026rsquo;s house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome.  Firecrackers are burst because it is believed that it drives away evil spirits.  During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share \u003ca href=\"/wiki/Indian_sweets\"\u003esweets\u003c/a\u003e and snacks with family members and friends.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Diwali!"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_548\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Fun with Books\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIn anything fit to be called by the name of reading, the process itself should be absorbing and voluptuous; we should gloat over a book, be rapt clean out of ourselves, and rise from the perusal, our mind filled with the busiest, kaleidoscopic dance of images, incapable of sleep or of continuous thought. The words, if the book be eloquent, should run thenceforward in our ears like the noise of breakers, and the story, if it be a story, repeat itself in a thousand coloured pictures. - Robert Louis Stevenson\nA Gossip on Romance, printed in Longman\u0026rsquo;s Magazine (November 1882).\nFrom my childhood days, I have always been fascinated by books. I took all the images in this collage at one of my favourite bookstores in Toronto. I read Robert Louis Stevenson\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;A Child\u0026rsquo;s Garden of Verses\u0026rdquo; in my childhood home and was transported to different worlds. He really expresses well how a good story or book impacts us at the time of its reading and long afterwards. While he was talking about a romantic story, many other well-written stories have a similar effect.\nEven in this age of Kindle, computers, and other electronic devices, there is nothing like holding a favourite book close to one\u0026rsquo;s heart. It\u0026rsquo;s a wonderful adventure to visit a bookstore or library and select a few books and magazines and just thumb through them. Browsing is a great way to \u0026ldquo;try\u0026rdquo; many different selections. It\u0026rsquo;s a little bit like a buffet where you get to try many different dishes.\nFrom the earliest markings of our ancestors on cave walls, we have as a species wanted to record and write. Most writing in the early stages was for record-keeping and any form of literary writing came much later. \u0026ldquo;The oldest literary texts that have come down to us date to a full millenium after the invention of writing, to the late 3rd millennium BC.\u0026rdquo; In our evolutionary history, we have come so far where writing is concerned. Just think of how all of us bloggers are \u0026ldquo;writers\u0026rdquo; in our own way. We too have stories to tell. Our evolutionarly history where writing is concerned is an ongoing process.\nWe all have many opportunities for reading too. These days, parents are reading to their children at younger and younger ages and there is an abundance of material available. There are books in large size print for those with vision problems and there are books in Braille as well. There is no shortage of reading material and writers and authors abound. We are truly blessed.\nNot all of us bloggers will become \u0026ldquo;authors.\u0026rdquo; We can enjoy all the books that others have written and they can enrich our lives. We can borrow books or buy books - just as we choose or can afford. Some of us will have big home libraries and some of us will have small ones. We will find that most of our collections, however, will not include many of our own writings. Life is like that. Most of what we know from books or any other source has come handed down. Hope you enjoy this collage!\nLife is like a library owned by the author. In it are a few books which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him. Harry Emerson Fosdick\n","permalink":"/posts/transported-to-other-worlds/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_548\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Fun with Books\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Transported-to-other-worlds/i-nVZPnQr/0/K4CGfpPCX7qQBTVzV7SpvZN5qKPQZcLwmPPSFhwZM/D/Books-for-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Books-for-collage-1024x599.jpg\" title=\"Books (for collage)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn anything fit to be called by the name of reading, the process itself should be absorbing and voluptuous; we should gloat over a book, be rapt clean out of ourselves, and rise from the perusal, our mind filled with the busiest, kaleidoscopic dance of images, incapable of sleep or of continuous thought. The words, if the book be eloquent, should run thenceforward in our ears like the noise of breakers, and the story, if it be a story, repeat itself in a thousand coloured pictures\u003c/strong\u003e.    - Robert Louis Stevenson\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Transported to other Worlds"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_542\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAs I did the last post and was thinking of this Autumn/Fall season, I remembered a beautiful poem my Dad wrote called \u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves.\u0026rdquo; He was reflecting on when it is that the leaves are really showing their true colours and whether each change is not really part of the whole process in Nature. My Dad did most of his writing in the Winter of his life. When he was alive, I didn\u0026rsquo;t appreciate his writing as I do now. I will share this beautiful poem with you.\nThe garden images in this collage are all from my own garden. My Dad loved the garden so it\u0026rsquo;s fitting that these be used for his poem. The images with the flowers and cabbages were taken in Bloor West Village outside a flower shop that he liked. Hope you enjoy both the collage and the poem!\nAUTUMN LEAVES\nWhen do they their true colors show?\nWhen March winds bring\nThe first fresh smell of spring?\nWhen branches bared,\nWhich looked like dead\nBegin to sprout and stoop\nbeneath the weight\nOf thick green leaves?\nOr in the Fall,\nWhen motley colours seem to vie\nFor pride of place and honour high\nAnd the competing hues outspread\nTheir brown, their yellow\nand flamboyant red?\nIs not each day, each form,\nEach change its own true self,\nA rite of passage\nIn this mysterious scheme of things?\nWhich then are their true colours?\n","permalink":"/posts/autumn-leaves/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_542\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Autumn-leaves/i-N7zcwS3/0/Kz3cT9GnNH9wrwwxPg67NmmVHHFNSfrM7JxvRdPkq/D/Daddys-Autumn-Leaves-Poem-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Daddys-Autumn-Leaves-Poem-for-blog-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Daddy\u0026#39;s Autumn Leaves  Poem (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I did the last post and was thinking of this Autumn/Fall season, I remembered a beautiful poem my Dad wrote called \u0026ldquo;Autumn Leaves.\u0026rdquo;  He was reflecting on when it is that the leaves are really showing their true colours and whether each change is not really part of the whole process in Nature.  My Dad did most of his writing in the Winter of his life.  When he was alive, I didn\u0026rsquo;t appreciate his writing as I do now.  I will share this beautiful poem with you.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Autumn Leaves"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_536\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Fall at Niagara Falls\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nA visit to Niagara Falls is always exciting. No matter what the season, the splendor of this great cascade of water remains. I took all the images for this collage yesterday morning. The leaves have changed colour and some have fallen. This is why this season is called Fall. Niagara is beautiful this time of year.\nAs with the seasons that change year after year, we too have our seasons of life. Being so close to Nature as I was yesterday, brought home to me with poignancy, that I too am in the Autumn of my life. After years of struggle with this stage of the journey, I am beginning to grow into it. It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to feel more comfortable now.\nThe trees are shedding their leaves and I too am shedding my attachment to \u0026ldquo;things.\u0026rdquo; This is a time to truly delve into the depths of my own soul and discover what truths may be hidden there. I\u0026rsquo;m not interested in the rat race anymore.\nWhat still remains to be done? What contribution can I make that will be good for myself and for everyone else? This Fall season of my life is also the time to shed old thoughts, beliefs, and fantasies, that are no longer true for me. Just as the leaves don\u0026rsquo;t all change or fall at the same time, so it is with me. It is alright for this process to happen in its own time.\nA human life has seasons much as the earth has seasons, each time with its own particular beauty and power. And gift. By focusing on springtime and summer, we have turned the natural process of life into a process of loss rather than a process of celebration and appreciation. Life is neither linear nor stagnant. It is movement from mystery to mystery. Just as a year includes autumn and winter, life includes death, not as an opposite but as an integral part of the way life is made. -Rachel Naomi Remen\nHope you enjoy \u0026ldquo;Fall at Niagara Falls.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/fall-at-niagara-falls/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_536\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Fall at Niagara Falls\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Fall-at-niagara-falls/i-kk7tVbD/0/LjwpvRBK9HgzPLVL43xNpFXVtJNH4MrGTpzrd6qq3/D/Fall-at-Niagara-Falls-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Fall-at-Niagara-Falls-1024x598.jpg\" title=\"Fall at Niagara Falls\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA visit to Niagara Falls is always exciting.  No matter what the season, the splendor of this great cascade of water remains.  I took all the images for this collage yesterday morning.  The leaves have changed colour and some have fallen.  This is why this season is called Fall.  Niagara is beautiful this time of year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs with the seasons that change year after year, we too have our seasons of life.  Being so close to Nature as I was yesterday, brought home to me with poignancy, that I too am in the Autumn of my life.  After years of struggle with this stage of the journey, I am beginning to grow into it.  It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to feel more comfortable now.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fall at Niagara Falls"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_530\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Remembering Daddy\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nToday is an Anniversary of the heart. It is the day on which my father transitioned from this Earth. This collage is in memory of him. I took all the images at different times and in my remembering of him, I put them together. The best tribute I could pay to the father, who despite all his human faults and failings, raised me, is to share a poem he wrote. It really tells me that he knew that he was part of something bigger than just the family he raised and this makes me feel good. Hope you enjoy!\nTHE COSMIC FAMILY\nMother Earth and Father Sky\nSister moon and brother sun,\nBrother mountain, and sister ocean,\nBrothers and sisters all are we,\nAll one cosmic family.\nStar and planet, wind and wave\nSpring and winter, rain and snow\nFire and water, zephyr and squall\nBrothers and sisters all are we,\nAll one cosmic family.\nBirds and insects, fish and fowl\nBeast and cattle, desert and forest,\nFruits and flowers, peoples and nations\nBrothers and sisters all are we,\nAll one cosmic family.\n","permalink":"/posts/the-cosmic-family/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_530\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Remembering Daddy\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/The-cosmic-family/i-VLS5F3g/0/KxDDvTxcRws94fhp5k7VsVzCpx36cjmsVLNPNX8zg/D/Cosmic-Family-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Cosmic-Family-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Cosmic Family\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday is an Anniversary of the heart.  It is the day on which my father transitioned from this Earth.  This collage is in memory of him.  I took all the images at different times and in my remembering of him, I put them together.  The best tribute I could pay to the father, who despite all his human faults and failings, raised me, is to share a poem he wrote.  It really tells me that he knew that he was part of something bigger than just the family he raised and this makes me feel good.  Hope you enjoy!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Cosmic Family"},{"content":"\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a good thing that we all have some whimsical moments and moods. Playfulness and fanciful feelings bring light-heartedness. As you can see from the image of Cali sticking her tongue out - even animals have their own whimsy. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t she look cute?\nThis collage was done in one of my whimsical moods. I used many images of my pet and added these beautiful embellishments that I photographed in a shoe and accessory store. Everything in this store was suitable for wearing to a wedding or other such special occasion. We had visitors over the summer and this store was one we wandered into during their visit. The caption \u0026ldquo;I love my Cat\u0026rdquo; is either from a journal cover or a book cover that I photographed some time ago in my local bookstore. I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure how I would use it when I took it but I like how it looks here.\nA dictionary definition of whimsical is: playfully quaint or fanciful, esp. in an appealing and amusing way. I want to think that this collage is both appealing and amusing. Hope you agree!\nCali is like a \u0026ldquo;child\u0026rdquo; to me and I like to think that I am her \u0026ldquo;parent.\u0026rdquo; Some of you pet owners may understand this sentiment and those of you without pets may just enjoy the collage. Barbara Walters said: “(Being a parent) is tough. If you just want a wonderful little creature to love, you can get a puppy.” I didn\u0026rsquo;t get a puppy. I love my Cat.\nSome photos of Cali.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3856\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] “A cat does not want all the world to love her. Only those she has chosen to love.” – Helen Thomson[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3858\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] “I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” – Hippolyte Taine[/caption]\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_3857\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;4320\u0026rdquo;] “A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” – Ernest Hemingway[/caption]\nWhat a pretty, whimsical cat!\n","permalink":"/posts/whimsical/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Whimsical/i-qhCD8Br/0/L9gFF8snpGzrKZC8P44fZvdphgthpfHN83mPM7CXS/D/I-Love-My-Cat-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/I-Love-My-Cat-for-blog-1024x592.jpg\" title=\"I Love My Cat (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s a good thing that we all have some whimsical moments and moods. Playfulness and fanciful feelings bring light-heartedness.  As you can see from the image of Cali sticking her tongue out - even animals have their own whimsy. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t she look cute?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collage was done in one of my whimsical moods.  I used many images of my pet and added these beautiful embellishments that I photographed in a shoe and accessory store. Everything in this store was suitable for wearing to a wedding or other such special occasion. We had visitors over the summer and this store was one we wandered into during their visit.  The caption \u0026ldquo;I love my Cat\u0026rdquo; is either from a journal cover or a book cover that I photographed some time ago in my local bookstore.  I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure how I would use it when I took it but I like how it looks here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Whimsical!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_515\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Birthday Celebrations[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.\u0026rdquo; ~Menachem M Schneerson\nAll the images in this collage were taken a few days ago at a memorable Birth Day celebration for someone special. As you can see, this was a lovely place for the occasion and we had a fabulous buffet meal. We enjoyed each other\u0026rsquo;s company and were overjoyed that we could share in the time we spent together and in the making of good memories.\nThe words Birthday, Celebrate, and Memorable are my additions. I photographed these from cards. They depict for me what the remembering of one\u0026rsquo;s day of birth is all about. Also, what is a birthday without flowers - Nature\u0026rsquo;s own gift! The small arrangement I added to the collage was made by me as a gift for my friend. I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to detract from the image of the table setting so I minimized this image significantly. Cake is the other \u0026ldquo;must\u0026rdquo; for a Birth Day celebration. I inserted the image of the cake with candles so that this element would be present. I made this image large. It was fun doing this collage.\nAs time passes, a Birth Day, my own or someone else\u0026rsquo;s, causes me to reflect on how what is important changes, as we celebrate more and more of these special occasions. While the day of our birth brings that special energy, joy, and happiness, and always will, we become more cognizant of the time there will be no birthdays to celebrate.\nYounger people may think that this is morbid thinking. In reality, though, it is very positive, as there is a kind of \u0026ldquo;work\u0026rdquo; that needs to be done at this time. This work was not possible at any other time of life. It isn\u0026rsquo;t so much about how many Birth Days we have as how we spend them. The truth be told, it refers to how we spend all our days and not just Birthdays. We become concerned with meaning.\nWe are always still involved in all the trivial and not so trivial pursuits that make up our Earth Life. I find, though, that many important changes are taking place within me. I am learning to set better boundaries around people, places, and things, in my life. My Birth Days and other days have become more fraught with meaning. Just as surely as we have Birth Days, we will all have Death Days, but as Norman Cousins rightly said: \u0026ldquo;If something comes to life in others because of you, you have made an approach to immortality.\u0026rdquo; If there is real connection with only a few people and a touching of hearts and minds in this life, that is what is the real \u0026ldquo;immortality.\u0026rdquo; It is from this that meaning comes.\nHope you feel the same energy on your Birth Day that you felt on the day you were born and that you \u0026ldquo;connect\u0026rdquo; in meaningful ways along your journey through this Earth Life. Enjoy the collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/birth-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_515\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Birth-day/i-nBWmMLg/0/LrHj6rjzjCFSRT5SZg7P4MVgrLrNx3QgFrB8Px7GM/D/Birth-Day-final-for-blog1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Birth-Day-final-for-blog1-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Birth Day (final for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Birthday Celebrations[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e                                                                                            \u003cstrong\u003e~Menachem M Schneerson\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the images in this collage were taken a few days ago at a memorable Birth Day celebration for someone special.  As you can see, this was a lovely place for the occasion and we had a fabulous buffet meal.  We enjoyed each other\u0026rsquo;s company and were overjoyed that we could share in the time we spent together and in the making of good memories.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Birth Day"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_474\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Lake Louise - Canada[/caption]\nTravel books, magazines, brochures, and the like, are always depicting the best places one should visit. The latest I saw was called \u0026ldquo;Ten Places to Visit before you Die.\u0026rdquo; I haven\u0026rsquo;t taken a look at it yet. One visit I\u0026rsquo;m glad that I made was to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Banff National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a glacial lake.with an altitude of 5052 ft.\nI took this image of Lake Louise about fourteen years ago. To make this a true collage, I put a duck in the lake, some flowers, and the grand and beautiful Chateau Lake Louise where we had a lovely breakfast one morning. The image of the Chateau is my own. I photographed lots of ducks at Centre Island, Toronto, and the duck in this collage is one of those. The flowers were photographed in my neighbour\u0026rsquo;s garden several years ago. She was in Switzerland that year and I photographed her garden and e-mailed the photos to her so that she could have an idea of how her garden looked. She is an avid gardener.\nLake Louise is worth a visit. It almost seems too good to be true when visiting a place that is naturally beautiful. The mountains stand majestically against the backdrop of the sky, then there\u0026rsquo;s the lake, with its exquisite turquoise colour - and it\u0026rsquo;s stillness, which combine to make one feel part of the scenery. This is how I felt. It certainly isn\u0026rsquo;t an everyday feeling when living in a big city with a cacophony of sights and sounds everywhere. It was truly surreal.\nEven though I wanted to stay and be one with this for a longer time, the usual travel plans and time scheduled to be in other places, took precedence. We had to move on. There was still more of the Rockies to see before this vacation would come to an end.\nWas there a name for this feeling I experienced that day? I was doing some reading on the concept of transcendence the other day and it mentioned that some moments and times give us that transcendent feeling. I wonder if that was what I felt when I visited Lake Louise. \u0026quot;In any case, nature\u0026rsquo;s time is closer than contemporary time to transcendence and eternity. Eternity is not time that goes on forever. If you think about it, that would be a nightmare. Eternity is the suspension of time. We have all had an inkling of it. Our consciousness was totally absorbed in the moment: And so time stopped. This suspension of time is usually felt as a positive event. It is an experience of marvel, relief, and freedom. It is the closest thing there is to perceiving immortality.\u0026quot; (Piero Ferrucci)\nYou may have had your transcendent moments too or something nearly like it. Hope you like this collage and that it brings good feelings to you. Enjoy Lake Louise!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1620\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Beautiful Lake Louise![/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/lake-louise/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_474\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Lake-louise/i-FJbNJ5d/0/KmrdXSZzz39DHKJ22ntCGfKX9nZk6PdrrCZjkNqr5/D/Lake-Louise-boosted-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lake-Louise-boosted-for-blog-1024x593.jpg\" title=\"Lake Louise (boosted for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Lake Louise - Canada[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTravel books, magazines, brochures, and the like, are always depicting the best places one should visit. The latest I saw was called \u0026ldquo;Ten Places to Visit before you Die.\u0026rdquo;  I haven\u0026rsquo;t taken a look at it yet.  One visit I\u0026rsquo;m glad that I made was to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada.  It is located in Banff National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a glacial lake.with an altitude of 5052 ft.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lake Louise"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_500\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;\u0026ldquo;Summer Garden\u0026rdquo;\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nToday, September 22nd, is the first day of Fall. This Summer has gone by very quickly. Before going completely into Fall mode, I wanted to create a collage to celebrate the season just passed.\nI took all the photos in this collage. The image in the top left hand corner is a piece that I created myself and called \u0026ldquo;Summer Garden\u0026rdquo; over twelve years ago. The materials that were used include ceramic tiles, stained glass, pebbles, stones, jewelry, and paint. I was just beginning to want to express myself \u0026ldquo;artistically.\u0026rdquo; It is in my home and I enjoy looking at it very much. I never knew when I created it that I would one day use it in a collage.\n\u0026ldquo;The Garden in Art\u0026rdquo; image is the cover of a lovely book on this subject. I thought it would be an excellent addition to this collage because of my \u0026ldquo;Summer Garden\u0026rdquo; mosaic which was an artistic endeavour. It is a lovely book for gardeners and artists. The garden images are from my garden at home.\nLife is like a garden in that there are many garden paths. We just never know what paths we will take on the journey or where they will lead us to. There are also different flowers in the garden and we have to decide whether we will sit and enjoy the flowers or pull the weeds out instead. One year, we may decide to plant more annuals, and another more perrenials. Like life, everything in the garden is constantly changing.\nThe gift of this little camera changed my life and my world. Little did I know that this gift would open up a whole new world for me and bring about these positive, enjoyable, artistic pursuits. Oftentimes, a gift is more than just what we paid for it and the thoughtfulness behind it. This is my experience, as a Late Bloomer.\nWhen I take my photographs and make my collages, I like to think that I am engaging myself in an artistic, enjoyable pursuit. \u0026ldquo;It pleases me to take amateur photographs of my garden, and it pleases my garden to make my photographs look professional.\u0026rdquo; ~Robert Brault\nHope you enjoy \u0026ldquo;Summer Garden.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/summer-garden/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_500\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;\u0026ldquo;Summer Garden\u0026rdquo;\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Summer-garden/i-JP6NpVJ/0/LxJrqbK33nZkRD56v7RPk9xh46dbnh8p5d3gcqmHR/D/Summer-Garden-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Summer-Garden-for-blog-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Summer Garden (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, September 22nd, is the first day of Fall.  This Summer has gone by very quickly.  Before going completely into Fall mode, I wanted to create a collage to celebrate the season just passed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI took all the photos in this collage.  The image in the top left hand corner is a piece that I created myself and called \u0026ldquo;Summer Garden\u0026rdquo; over twelve years ago.  The materials that were used include ceramic tiles, stained glass, pebbles, stones, jewelry, and paint.  I was just beginning to want to express myself \u0026ldquo;artistically.\u0026rdquo;  It is in my home and I enjoy looking at it very much.  I never knew when I created it that I would one day use it in a collage.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Summer Garden"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_436\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Chinaware\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAll the images in this collage are from dinner plates and were taken because I found the colours and the motifs to be beautiful. I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how I would use them when I took them but I\u0026rsquo;m pleased with the results of this collage.\nAt a certain stage of life, we are all collectors. In the old days, most newly-weds received gifts of dinnerware to \u0026ldquo;start\u0026rdquo; them off. I myself have some nice Royal Albert bone china and have added several pieces over the years. Like many other people I know, these items sit in a nice china cabinet and are used only on special occasions, if at all. \u0026ldquo;We often call our fine dinnerware “China”, and there is a very logical reason for this. Dinnerware is more often than not made out of porcelain, and porcelain was invented by the Chinese over 1000 years. Although the emperors of the Song Dynasty get most of the credit for this invention, it was more likely invented during the Tang Dynasty. Half way through the Song Dynasty, about 1100 AD, this fine art had spread throughout the East. By 1400 it had worked its way to Europe.\u0026rdquo; I read somewhere that bone china, as in the pieces I have, is made by combining clay and china stone and adding calcified bone. It is a type of porcelain.\nThere is something inherent in us as humans that makes us want to portray beauty and enjoy it in its various forms. Even our dinnerware comes in such a wide variety of patterns, colours, shapes, and sizes. I admired these plates and thought of the people who designed them. Did they study art or were they drawn to creating appealing objects? Did they think that food would taste better in a beautifully patterned plate or did they know that humans like to collect pieces that appeal to their senses?\nLeo Tolstoy, in his book \u0026ldquo;What is Art\u0026rdquo; wrote that \u0026ldquo;All human life is filled with works of art of every kind—from cradlesong, jest, mimicry, the ornamentation of houses, dress, and utensils, up to church services, buildings, monuments, and triumphal processions. It is all artistic activity.\u0026rdquo;\nWe can use our nice dinnerware with beautiful patterns and have art with us as we wine and dine. As I get older, I find myself wanting to use all the nice items that I had stored in a cabinet before - so I can enjoy them while I\u0026rsquo;m still here. We don\u0026rsquo;t have to save the good china. Hope you enjoy this collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/dont-save-the-good-china/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_436\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Chinaware\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Dont-save-the-good-china/i-f7mj9Ff/0/LwMj25WXvqQSq9NRftFZfp2WqPDTPHCxQhvVJw2Ln/D/Everyday-things-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Everyday-things-for-blog-1024x587.jpg\" title=\"Everyday things (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the images in this collage are from dinner plates and were taken because I found the colours and the motifs to be beautiful.  I didn\u0026rsquo;t know how I would use them when I took them but I\u0026rsquo;m pleased with the results of this collage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a certain stage of life, we are all collectors.  In the old days, most newly-weds received gifts of dinnerware to \u0026ldquo;start\u0026rdquo; them off.  I myself have some nice Royal Albert bone china and have added several pieces over the years.  Like many other people I know, these items sit in a nice china cabinet and are used only on special occasions, if at all.  \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;We often call our fine dinnerware “China”, and there is a very logical reason for this.  Dinnerware is more often than not made out of porcelain, and porcelain was invented by the Chinese over 1000 years.  Although the emperors of the Song Dynasty get most of the credit for this invention, it was more likely invented during the Tang Dynasty.  Half way through the Song Dynasty, about 1100 AD, this fine art had spread throughout the East.  By 1400 it had worked its way to Europe.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e  I read somewhere that bone china, as in the pieces I have, is made by combining clay and china stone and adding calcified bone.  It is a type of porcelain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Don't Save the Good China!"},{"content":" You never know what you will see on the sidewalk before garbage day. Sitting on my porch late one evening, I noticed that my neighbour on the opposite side had put out a mirror. There are huge trees around, and as I sat there sipping my tea, it was the reflection of the branches in the mirror that caught my eye. The images you see here came out of that photo-shoot.\nMirrors are fascinating because they allow us to see ourselves. I read somewhere that little babies start being fascinated with their own reflections in a mirror at about eighteen months. That\u0026rsquo;s where the love affair with mirrors begins. For those of us later on in life, mirrors tell many tales - known only to us. Year after year, we see the changes taking place in our appearance, for better or worse. Some of us are content with what we see and some of us are very displeased each time we see our reflection in one. The mirror doesn\u0026rsquo;t care one way or the other. It\u0026rsquo;s job is to reflect.\nThe other reflector that is of significant importance is in our brain. Scientists have discovered that we have special cells in the brain that are called \u0026ldquo;mirror neurons.\u0026rdquo; When we see someone else going through moments of sadness or joy, or other types of emotions, these cells activate and we \u0026ldquo;mirror\u0026rdquo; these feelings. \u0026ldquo;Mirror neurons are incredibly powerful; “vicarious” would not be a strong enough word to describe their effects. When we watch movie stars kiss onscreen, some of the cells firing in our brains are the same ones that fire when we kiss our lovers. And when we see someone else suffering or experiencing pain, mirror neurons help us to read her or his facial expression and make us viscerally feel the suffering or the pain of the other person. Those moments, I will argue, are the foundation of empathy (and possibly of morality). Research on mirror neurons gives anyone interested in how we understand one another some remarkable food for thought.\u0026rdquo; (Marco Iacoboni)\nBoth mirrors are important. One allows us to see ourselves and reflect on the image we see and the other allows us to see others and reflect on their facial expressions. The former is very familiar to us and the latter is based on \u0026ldquo;new\u0026rdquo; research. Little did I know that the mirror on the sidewalk would stimulate this kind of thought. One never knows in life. Hope this collage gets you thinking and maybe even reading: \u0026ldquo;The Science of Empathy and How We Connect with Others\u0026rdquo; by Iacoboni.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s a Kahlil Gibran quote that may take you to even another dimension on the subject of mirrors and reflections:\nA man\u0026rsquo;s true wealth is the good he does in the world. Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror.” ","permalink":"/posts/looking-glass/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Looking-glass/i-jCvBp6V/0/MBsfVK3S4ZfPjvtqB4FPqcCghD3T9qz276JX6DhHc/D/Mirroring-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Sidewalk Mirror\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Mirroring-collage-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Mirroring (collage)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e You never know what you will see on the sidewalk before garbage day.  Sitting on my porch late one evening, I noticed that my neighbour on the opposite side had put out a mirror.  There are huge trees around, and as I sat there sipping my tea, it was the reflection of the branches in the mirror that caught my eye. The images you see here came out of that photo-shoot.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Looking Glass"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_479\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Rosh Hashanah\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI know a number of people who are now celebrating Rosh HaShanah which is the Jewish New Year. This collage is one big greeting card to all of them. The images here were taken at a local bookstore and are actually from greeting cards used at this time of year for this celebration. I took these photos yesterday. L\u0026rsquo;shana Tova means \u0026ldquo;for a good year.\u0026rdquo; Many people just say Shana Tova.\nSundown on Sunday was when Rosh HaShanah started. Two people I know began the celebration this past Sunday by baking challah bread. They sent me a photo of them with the bread which looked delicious and I\u0026rsquo;m sorry that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t be there to share it with them.\nSince I wanted to find out more about the holiday, I looked it up and this is what I found:\n\u0026ldquo;Rosh HaShanah (ראש השנה) is the Jewish New Year. It falls once a year during the month of Tishrei and occurs ten days before\nYom Kippur. Together, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are known as the Yamim Nora’im, which means the Days of Awe in Hebrew. In English they are often referred to as the High Holy Days.\nThe Meaning of Rosh HaShanah\nRosh HaShanah literally means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew. It falls in the month of Tishrei, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. The reason for this is because the Hebrew calendar begins with the month of Nissan (when it\u0026rsquo;s believed the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt) but the month of Tishrei is believed to be the month in which God created the world. Hence, another way to think about Rosh HaShanah is as the birthday of the world.\nRosh HaShanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei. Jewish tradition teaches that during the High Holy Days God decides who will live and who will die during the coming year. As a result, during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (and in the days leading up to them) Jews embark upon the serious task of examining their lives and repenting for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. This process of repentance is called teshuvah. Jews are encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. In this way, Rosh HaShanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.\nEven though the theme of Rosh HaShanah is life and death, it is a holiday filled with hope for the New Year. Jews believe that God is compassionate and just, and that God will accept their prayers for forgiveness.\u0026rdquo;\nI\u0026rsquo;m glad that I found this invaluable explanation about what this holiday is all about. I hope to have my own little \u0026ldquo;New Year\u0026rdquo; following along the lines of what I have come to understand here. No effort to make peace in the community and any striving to be a better person is ever wasted. Hope you enjoy the collage. L\u0026rsquo;shana Tova! Shana Tova!Happy New Year!\n","permalink":"/posts/lshana-tova/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_479\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Rosh Hashanah\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Lshana-tova/i-wmK5CV3/0/KgDKwTCtKwzmvVvcbRnC2GCH7zFgFzB4ZdmZ2KqBL/D/Lshana-Tova-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lshana-Tova-1024x594.jpg\" title=\"L\u0026#39;shana Tova\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know a number of people who are now celebrating Rosh HaShanah which is the Jewish New Year.  This collage is one big greeting card to all of them.  The images here were taken at a local bookstore and are actually from greeting cards used at this time of year for this celebration. I took these photos yesterday.  L\u0026rsquo;shana Tova means \u0026ldquo;for a good year.\u0026rdquo;  Many people just say Shana Tova.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"L'shana Tova"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_448\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Beautiful flowers and eyes!\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nFlower-arranging is one of my hobbies. It gives me great delight to choose flowers at the florist\u0026rsquo;s and to pick flowers from the garden to create an arrangement. Some arrangements I\u0026rsquo;ve made are small and some have been larger. I\u0026rsquo;ve made arrangements to give as Birthday presents, Christmas presents, and lots of \u0026ldquo;thank you\u0026rsquo;s.\u0026rdquo; Working with flowers gives me a wonderful feeling. The images in this collage are of a smaller arrangement I did to take to a Memorial Service three weeks ago. I took the photos at home. The eyes in this collage are those of a baby boy nine months old and the caption in the collage was photographed from the cover of a journal in my local bookstore. These three elements just seemed to come together - beautiful flowers, beautiful eyes, and the caption \u0026ldquo;Beauty for your eyes to see.\u0026rdquo;\nIt goes without saying that I love flowers. Without much ado, I will share what I wrote over twelve years ago about this love affair. Hope you enjoy the collage and the poem called \u0026ldquo;Flowers.\u0026rdquo;\nYour beauty\nawakens my beauty\nYour simplicity\nrestores my own gentleness\nYour fragility\nreminds me of my delicacy and strength\nYour color\nMakes my life more colorful\nYour fragrance\nDelights my senses.\nWhen I am happy\nThe sight of you makes me happier still\nWhen I am sad\nyou speak hope to my heart by your presence\nI am so much more because of you\nOh……………beautiful flowers !\n","permalink":"/posts/flowers/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_448\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Beautiful flowers and eyes!\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Flowers/i-bWVwb7z/0/MFJDPDbXwLJWShgWPc5whGds7jVPwHxJmM7dCZPmB/D/fLOWER-POEM-COLLAGE-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fLOWER-POEM-COLLAGE-1024x584.jpg\" title=\"fLOWER POEM COLLAGE\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFlower-arranging is one of my hobbies.  It gives me great delight to choose flowers at the florist\u0026rsquo;s and to pick flowers from the garden to create an arrangement.  Some arrangements I\u0026rsquo;ve made are small and some have been larger.  I\u0026rsquo;ve made arrangements to give as Birthday presents, Christmas presents, and lots of \u0026ldquo;thank you\u0026rsquo;s.\u0026rdquo;  Working with flowers gives me a wonderful feeling.  The images in this collage are of a smaller arrangement I did to take to a Memorial Service three weeks ago.  I took the photos at home.  The eyes in this collage are those of a baby boy nine months old and the caption in the collage was photographed from the cover of a journal in my local bookstore.  These three elements just seemed to come together - beautiful flowers, beautiful eyes, and the caption \u0026ldquo;Beauty for your eyes to see.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Flowers"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_429\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Hanging Gardens\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nNiagara-on-the-Lake is the home of the Shaw Festival. The Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw\u0026rsquo;s works, are performed here in four theatres. The Festival has added some other contemporary productions over the years. Shaw won the Nobel prize for literature in 1925 and was also the winner of an Oscar. Many people come from near and far to visit this lovely lakeside town and also take in one of the shows. I was there for the Peach Festival. All these images of the Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar were taken two weeks ago.\nAs you can see in this collage, the building is impressive, and even more so, the hanging gardens, as I call them. The flowers are just beautiful and I couldn\u0026rsquo;t stop admiring and photographing them. It looks like a lovely place to dine or have a drink. There is even a statue of George Bernard Shaw with a fountain around it. Many people were sitting out on the patio enjoying their food and drink.\nThis Cafe and Wine Bar made me think of the \u0026ldquo;Hanging Gardens of Babylon\u0026rdquo; and I wondered if it might have been a little bit like this. Those Gardens were known to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.\nLegend says \u0026hellip; The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by King Nebuchadnezzar so that the queen, his wife, would have a lovely, private, terraced garden to enjoy. The gardens were rumored to be about 400 feet wide, 400 feet long, and over 80 feet high. Some historians believe the gardens were built in a series of platforms that all together were 320 feet high. There were paths and steps and fountains and gorgeous flowers, all build to make a homesick queen feel welcomed and loved. It was supposedly built around 600 BCE, along the bank of the Euphrates River (south of the modern day city of Baghdad, Iraq.) No one knows if the gardens actually existed, or if they did, if they existed in Babylon, but the legend is a lovely one. While this Cafe is nothing like the size of the one in this legend, I love the way the flowers are hanging and I\u0026rsquo;m stunned by all the beauty I see here. This is my own \u0026ldquo;Hanging Garden\u0026rdquo; right here at Niagara-on-the-Lake. I hope you enjoy this collage as much as I do. Here is a George Bernard Shaw quote for you too: \u0026ldquo;The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.\u0026rdquo; ","permalink":"/posts/hanging-gardens/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_429\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Hanging Gardens\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Hanging-gardens/i-gRKr4VZ/0/M6F77KVG7WhLFQQdmp7bjp5jDV4VcvxN6QSwM5Nks/D/Cafe-Wine-Collage-Niagara-on-the-Lake-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Cafe-Wine-Collage-Niagara-on-the-Lake-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Cafe \u0026amp; Wine Collage (Niagara-on-the-Lake)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNiagara-on-the-Lake is the home of the Shaw Festival.  The Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw\u0026rsquo;s works, are performed here in four theatres.  The Festival has added some other contemporary productions over the years. Shaw won the Nobel prize for literature in 1925 and was also the winner of an Oscar.  Many people come from near and far to visit this lovely lakeside town and also take in one of the shows.  I was there for the Peach Festival.  All these images of the Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar  were taken two weeks ago.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hanging Gardens"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_420\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Winery - Niagara Region\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIt was a pleasure for me to visit one of the wineries in the Niagara region two weeks ago. It was one of the stops on our day tour. This was a trip going to the Peach Festival held at Niagara-on-the-Lake which is a picturesque and charming little town. The trip included several stops, one of which, was this winery. I took all the images while we were there and thoroughly enjoyed myself.\nIn many social circles, drinking wine is the refined thing to do. Hard liquor seems to have gone very much out of style these days. A fine dinner isn\u0026rsquo;t had without a fine wine. Many people pride themselves on all the wines they have tasted and talking about wines makes a good conversation piece. Wine tasting was available while we were there. However, while this was going on, I had the opportunity to walk around the vineyard and the garden and imbibe the beautiful sights outdoors.\nMy own limited knowledge about wine led me to think that it was only from Biblical times that humans were wine-drinkers. I held this belief based on hearing the story about Jesus changing water into wine at the wedding where the wine had run out. However, we have actually been into wine long before that. \u0026ldquo;The history of wine making probably begins with the history of civilization itself. The earliest known wine production may have been in the region of Iran as long ago as 6000 BC, and there is evidence of domestication of the vine in the Near East from around 3000 BC. Certainly there was wine made in the times of the expansion of the Greek empire, some thousand years before Christ. It appears that wine making spread to Italy, North Africa, and France.\u0026rdquo;\nIt\u0026rsquo;s very strange for me to discover that wine production may have begun in the region around Iran. I always associated Europe and most particularly, France, with wine. It goes to show how much I still have to learn about so many things.\nGrapes in a bunch and grapes on a vine have an earthy, sensual appeal. I like to see a plate of cheese and crackers set off with a bunch of grapes in the middle. A bottle of wine nearby makes the spectacle complete. Taste buds come in to play and add to the sensuality. All our senses make us human.\nQuite apart from the lovely time spent at the winery and learning a little bit about the history of wine-making, this collage reminds me of something Marcus Aurelius said: “We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.”\nHope your knowledge of wine is better than mine and may we aspire to be like the vine, bearing good fruit, season after season - and not think about it. Let it come naturally. Enjoy the collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/kind-wine/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_420\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Winery - Niagara Region\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Kind-wine/i-gg3rLMn/0/M45fBJGHxMzF9Tg4Rvc7bLTnQ7hHkchPqrnSJGkn4/D/Inniskillen-winery-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Inniskillen-winery-for-blog-1024x582.jpg\" title=\"Inniskillen winery (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a pleasure for me to visit one of the wineries in the Niagara region two weeks ago.  It was one of the stops on our day tour. This was a trip going to the Peach Festival held at Niagara-on-the-Lake which is a  picturesque and charming little town.   The trip included several stops, one of which, was this winery.  I took all the images while we were there and thoroughly enjoyed myself.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kind Wine"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_407\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Bon Voyage, Au Revoir, Goodbye!\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nAll the cemetery images in this collage were taken on my last visit to Parklawn where my parents are buried. The angels are photographed from a souvenir print I brought with me from Italy that has nothing but angels. The African Violets were taken at my friend\u0026rsquo;s apartment. Events of the past few weeks have turned my thoughts to death and dying.\nI received news of the death of someone close and was saddened by the news and also relieved that the person\u0026rsquo;s suffering was over. Cancer is never easy. I felt grief for the wife and children of this individual and also felt the sense of loss that we all feel when a person we once knew moves into the realm of invisibility. We are also reminded of our own mortality. As John Donne said:\n# “Any man\u0026rsquo;s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Death is the longest journey - we go and we don\u0026rsquo;t come back. When we go on other trips, there is a return date. While we\u0026rsquo;re travelling, we know that the journey will end with a return to where we left. Family and friends await our return.\nWith death, we aren\u0026rsquo;t planning for a return journey. At birth, we make an appearance, and, at death, we make a disappearance. It\u0026rsquo;s a long Bon Voyage, Au Revoir, Goodbye. Depending on the wisdom tradition we adhere to, we all have different speculations about what happens after. However, we are still left with the question:\nWHERE DO THEY GO?\nDo they become a star\nAnd roam amidst\nThe endless galaxies\nOf space and time?\nDo they twinkle\nTo beckon us to join\nThe chorus of the countless hosts\nIn concert with the music\nOf the celestial spheres?\nDo they become archangels\nMinistering forever\nWith everlasting praises\nBefore the throne of God?\nOr guardian angels\nSent to heal\nTo soothe and raise\nThe bruised, the weak\nThe weary and the fallen?\nDo they become a flower?\nA rose perhaps-\nShedding her marvel\nBeauty, colour and perfume\nAnd blooms and dies,\nAnd blooms and dies,\nAnd blooms\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;?\nThis poem was written by my father later in life although he was raised as a Christian with the belief in heaven and eternal life. It expresses his questionings and also my own. Perhaps, we all have questionings of our own about this journey to the unknown. Bon voyage, au revoir, goodbye!\n","permalink":"/posts/bon-voyage-au-revoir-goodbye/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_407\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Bon Voyage, Au Revoir, Goodbye!\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Bon-voyage-au-revoir-goodbye/i-Qvk6FDb/0/LxFhGW4FxCgDSMkQpcP9qDQ86PgvSHXbKKC8MSDWB/D/Bon-Voyage-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Bon-Voyage-for-blog-1024x585.jpg\" title=\"Bon Voyage (for blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the cemetery images in this collage were taken on my last visit to Parklawn where my parents are buried.  The angels are photographed from a souvenir print I brought with me from Italy that has nothing but angels. The African Violets were taken at my friend\u0026rsquo;s apartment.  Events of the past few weeks have turned my thoughts to death and dying.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bon Voyage, Au Revoir, Goodbye!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_396\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Trying on Monet\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe three images in this collage with black frames caught my attention while I was waiting in line at my local bakery last week. They had never caught my attention before so I don\u0026rsquo;t know whether they are new or were always there. The image with the white frame is an acrylic painting that I myself did as a gift for my son many years ago. I had seen a Monet painting called \u0026ldquo;Garden at Sainte-Adresse\u0026rdquo; and wanted to try something like it. This is a scaled-down version. Putting the Canadian flag was entirely my idea. I did this because my son was away working in Mexico, and on his return to Canada, this painting was to be his birthday present. He is Canadian.\nDoing this painting was fun but since I\u0026rsquo;m not a trained artist, it required more than just fun to think of doing in the first place and to complete. It required love. The person I was doing this for meant a lot to me. It gave me pleasure and brought meaning to my life to do this. At this time, I was just trying my hand at painting. This is over twelve years ago.\nI realize how risque it is to put something home-made alongside other people\u0026rsquo;s work but since I\u0026rsquo;m doing the photo collaging here, it\u0026rsquo;s permissible. I am indulging myself quite a bit here. I simply want to visually and aesthetically enjoy these pictures together. It\u0026rsquo;s a personal thing and appeals to my senses. At this age and stage of life, it has occured to me that if you don\u0026rsquo;t do the things that your heart is telling you to, you will never do them.\nI like this painting and find it beautiful. I\u0026rsquo;m making myself very vulnerable here since I\u0026rsquo;m speaking about something that I created knowing fully well that our perceptions are all different. But this is just what becoming older means. It is about becoming more vulnerable. We can express ourselves more freely - as time and its weathering has given us, and is continually giving us, more opportunities to come \u0026ldquo;home\u0026rdquo; to ourselves. I don\u0026rsquo;t have to pretend that I don\u0026rsquo;t like my own painting and I can put it with other paintings that I like and photographed at the bakery. \u0026ldquo;We do well to find out, each day, gradually, what we love; to put in brackets all the prejudices, pressures, opinions, authorities; to let the experience of beauty come to us; and to receive it in all its intensity and truth, without anyone having to tell us what we must like or not; to have the courage to say what touches us - if not to others, at least to ourselves.\u0026rdquo; (Piero Ferrucci)\nIt\u0026rsquo;s important to \u0026ldquo;win friends and influence people\u0026rdquo; as Dale Carnegie spoke about in his best-selling book. We don\u0026rsquo;t want to get on the wrong side of others but we do want to be our own best friend. Enjoy the collage!\n","permalink":"/posts/trying-on-monet/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_396\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Trying on Monet\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Trying-on-monet/i-dGWCSnm/0/LM4CgLhnC7jPVkqqLS25w4tmzTksx26g2zd3vV66X/D/Trying-on-Monet-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Trying-on-Monet-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Trying on Monet\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three images in this collage with black frames caught my attention while I was waiting in line at my local bakery last week.  They had never caught my attention before so I don\u0026rsquo;t know whether they are new or were always there.  The image with the white frame is an acrylic painting that I myself did as a gift for my son many years ago.  I had seen a Monet painting called \u0026ldquo;Garden at Sainte-Adresse\u0026rdquo; and wanted to try something like it.   This is a scaled-down version.  Putting the Canadian flag was entirely my idea.  I did this because my son was away working in Mexico, and on his return to Canada, this painting was to be his birthday present. He is Canadian.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Trying on Monet"},{"content":"“Say not, “I have found the truth,” but rather, “I have found a truth.” Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.” Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.” For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_382\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Birdbath Fun[/caption]\nDuring the summer, it\u0026rsquo;s always exciting to watch the birds drinking water and cooling themselves in the birdbath in the garden. The birdbath image in this collage was stencilled by me over twelve years ago and is framed and hangs on a wall in our home. The flowers in the collage are from the garden and the clouds were photographed recently when I was lying on the grass looking up at the skies. The idea for putting these images together came to me as I observed a bird having a great time in the outdoor birdbath yesterday. I wondered whether this was a soul thing.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know what a soul looks like, and for that matter, I don\u0026rsquo;t think anybody else does. Yet we all have those stirrings within us that seem to beckon and call us to certain places and certain things - travel, writing, volunteering, teaching, and sometimes even stencilling and photo collaging, among other things.\nIt seems to me that the soul likes to create. It feels to me too that the soul likes to enjoy as in the enjoyment of seeing the birds enjoying themselves in the birdbath. The soul definitely loves clouds and flowers.\n\u0026ldquo;When we discover our creativity, we begin to attend to this constant emergence of who we are. Our creativity is excited by what is new, different and concealed within us. While the outside world has long settled for who we are in terms of name, personality and role, when we creatively engage our life, we enable the signature, taste and imprint of our uniqueness to emerge.\u0026rdquo; (John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue)\nAs I enjoyed watching the birds in the birdbath outside, I hope you enjoy this indoor birdbath collage. I\u0026rsquo;m still trying to figure out the \u0026ldquo;soul\u0026rdquo; for myself and seeing how it emerges.\n“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” ~ Rumi\n","permalink":"/posts/birdbath-fun/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“Say not, “I have found the truth,” but rather, “I have found a truth.” Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.” Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.” For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Birdbath Fun"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_368\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] \u0026ldquo;CATS\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\nYou now have learned enough to see\nThat Cats are much like you and me\nAnd other people whom we find\nPossessed of various types of mind.\nFor some are sane and some are mad\nAnd some are good and some are bad\nAnd some are better, some are worse —\nBut all may be described in verse.\nT. S. ELIOT, \u0026ldquo;The Ad-dressing of Cats,\u0026rdquo; Old Possum\u0026rsquo;s Book of Practical Cats\nAs I went by my neighbour\u0026rsquo;s home two days ago, her black cats were sitting out enjoying the good weather. They looked so comfortable and cute that I decided to photograph them. As soon as I approached, they got up in the manner in which cats do, and started moving around. They were happy for the visit and this is the result of that time. Of course, my own cat, Cali, is in the collage.\nIn the summer of 1992, I took my Dad to see Andrew Lloyd Webber\u0026rsquo;s musical \u0026ldquo;CATS\u0026rdquo; on Broadway. My mother died in early 1992 and my parents had been planning a trip to New York to see their grandson who was performing in this. I thought that there was no time to waste in getting my Dad to this show. He was very excited and happy to be there. At one part of the performance, some of the cats come out into the audience and my nephew came and touched both of us. This was thrilling for both of us. We also had a wonderful tour backstage after the show.\nThese black cats brought the memory of that wonderful show to my mind and the wonderful evening we had together - my nephew in the show and my father and I in the audience. Evenings like that one rarely come twice.\nThere are strange and wonderful happenings in life that we don\u0026rsquo;t have the vision to predict. Many years earlier, this same nephew had been visiting Toronto when the same musical was running here and he had expressed a great interest in seeing this. We bought a ticket for him to go, and as he was a young boy at the time, we gave him a ride there and picked him up after the performance. He found the show thrilling and said he wanted to be in a show like that in the future. Little did we know that this expressed wish would one day come true.\nMy own son went to New York to see his cousin in this performance and was given the ticket as a gift. I was reminded by my nephew that we had given him the ticket to see \u0026ldquo;CATS\u0026rdquo; when he first saw it and how he had enjoyed it. I am also reminded of what Steve Jobs said: \u0026ldquo;You can\u0026rsquo;t connect the dots looking forward you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path.\u0026rdquo;\nAt his grandfather\u0026rsquo;s funeral, this grandson sang the song \u0026ldquo;Memory\u0026rdquo; which his grandfather liked so much that he had written down the words when he came back from New York. After his death, we gave the copy of the song that his grandfather had hand-written to him. These are the last lines of the song:\nTouch me. It\u0026rsquo;s so easy to leave me All alone with the memory Of my days in the sun. If you touch me You\u0026rsquo;ll understand what happiness is Look! A new day has begun.\nSo much for my reminiscences. Enjoy the collages!\n","permalink":"/posts/cats/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_368\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Cats/i-TwF8d92/0/NZTspFp6KccBzbMVzZQLbXjNnDBvX3RpTJZk5gLXg/D/CATS-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/CATS-1024x583.jpg\" title=\"CATS\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u0026ldquo;CATS\u0026rdquo;[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou now have learned enough to see\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat Cats are much like you and me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd other people whom we find\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePossessed of various types of mind.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor some are sane and some are mad\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd some are good and some are bad\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd some are better, some are worse —\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut all may be described in verse.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eT. S. ELIOT, \u0026ldquo;The Ad-dressing of Cats,\u0026rdquo; \u003cem\u003eOld Possum\u0026rsquo;s Book of Practical Cats\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"CATS\""},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_359\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Artsy Peacocks\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nI have a weakness for both artsy paper products and peacocks. I\u0026rsquo;m fascinated with just how beautiful the covers of journals have become as well as greeting cards and stationary. Peacocks are ostentatious and showy and make a colourful subject to attract the attention of buyers and admirers of peacocks alike. All the images in this collage come from such products. I took them at different times because of their attractiveness and wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure how I would use them. They just seemed to be begging to be photo-collaged and this is the result.\nPeacocks do stand proud and we are all familiar with the saying: \u0026ldquo;as proud as a peacock.\u0026rdquo; Only the male of the species is called a peacock. The female is called a peahen. Their beautiful plummage is really to attract the female of the species. “Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful \u0026ldquo;eye\u0026rdquo; markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird\u0026rsquo;s back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.”\nNature has endowed these birds with this beauty and each of us comes endowed with our own beauty, attributes, skills, talents, and abilities. There are also some who come with disabilities and handicaps as well as lesser attributes, skills, talents, and abilities. It is all part of Nature. I wondered whether we are as the saying says: \u0026ldquo;as proud as a peacock.\u0026rdquo;\nLooking at my own life, I am of the opinion that human pride is not a deadly sin or vice. It seems to me that it is part of our human nature. I haven\u0026rsquo;t met many people who aren\u0026rsquo;t proud of one thing or another. There are different ways of being proud and some ways result in skilful behaviour and some in unskilful behaviour. This is true of individuals as well as groups.\nI found an interesting quote by C.S. Lewis that shows when pride results in unskilful behaviour: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.\u0026quot; We are all familiar with the spirit of competition. After all, even the female peahens are choosing their mates \u0026ldquo;according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.”\nHope you enjoy the beautiful colours in this collage and have some of your own thoughts on pride.\n","permalink":"/posts/peacock-proud/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_359\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Artsy Peacocks\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Peacock-proud/i-gJ2Tkts/0/LmrR3xTDbC57Jdtnj7TcmCp2vHc7vhpJKDCF436Sf/D/Pride-peacock1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pride-peacock1-1024x579.jpg\" title=\"Pride (peacock)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have a weakness for both artsy paper products and peacocks.  I\u0026rsquo;m fascinated with just how beautiful the covers of journals have become as well as greeting cards and stationary. Peacocks are ostentatious and showy and make a colourful subject to attract the attention of buyers and admirers of peacocks alike.  All the images in this collage come from such products. I took them at different times because of their attractiveness and wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure how I would use them.  They just seemed to be begging to be photo-collaged and this is the result.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Peacock proud!"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_343\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Moroccan-style Birthday[/caption]\nMy Birthday was last Wednesday and I wanted to celebrate in grand style. This birthday was special because my brother and his wife were spending it with me and they don\u0026rsquo;t come very often from Australia. I chose this Moroccan Restaurant because I had gone there before and thought it would be a suitable venue for my special day. The images in this collages were taken there.\nThere were eight of us altogether and we had a good time . At a certain stage of life, you have to celebrate your birthday the way you want to. You have to plan the party. If you want a simple party, you have that. If you want something more fancy, you have that. This occasion was not any ordinary one for me. This had to be imbued with meaning for me, layer by layer.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a learning in life that takes place for everyone and it isn\u0026rsquo;t always about the same things. I have learnt that when we celebrate life and all of life\u0026rsquo;s happy important happenings and events in a big way, there aren\u0026rsquo;t as many tears when sad time comes. So it was, that I wondered, how many other birthday opportunities would arise for us to celebrate as a family together. Why wait to find out? The time to go all out with the celebration of my own life and of those closest to me was now.\nThis celebration was a time to share a few things from my heart which I did. It was about requests made and promises kept. It was about staying together as family. It was also about extravagance and I will share a small portion of what I said on Wednesday night: \u0026ldquo;Tonight\u0026rsquo;s celebration is about extravagance. I\u0026rsquo;m not talking about the venue or the amount of money we will spend having dinner. I\u0026rsquo;m talking about extravagant love. I\u0026rsquo;m talking about meaning. Life, I believe, is in the living. It\u0026rsquo;s about sharing the best that you can with the people who mean the most to you when you can. It\u0026rsquo;s about telling those who mean a lot to you that they really matter. It\u0026rsquo;s in the attitude we bring to these special times. This is the true essence of sharing. I want my legacy to be about \u0026ldquo;extravagance\u0026rdquo; and taking time and caring. I hope we enjoy the time with each other extravagantly and share our love extravagantly with each other tonight.\u0026rdquo;\nMy father had written many stories for us and I shared a very important story of the legacy that my parents left us that night. As it has been said: \u0026ldquo;**The real family legacy is the stories, not the sterling.\u0026rdquo; (**Andrea Gross) This was the theme for all I said that evening of my birthday and I ended by giving a copy of what I had written to my son and my brothers. As time passes, our birthdays are times for extravagance and a time to express the meaning of our own lives while we are here. \u0026ldquo;Where there is no extravagance there is no love, and where there is no love there is no understanding.\u0026rdquo; Wilde, Oscar\nHope you enjoy the collages!\n","permalink":"/posts/moroccan-style-birthday/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_343\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Moroccan-style-birthday/i-TzGSfvd/0/KSZQsj9xQ9WCwb6fNVZK5Hc29Bs8LkQ9gqQHm37sQ/D/Happpy-Birthday-63-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Happpy-Birthday-63-for-blog-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Happpy Birthday (63) for blog\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Moroccan-style Birthday[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy Birthday was last Wednesday and I wanted to celebrate in grand style.  This birthday was special because my brother and his wife were spending it with me and they don\u0026rsquo;t come very often from Australia.  I chose this Moroccan Restaurant because I had gone there before and thought it would be a suitable venue for my special day.  The images in this collages were taken there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Moroccan-style Birthday"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_335\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Taste of Thailand\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nWe went to one of the summer events at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto last weekend. In this multicultural City of Toronto, there are many such wonderful open-air festivals taking place. Although it was called \u0026ldquo;Taste of Thailand,\u0026rdquo; it wasn\u0026rsquo;t just about tasting Thai food. Getting a \u0026ldquo;taste\u0026rdquo; of a people or a country involves all the aspects of the people and their culture that it is possible to represent. We did have some nice Thai food to eat, and on an open stage, we saw some beautiful tango dancing. There was also a demonstration of Muay Thai Boxing. Many Thai arts and crafts were on display and available to buy. There was also a Thai fruit carver demonstrating her skill and showing off some carvings she made.\nThe photos in this collage are my own. The background photo is one I took when I was in Thailand and visited the exquisite Wat Arun temple. It is a detail from the temple. Unbelievably, there are over 31,200 Buddhist temples spread around Thailand. In Thai these are called wat. One of these, the Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn, is named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. Sitting majestically on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, the legendary Wat Arun is one of the most striking riverside landmarks of Thailand. Despite the name, the most spectacular view of the glittering monument can be seen from the east side of the river at sunset, when the spires of Wat Arun make an impressive silhouette against the skyline.\nThe lovely ladies and the young girl in the foreground were splendidly dressed in these georgeous Thai outfits that they were going to model last Sunday. I asked them if I could photograph them and the result is here for you to see. This collage is about the Thai culture but also represents a cross-cultural experience.\nI visited Thailand over thirty years ago and took the background photo and I photographed these lovely ladies right here in Toronto last Sunday. West to East and East to West could be said. Canada is really a \u0026ldquo;world\u0026rdquo; culture as it allows people of other countries and cultures to share in \u0026ldquo;exotic\u0026rdquo; experiences. In Toronto, especially, we are certainly privy to living closely with one another and having the opportunity to share in these experiences with one another. I, personally, have come to consider myself an \u0026ldquo;international\u0026rdquo; person. We may have different cultures and ways of being but we are all \u0026ldquo;human\u0026rdquo; beings and need connection.\n“Everyone in the world smiles in the same language.” - Unknown\nHope you enjoy Wat Arun and these lovely Thai ladies and young girl and their beautiful smiles. Keep smiling!\n","permalink":"/posts/taste-of-thailand/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_335\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Taste of Thailand\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Taste-of-thailand/i-RPG62gL/0/K8Twg2SmNSd8V8fH6zFg3BgrrsRNbbrG3NwWbN3fc/D/East-meets-West-Wat-Arun-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/East-meets-West-Wat-Arun-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"East meets West (Wat Arun)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe went to one of the summer events at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto last weekend. In this multicultural City of Toronto, there are many such wonderful open-air festivals taking place.  Although it was called \u0026ldquo;Taste of Thailand,\u0026rdquo; it wasn\u0026rsquo;t just about tasting Thai food.  Getting a \u0026ldquo;taste\u0026rdquo; of a people or a country involves all the aspects of the people and their culture that it is possible to represent.  We did have some nice Thai food to eat, and on an open stage, we saw some beautiful tango dancing. There was also a demonstration of Muay Thai Boxing.  Many Thai arts and crafts were on display and available to buy.  There was also a Thai fruit carver demonstrating her skill and showing off some carvings she made.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Taste of Thailand"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_329\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Snowy Day\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis collage is to help make all of us who are sweltering in the heat of this summer day feel a little bit cooler. Toronto is hot, hot, hot!\nWe are complainers about weather when it\u0026rsquo;s cold\nAnd we can\u0026rsquo;t stand much when it\u0026rsquo;s hot,hot hot!\n","permalink":"/posts/snowy-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_329\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Snowy Day\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Snowy-day/i-CkRJ5Sz/0/MdgDJhvtPcH2knRgB6tF56vbGGK7xv5kTW46t44xp/D/Snow-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Snow-Collage-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Snow Collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collage is to help make all of us who are sweltering in the heat of this summer day feel a little bit cooler.  Toronto is hot, hot, hot!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are complainers about weather when it\u0026rsquo;s cold\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd we can\u0026rsquo;t stand much when it\u0026rsquo;s hot,hot hot!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Snowy Day"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_321\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Lilies\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThis collage was inspired by my neighbour\u0026rsquo;s garden. I looked across there and was mesmerized and thrilled by what I saw. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist the urge to go there and admire all the beautiful flowers, especially the lilies. This was late yesterday afternoon. We have some lilies in our garden but hers are truly splendid. What a beautiful gift a garden is! I realized that I don\u0026rsquo;t have to go very far to see beauty - and that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to spend any money. All I needed were the eyes to see.\nNature does not stop providing us with opportunities for a free show. The first lilies of the year are usually the Easter lilies and then when summer comes along, we have another batch of lilies to enjoy. Here\u0026rsquo;s some information on the lily that I found:\n\u0026ldquo;LILY\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.\u0026rdquo; Book of Matthew, VI, 28\nThe lily\u0026rsquo;s name has pre-classical origins. It was the Greek name leirion and the Roman name lilium from which the name \u0026ldquo;lily\u0026rdquo; was derived.\nLegend tells that the lily sprang from Eve\u0026rsquo;s tears, when upon being expelled from Eden she learned she was pregnant. Other folklore tells of lilies, unplanted by any human hand spontaneously appearing on the graves of people executed for crimes they did not commit.\nOn the whole, lilies imply purity of the heart. While lilies come in a variety of colors, most people readily associate lilies with white, meaning innocence and sweetness.\nThese lilies are not the white variety but a bright pink - what a beautiful colour! I\u0026rsquo;m reading a book now that I borrowed from the library called \u0026ldquo;Beauty\u0026rdquo; written by John O\u0026rsquo;Donohue and I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist sharing this. If you\u0026rsquo;re interested in the subject of \u0026ldquo;Beauty\u0026rdquo;, this is a good one to read.\n\u0026ldquo;We are creatures fashioned to behold colour because the soul loves beauty. Plato stated this elegantly in the Phaedrus. He suggests that our present love of beauty is an awakened echo of our earlier life in the eternal world. There we knew beauty because we lived in her grace: \u0026lsquo;But of beauty, I repeat again that we saw her there shining in company with the celestial forms; and coming to earth we find her here too, shining in clearness through the clearest aperture of sense \u0026hellip; But this is the privilege of beauty, that being the loveliest she is also the most palpable to sight.\u0026rsquo;\nEnjoy the visual images of the beautiful lilies and be grateful for the sense of sight too. A collage just for you from the heart of a Late Bloomer.\n","permalink":"/posts/lilies/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_321\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Lilies\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Lilies/i-bGGnSVt/0/NHjC2f2XGHTR2BtCN4kXJDqmvFckdwKq6GC2Hvv5G/D/Lilies-to-consider-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Lilies-to-consider-collage-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Lilies \"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collage was inspired by my neighbour\u0026rsquo;s garden.  I looked across there and was mesmerized and thrilled by what I saw.  I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist the urge to go there and admire all the beautiful flowers, especially the lilies.  This was late yesterday afternoon. We have some lilies in our garden but hers are truly splendid.  What a beautiful gift a garden is!  I realized that I don\u0026rsquo;t have to go very far to see beauty - and that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have to spend any money.  All I needed were the eyes to see.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Lilies"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_304\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Summer Roses\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nBranches laden with roses,\nNature’s bouquet!\nA feast for the eyes\nFor all to see,\nMorning, noon, and night.\nThe roses have been abundant beyond belief this summer. It didn\u0026rsquo;t matter whether one looked through the back window into the back garden or through the front window or door into the front garden. I enjoyed sitting out and enjoying them with their profusion of colour. Colour makes our world and our lives bright and brightens our spirit as humans.\nThis collage shows some of the spectacular roses that were in bloom. The branches were weighed down with roses but Nature\u0026rsquo;s strength held them all. I wrote the little verse at the top. It was truly a big bouquet that graced our eyes every day. To enjoy them was delightful but I\u0026rsquo;m happy to also have these photos to preserve the memory. Many other flowers are blooming now and the garden is still as beautiful as ever.\nMy husband is the gardener. He spends hours to make the garden bloom as it does. I simply enjoy it. As with all processes in life, there are those who enjoy the planting and growing process and there are those who enjoy the finished work. Both are necessary.\nHope you like this collage and enjoy the roses.\n\u0026ldquo;I should like to enjoy this summer flower by flower, as if it were to be the last one for me.\u0026rdquo; - Andre Gide\n","permalink":"/posts/a-toronto-rose-garden/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_304\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Summer Roses\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/A-toronto-rose-garden/i-fjZmKXH/0/Kb8L3s9stBGFQJzhzhpZM6qnXCLWpNkRvkDKngknW/D/A-Toronto-Rose-Garden-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/A-Toronto-Rose-Garden-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"A Toronto Rose Garden\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBranches laden with roses,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNature’s bouquet!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA feast for the eyes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor all to see,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorning, noon, and night.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe roses have been abundant beyond belief this summer.  It didn\u0026rsquo;t matter whether one looked through the back window into the back garden or through the front window or door into the front garden.  I enjoyed sitting out and enjoying them with their profusion of colour.  Colour makes our world and our lives bright and brightens our spirit as humans.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Toronto Rose Garden"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_266\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Little hands and feet\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a long time since I was a child but there\u0026rsquo;s still a child within me who wants to laugh, dance, sing, and be free. The photos in this collage depict both the innocence and the potential of children as seen in their tiny hands and feet. Some of the children are personally known to me and they were having a good time playing freely and enjoying themselves with careful abandon.\nTo enjoy these little ones as they are is a challenge for many parents. We have so many plans for them even before they come into the world. Of course, every parent wants the best for their child, or so we say. Even when we are enjoying the moment with them, we sometimes have some other motivation beyond just that. We read them bedtime stories for their enjoyment as well as to make good readers out of them.\nWhen the time comes for them to go to school, we pass them on into the educational system with the belief that the experts there will take care of them. In any system, there are strengths and weaknesses. I was having a haircut the other day and my hairdresser told me that her child wasn\u0026rsquo;t counting to as high a number as were the other children. She was worried.\nWell-meaning parents sometimes listen to everything that is told to them about their child and take the reports given by their educators very seriously. I told her not to take this seriously. Although she didn\u0026rsquo;t go to teacher\u0026rsquo;s college, she is a sensible person and \u0026ldquo;educated\u0026rdquo; at that. Every child eventually learns to read, write, count, and acquire many other skills. They just do this at different times. Just as they emerge from the womb at different times and not just on the due date given by the doctor, so the emergence of different skills takes place at different times.\nI told her that each child finds out, through trial and error sometimes, what it is that they are good at and inclined to. This starts in childhood and can go well into adulthood. The process of learning begins at birth, and I daresay, doesn\u0026rsquo;t finish until death. We all learn and relearn and unlearn.\nIt is alright for the child to be a child just as it is alright for me to be the age I am at now. What I can do at this age may be different to what a person of my same age can do or cannot do. This is alright. We aren\u0026rsquo;t all the same. I wish I had understood this at a much earlier age because I would have spent much less time wishing my life away.\nThis collage is also about enjoying your child, enjoying the moment, their presence and their childhood. We must respect their educators and the systems in which they are raised but we don\u0026rsquo;t have to take everything they say to heart. At the end of the day, make sure that you are happy and your child is too. This is what will count in the long run. It is alright for me to say these things because I\u0026rsquo;m at the unlearning stage of life. This Latebloomer wishes that you and your children will live long, happy lives. May you enjoy your grand-children too.\n“Because children grow up, we think a child\u0026rsquo;s purpose is to grow up. But a child\u0026rsquo;s purpose is to be a child. Nature doesn\u0026rsquo;t disdain what lives only for a day. It pours the whole of itself into the each moment. We don\u0026rsquo;t value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life\u0026rsquo;s bounty is in its flow, later is too late.\u0026quot;\nTom Stoppard, The Coast of Utopia\n","permalink":"/posts/childhood/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_266\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Little hands and feet\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Childhood/i-mPrXgT3/0/MDZcMm3JDntSJ5MpZ6q7vNPND4XVwjbDRFvdQGxJN/D/Little-Hands-and-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Little-Hands-and-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Little Hands and\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s a long time since I was a child but there\u0026rsquo;s still a child within me who wants to laugh, dance, sing, and be free.  The photos in this collage depict both the innocence and the potential of children as seen in their tiny hands and feet.  Some of the children are personally known to me and they were having a good time playing freely and enjoying themselves with careful abandon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Childhood"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_280\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Elephant Mosaic\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe elephants in this collage and the background were done by me. I don\u0026rsquo;t have any formal training in art and I don\u0026rsquo;t consider myself to be an artist in the traditional sense of the word. Even before I had retired from my day job, I started to have an urge to create. It came up just as subtly as was my desire to have a pet. I followed these urges and have been fortunate to have been able to try different expressions of this creative urge. Many people I am fortunate to know have always expressed themselves in artistic ways so I was somewhat lucky to have these kinds of friends to emulate. These feelings may have come from viewing the work of my friends. Otherwise, it was a longing of my soul.\nElephants have always been one of my favourite animals. I rode on an elephant in India and fed one in Thailand so I decided to do a project with elephants. I had fun choosing the colours for my elephants and being part of the evolving process as the work moved along.\nAt the very beginning, a project like this is often a bit messy and involves having lots of bits and pieces lying around. In this case, there were pieces of glass, jewelry, and one huge tile that I was working on. I also had a cutting tool and some paste for gluing the pieces on. This is the crafting part.\nAny medium of expression lends itself to sharing. I now understand why the singer wants to sing, the poet or writer to write, and the sculptor to sculpt. Apart from the process of doing the singing, writing, or sculpting, comes the desire for others to enjoy what is created. We are indeed social creatures and need different avenues for expressing ourselves and sharing our endeavours with others.\nThe background for this elephant mosaic is a silk scarf that I painted. I like the vibrant colours and since my elephants are brightly coloured, I thought to make this creation entirely my own by using this as the background. It was fun putting this collage together and here\u0026rsquo;s hoping you enjoy in the sharing.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s an interesting quote on the topic of Art and Craft that I found: \u0026ldquo;Art strives to express; craft strives for excellence. Good art has good craft, good craft is artistic. Within every craft there exists artists. Within every artist there is craft.\u0026rdquo; We may not have intended \u0026ldquo;art\u0026rdquo; but at the end of our creation, we have something we can call artistic.\n","permalink":"/posts/mosaic/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_280\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Elephant Mosaic\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Mosaic/i-2LDXwkn/0/L4ffvDbhn3GbdhbcXzDPBQctNV6SnFpG8TXgfZhcz/D/Elephant-silk-scarf-collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Elephant-silk-scarf-collage-1024x613.jpg\" title=\"Elephant \u0026amp; silk scarf collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe elephants in this collage and the background were done by me.  I don\u0026rsquo;t have any formal training in art and I don\u0026rsquo;t consider myself to be an artist in the traditional sense of the word.  Even before I had retired from my day job, I started to have an urge to create.  It came up just as subtly as was my desire to have a pet.  I followed these urges and have been fortunate to have been able to try different expressions of this creative urge.  Many people I am fortunate to know have always expressed themselves in artistic ways so I was somewhat lucky to have these kinds of friends to emulate. These feelings may have come from viewing the work of my friends.  Otherwise, it was a longing of my soul.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mosaic"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_257\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Canada Day[/caption]\nCanada\u0026rsquo;s Birthday - 145 years old. Celebrations everywhere. Lots of parties, birthday cake, and pride everywhere. The photos in this collage were taken over the last two days and hopefully represent the Canada that exists today even if just a little bit.\nI attended a Canada Day party on Friday at which there was a BBQ, birthday cake, and watermelon, as well as a live three-piece band. Many people were tapping their feet to the music or swaying with it even if they were too old to dance. Everyone stood proudly for the band\u0026rsquo;s rendition of \u0026ldquo;O Canada\u0026rdquo; as it was sung beautifully by the vocalist for the band.\nYesterday\u0026rsquo;s photos were taken at a street party in celebration of PRIDE. Many talented singers and dancers entertained on many stages on many different streets. Everyone was having a good time. This was my first time at this celebration and is a reflection of my own evolution in thinking and being in this country that is now my home.\nI have been in Canada for forty-four years and have witnessed the many changes in its cultural mosaic. \u0026quot;Cultural mosaic\u0026quot; (French: \u0026ldquo;la mosaïque culturelle canadienne\u0026rdquo;) is a term used to describe the mix of ethnic groups, languages and cultures that co-exist within Canadian society. The idea of a cultural mosaic is intended to champion an ideal of multiculturalism, differently from other systems like the melting pot, which is often used to describe the neighboring United States\u0026rsquo; supposed ideal of assimilation.\nMany changes have taken place within Canada and within myself most of all. I have had a diversity of experiences and have become a broader person as a result of living here. Meeting many different people from different cultures and having them as friends has been part of my multicultural experience. My life has been enhanced by my living here. Happy Canada Day!\n","permalink":"/posts/happy-canada-day/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_257\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Happy-canada-day/i-pmr82dm/0/Mkf6HPc2SJQ4jK7mN87dJrFswpRxxGqZGJ438h3x8/D/Canada-Day-Collage-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Canada-Day-Collage-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Canada Day Collage\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Canada Day[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCanada\u0026rsquo;s Birthday - 145 years old.  Celebrations everywhere.  Lots of parties, birthday cake, and pride everywhere.  The photos in this collage were taken over the last two days and hopefully represent the Canada that exists today even if just a little bit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI attended a Canada Day party on Friday at which there was a BBQ, birthday cake, and watermelon, as well as a live three-piece band.  Many people were tapping their feet to the music or swaying with it even if they were too old to dance.  Everyone stood proudly for the band\u0026rsquo;s rendition of \u0026ldquo;O Canada\u0026rdquo; as it was sung beautifully by the vocalist for the band.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Canada Day!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_237\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Sari embellishments[/caption]\n”It would be a loss to the whole world if the Indian woman should cease to wear her native costume. India is practically the only civilized country where one can see on living models how woman can and should dress“. (Carl Jung)\nIt is possible to live in Toronto and have never visited certain places. It was my pleasure to take one such person to \u0026ldquo;Little India\u0026rdquo; for a visit. We had a buffet lunch at the Gautama Restaurant which is one of the finest on this little strip now. The food was excellent. This lovely lady and I also went into almost all the stores there and she found herself fascinated with all things East Indian, from saris and sari fabric, to statues and other paraphernalia. Like myself, she likes to enjoy what she sees with the naked eye and then take a picture so she can revisit the moment later. Although I have been to \u0026ldquo;Little India\u0026rdquo; on numerous occasions, her enthusiasm and delight made me feel as if this was my first time there.\nAll the sparkles in this collage are embellishments of different kinds that are common on East Indian saris and lehengas. Many East Indian home furnishings are also lavishly decorated with sparkly decorations too. From time immemorial, women of all races and cultures have found novel ways to adorn themselves. This is no more evident than in dress.\nThe word \u0026ldquo;sari\u0026rdquo; is believed to derive from the Prakrit word \u0026ldquo;satticka\u0026rdquo; as found in early Buddhist Jain literature. It is thought to have originated from the Indus Valley civilization during 2800 B.C. to 1800 B.C. Many gods and goddesses have been sculpted wearing a style called the Odissi Fishtail wrap. The sari is draped around the legs and the Pallu hangs down the center of the legs lengthwise. Today the sari speaks of the resiliency of the Indian culture and their unique way of life.\nAs you can see, many saris are works of art with their elaborate embroidery, sequins, beads, and mirror work. It\u0026rsquo;s mind-boggling to think of the amount of work that must go into the making of each one. The saying: \u0026ldquo;Beauty is in the eye of the beholder\u0026rdquo; was true for both of us that day. We thought these saris were really beautiful.\nI hope that you enjoy \u0026ldquo;Sparkle of India\u0026rdquo; as much as I did and that these beautiful sparkles embellish and add sparkle to your day in some small way.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1471\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Sari Fabric[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/sparkle-of-india/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_237\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Sparkle-of-india/i-b8cVnKj/0/KN8zQgcTL5ppCK45SS3ncGv6t46hCb7KGR79jrfvt/D/Sari-embellishments-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Sari-embellishments-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Sari embellishments\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Sari embellishments[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e”\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt  would be a loss to the whole world if the Indian woman should cease to wear her native costume. India is practically the only civilized country where one can see on living models how woman can and should dress\u003c/em\u003e“\u003c/strong\u003e.  (Carl Jung)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is possible to live in Toronto and have never visited certain places.  It was my pleasure to take one such person to \u0026ldquo;Little India\u0026rdquo; for a visit.  We had a buffet lunch at the Gautama Restaurant which is one of the finest on this little strip now. The food was excellent.  This lovely lady and I also went into almost all the stores there and she found herself fascinated with all things East Indian, from saris and sari fabric, to statues and other paraphernalia.  Like myself, she likes to enjoy what she sees with the naked eye and then take a picture so she can revisit the moment later.  Although I have been to \u0026ldquo;Little India\u0026rdquo; on numerous occasions, her enthusiasm and delight made me feel as if this was my first time there.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sparkle of India"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_230\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Petlicious!\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nLast Sunday, I was invited to go to a Dog Show in Toronto. Dog lovers brought their dogs out in droves to mix and mingle with each other and to have good fun. It was sunny, warm, and bright - a good Woofstock Day. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t realized that the dog industry was so big. Several streets in the St. Lawrence Market area were closed off for the Show and you could buy anything and everything there to pamper and care for your pet.\nThis collage was inspired by my visit to this show. All the beautiful dogs in this collage were photographed there. Since my pet, Cali, is a cat, I have included her in this collage.\nWhat struck me about this kind of event happened before I even got to the Show. While I was travelling by subway to get there, several people came on with their dogs. I had never gone to the Show before and assumed they were going there. They were holding their dogs close if they were little ones and petting and playing with them if they were bigger ones. In that moment, I realized that what Michaelangelo said was true: \u0026ldquo;To touch can be to give life.\u0026rdquo;\nThe people travelling with their dogs were both males and females. They were travelling solo. The dog was their sole companion. They were probably going to meet friends or relatives there as I was going to do.\nThese dogs were fulfilling the needs of these people by giving them the opportunity to touch and connect with another in a non-threatening way. The pets too were receiving love and care through this relationship and they felt special. The bonds that existed here were very deep.\nAs humans, we have been losing the ability to touch in \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; ways. We have to be so careful even with people we know. We read and see so much on television of all the bad things that are happening world-wide. I just wonder whether this drives us to choose animals as friends. We are social creatures and we haven\u0026rsquo;t lost the need for companionship and friendship and touch. **\u0026quot;**There are studies showing that touch signals safety and trust, it soothes. Basic warm touch calms cardiovascular stress. It activates the body’s vagus nerve, which is intimately involved with our compassionate response, and a simple touch can trigger release of oxytocin, aka “the love hormone.”\nMy own cat, Cali, is a source of great joy to me. I like brushing her hair, feeding her grass, and touching her. She\u0026rsquo;s very finnicky and can be very bad at times but there\u0026rsquo;s none of the \u0026ldquo;baggage\u0026rdquo; that comes with a human relationship. There\u0026rsquo;s the work of giving her food and water and cleaning her litter box. She needs to be cared for by someone if I\u0026rsquo;m going to be away. This is the same for all pet owners - so why do we invest this time, money, and energy? It\u0026rsquo;s good for our health but is this why we do it?\nLike Michaelangelo, I believe \u0026ldquo;to touch can be to give life.\u0026rdquo; Our pets give us a little more of what is \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; in life by touching them and in turn we are touched. They touch us physically and emotionally. They can extend our physical lives and make us happier in the long run and, hopefully, we are doing the same for them. Look at all the little eyes in this collage - they\u0026rsquo;re all asking to be touched. Petlicious!\n","permalink":"/posts/petlicious/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_230\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Petlicious!\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Petlicious/i-FTsgqqQ/0/LML7h93rwgWfJk3zfdb9QDNTV2k46Vwqj6nz4BRWg/D/Pets-and-touch-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Pets-and-touch-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Pets and touch\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast Sunday, I was invited to go to a Dog Show in Toronto.  Dog lovers brought their dogs out in droves to mix and mingle with each other and to have good fun.  It was sunny, warm, and bright - a good Woofstock Day. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t realized that the dog industry was so big.  Several streets in the St. Lawrence Market area were closed off for the Show and you could buy anything and everything there to pamper and care for your pet.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Petlicious!"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_221\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Spirea Cantoniensis (Bridal Wreath)\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nIf you\u0026rsquo;ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo\nA few weeks ago, Spirea Cantoniensis (Bridal Wreath) was in full bloom. My soul, spirit, and every other part of me, was glad to receive this wonderful gift from Mother Nature. This shrub blooms for a short time in Spring and then fades to green foliage. As you can see from this collage, cascades of white blossoms hang on the branches and distill a feeling of purity, simplicity, and sheer beauty.\nSince they bloom for only a short time, I enjoyed watching them in my neighbour\u0026rsquo;s garden every day. There were many other gardens with these blooms but none as spectacular as this one. The house is on a hill and the garden is terraced allowing the Bridal Wreath to really hang well.\nOne afternoon when I was out on my porch admiring and taking in their beauty once more, I had a sudden impulse to find my camera. It\u0026rsquo;s a good thing that I did as I can now share this image with you.\nWe use flowers to mark different events in our lives - Birthdays, Weddings, Funerals, and other occasions we deem important. Personally, I like to pick flowers from my own garden and decorate with them. Flowers make me happy and bring out whatever is the best in me. I want them inside and outside. I need them. \u0026ldquo;Beauty, like color, does not lie only in the eye of the beholder: flowers, for example, are indeed beautiful and brightly colored. Nevertheless, beauty—and color, for that matter—can exist only where there is a beholder to perceive it.\u0026rdquo; (Journal, 6/15/52 \u0026amp; 1/21/38).\nWe\u0026rsquo;re lucky that Mother Nature has provided us with such an array of flowers in different colours, sizes, and shapes - not to mention fragrances. However, whether we admire flowers in bloom or we just pass them by, they all radiate a special and unique beauty anyways.\nWe too bloom for a short time here - three score and ten, is what the \u0026ldquo;Good Book\u0026rdquo; says. While we bloom, it would be good to have the simplicity, purity, and beauty, that I was able to see in Spirea Cantoniensis. May I keep trying whether I am noticed or not! Hope you enjoy this \u0026ldquo;Bridal Wreath\u0026rdquo; collage and I hope your eyes behold the butterflies too.\nReferences:\nFlower Meanings\nHenry David Thoreau\n","permalink":"/posts/bridal-wreath/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_221\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Spirea Cantoniensis (Bridal Wreath)\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Bridal-wreath/i-VTfpQkf/0/LsFtHB5Sd7tNFFSj6MDSCpzwg7FztstmhsqTm49jB/D/Bridal-Wreath-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bridal-Wreath-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Bridal Wreath\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you\u0026rsquo;ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few weeks ago, Spirea Cantoniensis (Bridal Wreath) was in full bloom.  My soul, spirit, and every other part of me, was glad to receive this wonderful gift from Mother Nature.  This shrub blooms for a short time in Spring and then fades to green foliage.  As you can see from this collage, cascades of white blossoms hang on the branches and distill a feeling of purity, simplicity, and sheer beauty.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bridal Wreath"},{"content":" [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_213\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Pottery by Jason L\u0026rsquo;Abbe[/caption]\nBirthdays are wonderful celebrations and especially milestone ones like a 60th. It was with great joy that I attended and celebrated my cousin\u0026rsquo;s 60th birthday with her recently. There was lots of good food, family and friends to eat all of it, and we all had fun together. The birthday cake always brings these special occasions to an exceptionally \u0026ldquo;sweet\u0026rdquo; culmination.\nThere were many \u0026ldquo;photographers\u0026rdquo; there as many of us wanted to fully enjoy every wonderful moment of being together and to capture it too. My own little Sony was along with me. I have great shots with all the children collecting tadpoles from the pond and playing around that area of the garden as only children can delight in such simple things. I have lovely photos of the \u0026ldquo;birthday girl\u0026rdquo; with several important people - like her children (who were all there) and her husband, brothers, sister, friends, and cousins.\nThe photos in these collages I am sharing with you are especially beautiful pieces of art all done by my cousin\u0026rsquo;s husband who is a potter. To visit this home is to know from the time you get there that there are artists living here. My cousin too is a visual artist. The Potter\u0026rsquo;s Shed in the garden stands as a wonderful backdrop to all the beautiful pieces of pottery that are around the garden - not to mention those in the home, and the gallery. I started to take a real interest in pottery when I first met this potter over forty years ago.\n\u0026ldquo;Ceramics is one of the most ancient industries on the planet. Once humans discovered that clay could be dug up and formed into objects by first mixing with water and then firing, the industry was born. As early as 24,000 BC, animal and human figurines were made from clay and other materials, then fired in kilns partially dug into the ground. Almost 10,000 years later, as settled communities were established, tiles were manufactured in Mesopotamia and India. The first use of functional pottery vessels for storing water and food is thought to be around 9000 or 10,000 BC. Clay bricks were also made around the same time.”\nWhen I think back to the first pottery pieces I had ever had, they came from this potter\u0026rsquo;s hands. They were beautiful cups and bowls given as a wedding present to us. He was a fledgling potter then. What is interesting about all this is to see the process at work here and how it would take years of practice and experience to become an artisan. While I would have liked to see him making these pieces forty years ago, the time for that had not yet come . “Let us never make the mistake of regarding the product before the producer—of regarding what is made more highly than him who makes it—for the great value of any art is not what is made but what happens to him who makes it during its making. For there is no satisfaction like that of mastering a craft from beginning to end, of having command at your finger tips of all materials and processes. All short-cuts and artificial aids are to be put aside as a healthy man would put aside crutches. We should walk every step of the way on our own feet.”\nThere is no greater satisfaction than to see someone mastering their craft and to see how it embellishes their life, their home, and the people around them. To have beauty in one\u0026rsquo;s life and to share this beauty with others is to be truly blessed. It was a beautiful 60th Birthday Party. I was honoured to be there. A little saying below for you:\nAll this of Pot and Potter\u0026ndash;Tell me then, Who is the Potter, pray, and who the Pot?\n-Omar Khayyam (\u0026ldquo;The Tent-Maker\u0026rdquo;),The Rubaiyat (st. 87), (FitzGerald\u0026rsquo;s translation)\nHope you enjoy these collages from the hands of my very own Potter.\nReferences\nMaking Pottery Glazes and Slips\nHistory of Ceramics\n","permalink":"/posts/house-of-pottery/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_213\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/House-of-pottery/i-gQNjwkv/0/Mw66n22t2R5HPJWq3TstLWTsBbWTSH7hRpzh2twrP/D/Jasons-pots-final-for-blog1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Jasons-pots-final-for-blog1-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Jason\u0026#39;s pots \"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Pottery by Jason L\u0026rsquo;Abbe[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirthdays are wonderful celebrations and especially milestone ones like a 60th.  It was with great joy that I attended and celebrated my cousin\u0026rsquo;s 60th birthday with her recently.  There was lots of good food, family and friends to eat all of it, and we all had fun together.  The birthday cake always brings these special occasions to an exceptionally \u0026ldquo;sweet\u0026rdquo; culmination.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"House of Pottery"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_201\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Tapestry[/caption]\nA few weeks ago, my friend and I visited a fabulous fabric store in Toronto. She likes to sew and was looking for some fabric. The photos in this collage were taken there. It was delightful to admire all the tapestries with their beautiful colours and diversity of patterns. Quite suddenly, I thought of the weavers who had spent countless hours to produce these priceless works of art.\nThey were, in fact, very expensive. Although many people I know have fine Oriental rugs, I haven\u0026rsquo;t seen too many tapestries hanging on their walls. I wondered about when humankind started to create these exotic masterpieces and this is what I found: \u0026ldquo;Tapestries have been woven for hundreds of years in diverse cultures. Both ancient Egyptians and the Incas buried their dead in tapestry woven clothing. Important civic buildings of the Greek Empire, including the Parthenon, had walls covered by them. However it was the French medieval weavers who brought the craft to fruition. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Church recognized the value of tapestries in illustrating Bible stories to its illiterate congregations. Few of these have survived. The oldest existing set is the Apocalypse of St John, six hangings 18 foot high, totalling 471 foot in length which were woven from 1375 to 1379 in Paris. This was the centre of production until the Hundred Years War (1337 - 1453) caused the weavers to flee north via Arras to Flanders (now Belgium and northern France).\u0026rdquo; None of the tapestries that I saw were anything the size of the one mentioned here and don\u0026rsquo;t portray any Biblical scenes. They are just meant to bring joy to those who hang them on their walls and not to teach any lessons.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know much about the kind of weaving I\u0026rsquo;ve been admiring. One kind of \u0026ldquo;weaving\u0026rdquo; I know is weaving in and out of traffic, crowds, and the like. The other kind of \u0026ldquo;weaving\u0026rdquo; is a lot like making a tapestry. There is choice involved. In making a tapestry, the weaver chooses colorful threads and follows the pattern carefully. We choose habits, patterns, and lifestyles or they are chosen for us - and follow these patterns to completion. The finished product looks beautiful on the finished side, like with the tapestries in the collage. We don\u0026rsquo;t see the threads that have become tangled or knotted on the other side.\n\u0026ldquo;Weaving a life\u0026rdquo; is about trying to make a \u0026ldquo;perfect\u0026rdquo; life or, at least, to make it seem that way to others. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to let others see the other side - the threads that have become tangled or knotted. To admit mistakes, unwise choices, plain messing up, doesn\u0026rsquo;t go with that beautiful tapestry. However, the weaving is still going on: \u0026ldquo;The tapestry of life continues to be woven. Occasionally a chance arises to repair an older, tattered piece of the weave. Something happens to jolt our awareness back in time to an event that resulted in tears and rips. With new, more mature vision, we see the circumstances in present time and have compassion for the unclear events of the past. While the new experience is being woven into the design, the old rip is simultaneously being repaired. All is well.\u0026rdquo; -Bessie Senette\nHope you are captivated by the beauty of the tapestries in this collage as much as I was and this post gives you some room for thought.\n","permalink":"/posts/tapestry/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_201\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Tapestry/i-xd82hmk/0/MWqPN84TSBhW74WSFfvRZpcfPdPtWWtSdXMzdQkkG/D/Tapestry-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tapestry-for-blog-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Tapestry \"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Tapestry[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few weeks ago, my friend and I visited a fabulous fabric store in Toronto.  She likes to sew and was looking for some fabric.  The photos in this collage were taken there.  It was delightful to admire all the tapestries with their beautiful colours and diversity of patterns.  Quite suddenly, I thought of the weavers who had spent countless hours to produce these priceless works of art.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tapestry"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_192\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Chao Phraya River - Thailand\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nMy first visit to the Chao Phraya River in Thailand was thirty-two years ago and was amazing. My second visit was thirty years later and was a different experience. The photos in this collage were taken on my first visit to Thailand.\nWe passed this river many times as we were taken around to visit many of the popular sites. It runs through Bangkok. The city itself is fascinating and I observed the Thai people to be very hard-working and very good cooks. I loved Thai cooking from that visit even when it wasn\u0026rsquo;t a popular cuisine in the Western world as it has become now. We visited Wat Arun and the Grand Palace which are architecturally very beautiful. As with most conducted tours, we stayed in fine hotels and were shown everything that was fine of the Thai way of life.\nWe were taken on the river for an afternoon excursion. This was the closest to the life of the ordinary Thai folk that I experienced while I was there. Many people live along the river throughout Thailand. They eat, sleep, work, raise families, garden, and all the ordinary daily activities that others do who are not on the river. These homes were very simple structures and there was often a little ladder alongside so that you could climb out of the boat and get to your home. As you will see from one of the smaller photos, even though the house is very rickety, there are beautiful bouganvilleas blooming from this structure. Many homes were like this.\nThis struck a primal chord in me and I realized that every person wants to make their own dwelling place beautiful even if it\u0026rsquo;s just what we, in the Western world, would call a shack. Those bouganvilleas were growing abundantly and added to the beauty of this home.\nThe second small photo shows Thai people in their little boats. They do many things in these boats apart from getting around. One little boat could carry many people and their food supplies where we would need a car to do our shopping. I learnt from that visit on the river that a very rich life was being lived there. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t the wealth of luxury homes and big cars. It was the wealth of the river, the little boats, the house with the bouganvilleas in bloom, and the shared experiences of the people and the life that was being lived along the river. These were some of the thoughts that I had on that first visit. I took lots of pictures and took in everything that I saw with a kind of awe.\nOn my second visit, I rented a condo which overlooked the Chao Phraya and was on one of the higher floors with a spectacular view of the City as well. I didn\u0026rsquo;t want the hotel experience this time. I didn\u0026rsquo;t take as many photos. In fact, I was looking for a photo of the view from this apartment to put in the collage and couldn\u0026rsquo;t find one. There was a lovely Thai temple that I could see from the balcony and I heard the sounds (gong) every morning and was soothed by this. The boats which were bigger ones this time plied the river back and forth all day carrying locals and tourists alike. I myself took the boat many times at the stop closest to the building. I was living as a local this time and it was a good experience.\nGeographically, this was the same Chao Phraya River in Thailand. However, time had brought about many changes in me and my outlook as well. I was glad to see the progress that had been made since my first visit on the river. Many of the dwellings were newer and the boats were bigger. I was just happy to be there and \u0026ldquo;live\u0026rdquo; like a local. It was a time to soak up the experiences and not spend my time capturing photos to show to my friends and family. Changes do take place all the time and I was reminded of that by my experiences there and this saying: \u0026ldquo;You cannot step into the same river twice.\u0026rdquo; ~Heraclitus, in Diogenes Laertius, Lives\n","permalink":"/posts/chao-phraya-river/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_192\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Chao Phraya River - Thailand\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Chao-phraya-river/i-JxLMw4n/0/MWDdG6cWvDbGbMNNhbwWt6Bxwx27Lm43rd49ZRzpX/D/Chao-Phraya-River-Thailand-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Chao-Phraya-River-Thailand-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Chao Phraya River - Thailand\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy first visit to the Chao Phraya River in Thailand was thirty-two years ago and was amazing.  My second visit was thirty years later and was a different experience. The photos in this collage were taken on my first visit to Thailand.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe passed this river many times as we were taken around to visit many of the popular sites.  It runs through Bangkok.  The city itself is fascinating and I observed the Thai people to be very hard-working and very good cooks.  I loved Thai cooking from that visit even when it wasn\u0026rsquo;t a popular cuisine in the Western world as it has become now.  We visited Wat Arun and the Grand Palace which are architecturally very beautiful.  As with most conducted tours, we stayed in fine hotels and were shown everything that was fine of the Thai way of life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chao Phraya River"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_182\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Swan Lake\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nLife is full of surprises! I had an unexpected call last Tuesday night and was told that a surprise was in store for me on the Wednesday evening - a Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day surprise. Needless to say, I was delighted. The surprise was an evening at the ballet to see \u0026ldquo;Swan Lake\u0026rdquo; performed by the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet. The giver of this wonderful surprise was my son who shared this magical evening with me. This is what inspired me to do this collage.\nBolshoi means \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; in Russian. In more than one way, this was a big evening for me. I was mesmerized by the graceful dancers and their skill, the beautiful costumes, and the way in which they brought the \u0026ldquo;Swan Lake\u0026rdquo; story to life. I could see right before my very eyes that the choreographer had done a good job.\n“A ballet may contain a story, but the visual spectacle, not the story, is the essential element. The choreographer and the dancer must remember that they reach the audience through the eye – and the audience, in its turn, must train itself actually to see what is performed upon the stage. It is the illusion created which convinces the audience, much as it is with the work of a magician. If the illusion fails the ballet fails, no matter how well a program note tells the audience that it has succeeded.”\nAs I enjoyed the wonderful spectacle unfolding before my eyes, there was another layer of thoughts and feelings taking place within me. This was in relation to the dance of life and the steps in the dance that we had danced together for the choice of a ballet performance for our evening out together. This was a different kind of magic for me. Many seemingly ordinary occurences to a younger person affect an older person in quite a different way.\nAs with the ballet dancers, there were simple steps and difficult steps along the way, some movements were fast and some were slow. The music was constantly changing and the dances too. There was the question of leading and following and whether the performance would be solo or a partnership. All the elements of the dance were there. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t only the ballet, but the tango, the waltz, the meringue, and other styles of dance as well.\nThe dance of life continues and there are other steps to take and learn along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of \u0026ldquo;Swan Lake\u0026rdquo; and my Late Bloomer heart was filled with joy. Hope you enjoy this collage and here\u0026rsquo;s something for you to think about: \u0026ldquo;Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.\u0026rdquo; - Don Miguel Ruiz\n~ George Ballanchine, 1945, \u0026ldquo;Notes on Choreography.\u0026rdquo;\n","permalink":"/posts/swan-lake/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_182\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Swan Lake\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Swan-lake/i-WkXcxnM/0/L9Hz7JGKgv3Pg6FFHB2FPc5hG684CDG98rQwSbQr2/D/Swan-Lake-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Swan-Lake-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Swan Lake\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife is full of surprises!  I had an unexpected call last Tuesday night and was told that a surprise was in store for me on the Wednesday evening - a Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day surprise.  Needless to say, I was delighted.  The surprise was an evening at the ballet to see \u0026ldquo;Swan Lake\u0026rdquo; performed by the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet.  The giver of this wonderful surprise was my son who shared this magical evening with me.  This is what inspired me to do this collage.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Swan Lake"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_173\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;- Friends the Mitra\u0026quot;][/caption]\nThe picture \u0026ldquo;Friends the Mitra\u0026rdquo; caught my attention at an Art Exhibition that I attended two weeks ago. I love the picture and also the name because my youngest brother\u0026rsquo;s name is Mitra.\nThe artist is Shital Christy whose country of origin is India. I asked to take this photo and for an explanation of the reason for the name. She said that when the idea for the painting came to her, she was thinking of friends and their life-long bonding. The village ladies are fetching water from the well but they share their thoughts, problems, happiness, and their daily routines with each other as they fetch water. This daily routine creates a bond between them. She also told me that the name Mitra in Sanskrit means \u0026ldquo;friend.\u0026rdquo;\nFurther research on this name came up with the following:\nThe names Mitra, Mithra and Mithras all derive from the Indo-European root \u0026ldquo;Mihr,\u0026rdquo; which translates both as \u0026ldquo;friend\u0026rdquo; and as \u0026ldquo;contract.\u0026rdquo; While both translations are correct, however, neither gives a full account of the word. \u0026ldquo;Mihr\u0026rdquo; itself derives from \u0026ldquo;mei,\u0026rdquo; an Indo-European root meaning \u0026ldquo;exchange.\u0026rdquo; But Aryan society did not use the word \u0026ldquo;exchange\u0026rdquo; to describe a transaction.\nAncient societies were hierarchical. Neither the concept of an exchange between equals after which a relationship ended (our meaning of contract), nor the concept of an open-ended exchange between equals (our meaning of friendship) were contained in the original meaning of the word \u0026ldquo;Mihr\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Mei.\u0026rdquo; (For our concept of friendship, the Rg Veda uses the word \u0026ldquo;sakhi.\u0026rdquo;) The friendship or contract offered by Mihr, or Mitra as he became known, was an exchange between unequal partners with Mitra as a just lord. Like any feudal relationship, this \u0026ldquo;friendship\u0026rdquo; imposed certain obligations on both sides. Mitra oversaw the affairs of his worshippers. He established justice for them. In return, his worshippers had to be upright in their dealings with others. Mitra was thus \u0026ldquo;lord of the contract\u0026rdquo; (a title frequently applied to him)\u0026hellip;\nIt\u0026rsquo;s very interesting to find out about this name since my brother, Mitra and I, are good friends. The other photos in this collage were taken by me in Little India because I saw that the women in \u0026ldquo;Friends the Mitra\u0026rdquo; were wearing jewelry. I\u0026rsquo;m grateful to the artist for doing this picture and giving it this name. It has given me the opportunity to appreciate both the painting and the name \u0026ldquo;Mitra.\u0026rdquo; Enjoy \u0026ldquo;Friends the Mitra.\u0026rdquo;\nBibliography and additional reading:\nMitra, Mithra, Mithras Mystery\n","permalink":"/posts/friend-the-mitra/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_173\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;- Friends the Mitra\u0026quot;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Friend-the-mitra/i-GZHTSn5/0/LSWVkJLTWgQ8s2DHcsrLntPWFDGPhTH9mJv9pVMZf/D/Mitra-means-Friend-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Mitra-means-Friend-1024x586.jpg\" title=\"Mitra means Friend\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe picture \u0026ldquo;Friends the Mitra\u0026rdquo; caught my attention at an Art Exhibition that I attended two weeks ago.  I love the picture and also the name because my youngest brother\u0026rsquo;s name is Mitra.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artist is Shital Christy whose country of origin is India.  I asked to take this photo and for an explanation of the reason for the name.  She said that when the idea for the painting came to her, she was thinking of friends and their life-long bonding.  The village ladies are fetching water from the well but they share their thoughts, problems, happiness, and their daily routines with each other as they fetch water.  This daily routine creates a bond between them. She also told me that the name Mitra in Sanskrit means \u0026ldquo;friend.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Friends the Mitra"},{"content":"\nThis collage is for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day. We all come into this world via the womb of our mothers. Whether we love them or hate them, they remain our mothers. The most well-known image of any Mother and Child is the one of Mary holding the baby Jesus. You don\u0026rsquo;t have to be Christian to have seen this one. The image of Mary and Jesus in this collage was done as part of a bigger mosaic for my son\u0026rsquo;s birthday. The pieces here are stained glass. I used pearls around Mary\u0026rsquo;s face and there is another piece of my jewelry by her neck. I don\u0026rsquo;t know why I undertook such a big project, other than to say, I did it out of love. The hands and feet of the little people in the other images are friends of mine. We all want to make sure that our babies have five fingers and five toes when they are born.\nSetting aside a special day to celebrate mothers is a good idea. I\u0026rsquo;m all for this. At this stage of my life though, it is occuring to me that as mothers, we are still ordinary human beings. We made mistakes and are making mistakes throughout our lives. Just as our children are having their own growing experiences, we are having ours too. While we ourselves were learning and growing, we may or may not have been the role models our children needed. Right up to the moment of death, we are going through our own processes. It\u0026rsquo;s good for children to respect and appreciate their mothers for who they are and not for who they would like them to be. We care for our children in one way while they are small and when they grow up, we have different concerns for them.\nThe image of the \u0026ldquo;Madonna and Child\u0026rdquo; is a beautiful one and Mary was \u0026ldquo;My Lady.\u0026rdquo; That is what Madonna means in Italian. On this Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day, ordinary mothers don\u0026rsquo;t want any idol worship.\nWe have all changed diapers, washed little hands and feet, sang lullabies, and done all the myriad kinds of jobs that only mothers can do. Young mothers are still doing these things and older mothers are doing other things. In \u0026ldquo;The gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother\u0026rsquo;s Memoirs,\u0026rdquo; motherhood is described aptly:\nThose incredibly full to bursting days of young parents and young children, the days that some days you thought would never end eventually do. And then you are sad.\n\u0026ldquo;It is of course, a universal drama- children grow up, they leave home, clocks tick in empty bedrooms, and untouched gallons of milk turn sour in the fridge because no one\u0026rsquo;s there to drink them\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\nYou miss the person you had been, the very busy mom full of schedules, carpools, school events and suddenly one day your children are grown and you are done. \u0026ldquo;I missed the person I had been for them too, the younger, more capable mother who read aloud for hours, stuck raisin eyes into bear-shaped pancakes, created knight\u0026rsquo;s amour from cardboard and duct tape. Certainly my talents didn\u0026rsquo;t seem quite so impressive anymore, my company not as desirable as it once had been.\nBabies are born, they grow up, and mothers grow old. Life treats us all differently. Some mothers are still in the family home and others are in senior apartments or nursing homes. Some are healthy and some are sick. Some see their children and some don\u0026rsquo;t. They are still mothers though.\nI\u0026rsquo;m happy though to say and to see that many mothers in this day and age carve out \u0026ldquo;late blooms\u0026rdquo; for themselves. They get over the stage where they feel that the empty nest has left them empty - and they get on with new lives and new growth whatever their age. This makes their children happy. Hope you like the \u0026ldquo;Mother and Child\u0026rdquo; collages. Happy Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day!\nReference\nThe Gift of an Ordinary day: A Mother\u0026rsquo;s Memoir (Amazon Review)\n","permalink":"/posts/mother-and-child/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2CF9CB1A-A864-4C13-97BB-A5FB24FF2518.tiff\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2CF9CB1A-A864-4C13-97BB-A5FB24FF2518.tiff\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collage is for Mother\u0026rsquo;s Day.  We all come into this world via the womb of our mothers.  Whether we love them or hate them, they remain our mothers.  The most well-known image of any Mother and Child is the one of Mary holding the baby Jesus.  You don\u0026rsquo;t have to be Christian to have seen this one.  The image of Mary and Jesus in this collage was done as part of a bigger mosaic for my son\u0026rsquo;s birthday.  The pieces here are stained glass.  I used pearls around Mary\u0026rsquo;s face and there is another piece of my jewelry by her neck.  I don\u0026rsquo;t know why I undertook such a big project, other than to say, I did it out of love. The hands and feet of the little people in the other images are friends of mine. We all want to make sure that our babies have five fingers and five toes when they are born.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Mother and Child"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_158\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;- Tea and China\u0026quot;][/caption]\nLegend has it that I was a great tea drinker since I was a little girl. An older cousin told me that my grandfather had a little cup and saucer for me and whenever I went to visit, he would make tea for me. To this day, I love tea.\nMy friends recently came back from China after a visit to show off their new Canadian born baby to parents and grandparents. I received a call on Tuesday asking if they could drop by as they brought something from China for me. In this pretty gift bag was a beautiful red and gold container with tea. They told me that this was one of the finest teas and it was a red variety.\nI love my friends so much for thinking of me and bringing this present back with them. Although I don\u0026rsquo;t like anything better than sitting with a good cup of tea, this tea is more special to me than any other tea because it represents their love and care for me. At this time of life, these things mean a lot to me.\nThe botanical name for tea is \u0026ldquo;Camellia sinensis.\u0026rdquo; We often think of the British as the great tea drinkers and with their \u0026ldquo;high teas\u0026rdquo; and fine chinaware, we tend to forget that we owe China a debt of gratitude for this fine brew. I borrowed a book from the library yesterday which tells the story of how Robert Fortune from Britain obtained botanical samples in China and shipped them back to the British East India Company in India and also to England. It makes for very good reading and is called \u0026ldquo;For All the Tea in China.\u0026rdquo; The author is Sarah Rose.\nI also found this review on Amazon:\nIf ever there was a book to read in the company of a nice cuppa, this is it.\u0026quot; -The Washington Post\nIn the dramatic story of one of the greatest acts of corporate espionage ever committed, Sarah Rose recounts the fascinating, unlikely circumstances surrounding a turning point in economic history. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the British East India Company faced the loss of its monopoly on the fantastically lucrative tea trade with China, forcing it to make the drastic decision of sending Scottish botanist Robert Fortune to steal the crop from deep within China and bring it back to British plantations in India. Fortune\u0026rsquo;s danger-filled odyssey, magnificently recounted here, reads like adventure fiction, revealing a long-forgotten chapter of the past and the wondrous origins of a seemingly ordinary beverage.\nThis collage was inspired by this lovely and thoughtful gift of Chinese tea from these special friends. This Late Bloomer is going to have a \u0026ldquo;cuppa\u0026rdquo; tea now. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it nice that tea is good for everyone - Late Bloomers and Early Bloomers alike?\n","permalink":"/posts/from-china-with-love/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_158\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;- Tea and China\u0026quot;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/From-china-with-love/i-ZHrMbdM/0/NXpmtv6RLMzmmfVRgTBBN2qcXHT9n6t6tNNdN8hxF/D/From-China-with-Love1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/From-China-with-Love1-300x174.jpg\" title=\"From China with Love\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLegend has it that I was a great tea drinker since I was a little girl.  An older cousin told me that my grandfather had a little cup and saucer for me and whenever I went to visit, he would make tea for me.  To this day, I love tea.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy friends recently came back from China after a visit to show off their new Canadian born baby to parents and grandparents.  I received a call on Tuesday asking if they could drop by as they brought something from China for me.  In this pretty gift bag was a beautiful red and gold container with tea.  They told me that this was one of the finest teas and it was a red variety.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"From China with Love"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_146\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;- Angels in Art\u0026quot;][/caption]\nIt\u0026rsquo;s cherry pink and apple blossom time in Toronto. Last Sunday, I went to an Art Exhibition at which my watermelon carver friend was an exhibitor. She exhibited her photography. As I went towards the building that housed the Exhibition, I was enthralled by the garden there. I had seen the cherry blossoms in High Park two weeks ago They were magnificent. However, I was captivated by the colour of the bough hanging before me laden with bright fuschia coloured blossoms. After enjoying its beauty with the naked eye, I took this photo.\nAfter seeing the Exhibition Art in a variety of styles and mediums, I was inspired to make this collage. The idea came to me that since some of the sky was revealed, I could use my angels there. Why angels? I have always been fascinated by pictures of angels. When I visited Rome and wanted to bring some souvenirs back, I bought some prints. One of them has nothing but angels. The angels in the middle of this collage were photographed from this print. The two angels on the extreme left and right were made by me using stained glass.\nAngels have a long history and have been part of the mythological stories of Christians, Jews, and Muslims, as well as other groups. Here is some interesting information I found about angels:\nA common description sometimes given of angels is that they are \u0026ldquo;beings of light,\u0026rdquo; which are sometimes described as \u0026ldquo;fearful to behold\u0026rdquo; due to their tall stature, purity, and sheer power. Some will also describe angels as having wings and maybe even halos. Yet, the western idea of wings and halos originated through ancient religions and mythology. Images of angels looking like human beings, but with wings, were an ancient idea that illustrated benevolent spirit beings as coming from a \u0026ldquo;higher place\u0026rdquo; or the \u0026ldquo;heavens.\u0026rdquo; Wings were an easy way to convey the idea of angels crossing back and forth (or even up and down) from the spirit world to Earth and then back again. Many ancient gods were often depicted as birds or as having wings (think Egyptian, for example). By the fourth century (AD), angels were widely perceived as having wings within western cultures, while wings were virtually non-existent within the Eastern religions. Many ancient cultures had placed wings upon their deities, creatures and heroes, so it was natural for Christian artists to look to pagan cultures for inspiration. Christian artisans were inspired to add wings to angels by looking at Greek art. Muslim artists looked to Persian renderings as their inspiration for wings upon angels. During this same time, Christian painters also borrowed the idea of the halo from the Greeks and Romans who had used them prior. Today, most people with common sense can easily recognize that angels with wings and halos were an addition into religious art after much debate and eventual approval by the Roman Council of Nicaea after 325 AD..\nIf you\u0026rsquo;ve met angels with wings, you\u0026rsquo;re luckier than me. My own personal experience with angels is that they don\u0026rsquo;t have wings. Wherever special protection is given or kind deeds are done for me, this has come by way of human beings with kind hearts and hands. Angels in art though, that\u0026rsquo;s another thing! I love them - wings and all. Hope all you early bloomers and late bloomers enjoy \u0026ldquo;Cherry Blossom Angels.\u0026rdquo;\nBiblography and additional reading:\nHistory of Angels\n","permalink":"/posts/cherry-blossom-angels/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_146\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026quot;- Angels in Art\u0026quot;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Cherry-blossom-angels/i-hjVFkxm/0/KKqHWkG4V9gP8MBNNhjP2q4jRC8cQXQm4NWTKcvz9/D/Cherry-Blossom-Angels-for-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cherry-Blossom-Angels-for-blog-300x178.jpg\" title=\"Cherry Blossom Angels \"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s cherry pink and apple blossom time in Toronto. Last Sunday, I went to an Art Exhibition at which my watermelon carver friend was an exhibitor.  She exhibited her photography.  As I went towards the building that housed the Exhibition, I was enthralled by the garden there.  I had seen the cherry blossoms in High Park two weeks ago  They were magnificent.  However, I was captivated by the colour of the bough hanging before me laden with bright fuschia coloured blossoms.  After enjoying its beauty with the naked eye, I took this photo.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cherry Blossom Angels"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_127\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Chaos\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nThe unexpected happens - that\u0026rsquo;s just the way life is. This is true even for photo collaging. Chaotic sequences take place. In the process of making a collage, it is usual to have some sort of idea or theme initially for the photos you select and want to present. You then play around with these until you achieve the desired effect that you want.\nThrough some error on my part in the initial process of photo selection for this collage, when I selected what I thought was one image and brought it into window, all the images from the folder came in and this is the result. That is why it is called \u0026ldquo;Chaos.\u0026rdquo; Almost at the same time, a thought came to me about something I had read on Chaos Theory. Although many books have passed through my hands during my working years, I can\u0026rsquo;t pretend to have read them all but some things come to mind from time to time.\n\u0026ldquo;Chaos Theory (CT) is a complex discussion that touches on many aspects, including mathematics, physics, and philosophy. In essence, CT states that small, seemingly insignificant changes that happen to initial conditions produce drastic swings in outcomes that could not have been predicted. In simple terms, something goes awry and what happens as a result is not what you would have expected. This can happen through small rounding errors or as stated in the butterfly effect and explains how something seemingly simple can quickly develop into something increasingly complex, regardless of original intentions.\u0026rdquo; (Wikipedia)\nWhy Chaos Theory came to mind, I don\u0026rsquo;t know. My initial reaction to all the images coming in was dismay but when I played around with them, I started to like what I saw a lot more.\nIn every human life, things do go awry. We find ourselves in chaotic circumstances, some of which may have resulted from mistakes we have made and some we have no control over. I have learnt that we don\u0026rsquo;t have as much control as we often think we have. My wish for you here is that you have good outcomes in all your endeavours. Hope you enjoy my \u0026ldquo;Chaos\u0026rdquo; collage as much as I do.\n","permalink":"/posts/chaos-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_127\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Chaos\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Chaos-2/i-VjVjX4k/0/NhjgN539cpnkGcNx5McK3rC53FFDh4kzKCfMmzzdP/D/Chaos-collage-for-blog1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Chaos-collage-for-blog1-300x179.jpg\" title=\"Chaos\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unexpected happens - that\u0026rsquo;s just the way life is.  This is true even for photo collaging.  Chaotic sequences take place.  In the process of making a collage, it is usual to have some sort of idea or theme initially for the photos you select and want to present.  You then play around with these until you achieve the desired effect that you want.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough some error on my part in the initial process of  photo selection for this collage, when I selected what I thought was one image and brought it into window, all the images from the folder came in and this is the result.  That is why it is called \u0026ldquo;Chaos.\u0026rdquo; Almost at the same time, a thought came to me about something I had read on Chaos Theory.  Although many books have passed through my hands during my working years, I can\u0026rsquo;t pretend to have read them all but some things come to mind from time to time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Chaos"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf. I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough shaggy bark of a pine.\u0026rdquo; ~ Helen Keller\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_116\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Hands of Time[/caption]\nThumbs up for \u0026ldquo;old hands\u0026rdquo; literally and figuratively. The hands in this collage are the hands of women in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. As time goes by, I\u0026rsquo;m fascinated with my own hands and how they have served me over the years. My own hands are in this collage as well as the hands of some wonderful other women I know.\nThese hands span many countries. There are Canadian, Austrian, German, East Indian, West Indian, and South American hands here. There are mother and grandmother hands here. These hands have worked in schools, libraries, travel agencies, factories, offices, stores, hospitals, and many other places.. There are immigrant hands here, All these hands have rocked cradles, cooked meals, and given care inside and outside the home to a large assortment of people.\nAll these hands were once newborn hands and now they are marked by wrinkles. They are still very beautiful and useful. We can celebrate our hands and look at them with love and gratitude for all they have meant to us and mean to us now. I love my hands like I have never loved them in my whole life. I look in awe at the hands and the lives of the friends who have graciously shared their hands for this collage.\nHere is some information on hands that I found on the internet:\nFrom brushing our teeth first thing in the morning to turning off the bedside lamp last thing at night, the human hand—all would agree—is indispensable, not just for everything we do but for those artifacts with which we do them. Every single drop of human culture, from the stunning paintings in the Chauvet caves of thirty thousand years ago to my writing these words, via every dwelling, temple and cathedral ever built, every piece of jewellery that adorned the human body, every musical instrument to have plucked the human soul, was created by the human hand. And we have the hand, too, to thank for our history, for without it our past would have just slipped away unrecorded into the dark abyss of time.\nHope you take good care of your hands and enjoy and appreciate them every day. This Late Bloomer is now reflecting on just how much I appreciate my hands and those of the people around me.\n“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” ~ Audrey Hepburn Reference: The Hand\n","permalink":"/posts/hands-of-time/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.  I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough shaggy bark of a pine.\u0026rdquo;  ~ Helen Keller\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_116\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Hands-of-time/i-PGrQNfJ/0/MKXtvb9jng8khSfTCV9pGt3SvMgZtW7jmCXZZq4jg/D/Old-Hands1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Old-Hands1-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"Hands of Time\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Hands of Time[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThumbs up for \u0026ldquo;old hands\u0026rdquo; literally and figuratively.  The hands in this collage are the hands of women in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. As time goes by, I\u0026rsquo;m fascinated with my own hands and how they have served me over the years.  My own hands are in this collage as well as the hands of some wonderful other women I know.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hands of Time"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_105\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Busyness[/caption]\n“You are not too old and it is not too late to dive into your depths where life calmly gives out its own secret” ~Rilke\nThe photos in this collage were images that I liked when I took them and had no idea that I would use them this way. While I was actually putting them together in a way that would be aesthetically pleasing to me, I reflected on the question of time. Time was always something that I never seemed to have enough of. It always flew. Busyness was my whole life, day in and day out.. I wondered often when there might be some time for other pursuits. Many other women I know have felt the same way.\nWell, at long last the time has come. As I put my photos together and manipulate them in different ways, I\u0026rsquo;m grateful for the time to do something fun for myself. When I take out my paint, markers, and paper, with the idea of making something new, I move into a different space completely. I spend hours at these different activities. Creative activity takes time. Senior Citizens come to a point in life where (if they live long enough) there is some time to be reflective and creative.\nThe Greeks had two words for time: Kronos and Kairos. Kronos was clock time or busy time and Kairos was quiet time or God\u0026rsquo;s time. It\u0026rsquo;s a great opportunity to have this kind of time. Many people ask older people how they pass their time and I have often wondered what they meant by this. Every age and stage of life has its own duties and responsibilities and there\u0026rsquo;s a time for everything. We can\u0026rsquo;t underestimate the fullness and usefulness of this time. We have to be grateful for this time and those not in this stage of life can be sure that the same time is coming for them.\nHere is some information I found on the internet about this time:\n\u0026ldquo;As usual, the Greeks were ahead of us in thinking and speaking about such conundrums. Where we use one word to describe a whole range of things, they had the good sense to use different words to mark distinctions in reality and in experience. For example, they had three different words for the experience of love — eros for possessive love, philia for friendly love, and agape for sacrificial love. Not surprisingly, the Greeks had two words for marking the differences between the experiences of time — kronos and kairos.\nKronos (or cronos in the English spelling, from which we take our word chronology) is sequential time. Kronos is the time of clocks and calendars; it can be quantified and measured. Kronos is linear, moving inexorably out of the determinate past toward the determined future, and has no freedom. Kairos is numinous time. Kairos is a time of festivals and fantasies; it cannot be controlled or possessed. Kairos is circular, dancing back and forth, here and there, without beginning or ending, and knows no boundaries.\u0026rdquo;\nHope you like the collage that came out of this time. Enjoy all of your time!\nBibliography and additional reading:\nKronos and Kairos Time\n","permalink":"/posts/busyness/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_105\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Busyness/i-SsdS7T6/0/LQ5WXjpZZ82ptMbwrTx7XBvHrvHCx7gQ6FkG662Zm/D/Photo-Collage-Artwork-1-Stamps1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Photo-Collage-Artwork-1-Stamps1-300x176.jpg\" title=\"Photo Collage Artwork 1 (Stamps)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Busyness[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are not too old and it is not too late to dive into your depths where life calmly gives out its own secret” ~Rilke\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe photos in this collage were images that I liked when I took them and had no idea  that I would use them this way.  While I was actually putting them together in a way that would be aesthetically pleasing to me, I reflected on the question of time.  Time was always something that I never seemed to have enough of.  It always flew.  Busyness was my whole life, day in and day out..  I wondered often when there might be some time for other pursuits.  Many other women I know have felt the same way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Busyness"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_96\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Everyone irregardless of age loves surprises. Last Sunday night I received the most wonderful surprise - a carved watermelon. This lovely lady had done some beautiful fruit carvings for my 60th Birthday. She acquired this special skill in Thailand where she attended a month-long course.[/caption]\nWe can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder\nAs you can see from the \u0026ldquo;Watermelon Surprise\u0026rdquo; collage, this was a beautiful gift. I was overjoyed. I love eating watermelon during the Summer time and although it\u0026rsquo;s still Spring, a signal went off in my brain that Summer had indeed arrived. I was struck by this work of art before me and rushed to capture its beauty. I photographed it by itself and with other fruit and in all the different ways that I could think of. You can also see from the collage that it was cut, served, eaten, and enjoyed. There is a history behind this art and since my friend learned this art in Thailand, I wanted to know the background behind it.\nThe story of fruit and vegetable carving begins about 700 years ago in Sukothai, the capital of the Tai people, in what is now the north of central Thailand. Sukothai was the capital of the region from 1240 - 1350. In preparation for one of their major festivals, Loi Kratong, one of the King’s servants, called Nang Noppamart, tried to think how she could make her Kratong more beautiful, in order to please the king. She took a flower and used it as a pattern to carve from. She then carved a bird and set it with its head pointing towards the flower. Loi Kratong is still celebrated today and Sukothai is one of the best places in Thailand to experience it.\nTo learn fruit carving in the place where it all started is quite amazing. However, apart from the watermelon itself and how beautifully it was carved, it represented much more to me. I was struck by the thoughtfulness and generosity of this person. It takes time and a very kind and loving heart to give a gift like this. This was no ordinary watermelon.\nI was overcome with gratitude in my own heart to be the recipient of this and grateful for the other person. Sometimes we meet mean and unkind people on our journey through life and become cynical and jaded. This act of kindness touched my heart and I was reminded of what Mother Teresa said: \u0026ldquo;We can\u0026rsquo;t all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.\u0026rdquo;\nThis was no small thing to this Late Bloomer\u0026rsquo;s heart. As I get older, I realize that the real \u0026ldquo;treasures\u0026rdquo; in my life are acts, words, and deeds of kindness shown to me. Enjoy all your watermelons and another tidbit about this wonderful art below.\nFruit and vegetable carving is also mentioned in the poetry of King Rama 2 who reigned from 1808-1824. He wrote about the beauty of Thai desserts and fruit and vegetable carving. After the revolution in 1932 fruit and vegetable carving became less popular. Those worried about the art disappearing set up a course to train people to teach the art to everyone in Thailand. Today it is taught from the age of 11 in primary schools through secondary school and on to university where it is an optional subject. The art is now being passed to foreign people and is being practised around the world. It is particularly popular with chefs who use it to improve the presentation of their food.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1677\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] These images were taken at a fruit-carving demonstration in Toronto at the Street Festival called \u0026ldquo;Taste of Thailand.\u0026rdquo;\n(Collage added to post 08/02/2014)[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/watermelon-surprise/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_96\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Watermelon-surprise/i-wJB3kJ5/0/L79QHrzBsT9WrKKcmhG9Pz2NfW2SnwpZZ4scmHGBk/D/watermelon-surprise-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/watermelon-surprise-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"watermelon surprise\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Everyone irregardless of age loves surprises.  Last Sunday night I received the most wonderful surprise - a carved watermelon.  This lovely lady had done some beautiful fruit carvings for my 60th Birthday.  She acquired this special skill in Thailand where she attended a month-long course.[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Watermelon Surprise"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_65\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Nirvana[/caption]\nThis collage is called Nirvana because if you look carefully, you can see a little Buddha head there.\nAfter a visit to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Thailand three years ago, my interest in Buddhism was peaked. Although I had visited Hong Kong and Thailand before, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t witnessed so many images and statues of the Buddha, as on this visit. In these cultures, there are many followers of Buddha. In addition, Buddhism is very popular now in all parts of the world.\nAmong all peoples, throughout the world, preoccupation with death and dying is part of our experience as we live this life. Some people believe in heaven and some in reincarnation, among other alternatives. \u0026ldquo;Buddha accepted the basic Hindu doctrines of reincarnation and karma, as well as the notion that the ultimate goal of the religious life is to escape the cycle of death and rebirth. Buddha asserted that what keeps us bound to the death/rebirth process is desire, desire in the sense of wanting or craving anything in the world.\u0026rdquo;\nWe all want to be liberated or free - not just in the afterlife, but right here and now. Yet right here and now, we have so many cravings. Nirvana is actually a Pali word meaning to extinguish a flame. When I think of flames and fire, I often think of the early teachings I heard about hell-fire. The good news is that this is metaphorical and the flame we are really trying to put out is our preoccupation with the ego (false self).\nMy interest in Buddhism has brought me to the understanding that Nirvana is not a place to go after death but is a way of being right here through the cultivation of compassion. Four tenets of this way are: love, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.\nWhat impresses me most about Buddhism is that the Buddha did not want people to worship him. He said, \u0026ldquo;Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.\u0026rdquo;\nFrom my own life experience, I can say that I believed in the teaching about heaven and hell, good vs. bad, and other dualities that confused me and still cause me to suffer now. The Buddha talks about suffering as a reality of life. I realize that the craving for things that I neither need nor want takes me far away from any state of Nirvana. People-pleasing also is something that brings us away from who we really are deep inside. Too often \u0026ldquo;we create a self-image to adapt to the circumstances around us trying to be included and accepted by the people we have to deal with.\u0026rdquo;\nMy little Buddha head is a constant reminder to me that \u0026ldquo;Nirvana\u0026rdquo; is within my reach right here and now if I can only extinguish the flame of \u0026ldquo;I.\u0026rdquo; If there are going to be any blooms here, they are certainly going to be \u0026quot; late blooms.\u0026quot;\nIt\u0026rsquo;s nice learning something about the beliefs and ways of being of others in the world around us. It can be an important catalyst for change in our own lives.\n","permalink":"/posts/nirvana/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_65\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Nirvana/i-djK62fX/0/KVcvKLgGw7LkKhtZjxgsPg8PsNwDF6XFmzCznpHzG/D/2012-01-192-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2012-01-192-300x240.jpg\" title=\"Nirvana\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Nirvana[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collage is called Nirvana because if you look carefully, you can see a little Buddha head there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a visit to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Thailand three years ago, my interest in Buddhism was peaked.  Although I had visited Hong Kong and Thailand before, I hadn\u0026rsquo;t witnessed so many images and statues of the Buddha, as on this visit. In these cultures, there are many followers of Buddha.  In addition,  Buddhism is very popular now in all parts of the world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nirvana"},{"content":"I took the photos for this collage in Little India, Toronto. My friend and I go there to have a thali and to look around from time to time. There are fascinating finds in the stores there. One of my favorite stores is the one with a variety of artifacts and pictures. I liked this picture and didn\u0026rsquo;t know who the two lovely people were. I mentioned to my friend what a lovely picture this was and she said: \u0026ldquo;Krishna and Radha.\u0026rdquo; I decided to find out more about this couple and discovered that this is one of the epic stories within the Indian culture. I made each photo look different and the effects are pleasing to me. Enjoy! The great exponent of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is one of the most powerful incarnations of Vishnu, the Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities. Of all the Vishnu avataras he is the most popular, and perhaps of all Hindu gods the one closest to the heart of the masses. Krishna was dark and extremely handsome. The word Krishna literally means \u0026lsquo;black\u0026rsquo;, and black also connotes mysteriousness. Although I haven\u0026rsquo;t read the Bhagavad Gita, this reference to the Hindu Trinity brought to mind the Holy Trinity in Christianity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It makes me think that all wisdom traditions have similar stories and we can learn from each other.\nThe Importance of Being Krishna For generations, Krishna has been an enigma to some, but God to millions, who go ecstatic even as they hear his name. People consider Krishna their leader, hero, protector, philosopher, teacher and friend all rolled into one. Krishna has influenced the Indian thought, life and culture in myriad ways. He has influenced not only its religion and philosophy, but also into its mysticism and literature, painting and sculpture, dance and music, and all aspects of Indian folklore. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to see the kind of \u0026ldquo;aura\u0026rdquo; that Krishna emanates and why he is so prominent in Indian Mythology.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1412\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo; caption=\u0026ldquo;Krishna \u0026amp; Radha Vignette\u0026rdquo;][/caption]\nLooking at the picture of Krishna and Radha makes one very aware of why they influenced all aspects of Indian life and culture. During his life, Krishna met Radha and they fell in love with each other. Krishna had a motive behind his life i.e. to kill Kansa and to fulfill this mission; he had to face many problems. But, Radha with her intense affection and steady devotion helped Krishna to overcome the problems.\nWe all love stories about love and falling in love. This reminds me again of other wisdom traditions and their stories. The individual and collective myths and stories that have been handed down to us may after all be more similar than dissimilar. We can see a little bit of ourselves, perhaps, in many of these stories. Here\u0026rsquo;s a great quote on Hindu Myths:\n“As the Hindu gods are \u0026lsquo;immortal\u0026rsquo; only in a very particular sense - for they had born and they die - they experience most of the great human dilemmas and often seem to differ from mortals in a few trivial details\u0026hellip; and from demons even less. Yet they are regarded by the Hindus as a class of beings by definition totally different from any other; they are symbols in a way that no human being, however \u0026lsquo;archetypal\u0026rsquo; his life story, can ever be. They are actors playing parts that are real only for us; they are masks behind which we see our own faces.” ― Wendy Doniger O\u0026rsquo;Flaherty, Hindu Myths\nThis quote leaves us with much room for thought and may even inspire us to dig a little deeper into Indian Mythology.\n","permalink":"/posts/indian-mythology/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI took the photos for this collage in Little India, Toronto.  My friend and I go there to have a thali and to look around from time to time.  There are fascinating finds in the stores there. One of my favorite stores is the one with a variety of artifacts and pictures.  I liked this picture and didn\u0026rsquo;t know who the two lovely people were. I mentioned to my friend what a lovely picture this was and she said: \u0026ldquo;Krishna and Radha.\u0026rdquo; I decided to find out more about this couple and discovered that this is one of the epic stories within the Indian culture.  I made each photo look different and the effects are pleasing to me.  Enjoy! \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Indian-mythology/i-PPsdWZM/0/MG48jfqhVDqchFFHv4d87tGn5B7fZMpdMCxs2Np5v/D/Little-India-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Little-India-1024x619.jpg\" title=\"Little India\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Indian-mythology/i-Ptgd7TB/0/MvMd2sDsZVprVc5GXZmmvxScLdLVChLqXJbFzNp23/D/Krishna-Radha-for-Indian-Mythology-blog-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Krishna-Radha-for-Indian-Mythology-blog-1024x605.jpg\" title=\"Krishna \u0026amp; Radha (for Indian Mythology blog)\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe great exponent of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is one of the most powerful incarnations of \u003ca href=\"http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/p/vishnu.htm\"\u003eVishnu\u003c/a\u003e, the Godhead of the Hindu Trinity of deities. Of all the \u003ca href=\"http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/a/10avatars.htm\"\u003eVishnu avataras\u003c/a\u003e he is the most popular, and perhaps of all Hindu gods the one closest to the heart of the masses. Krishna was dark and extremely handsome. The word Krishna literally means \u0026lsquo;black\u0026rsquo;, and black also connotes mysteriousness.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e  Although I haven\u0026rsquo;t read the Bhagavad Gita, this reference to the Hindu Trinity brought to mind the Holy Trinity in Christianity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It makes me think that all wisdom traditions have similar stories and we can learn from each other.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Indian Mythology"},{"content":"Spring comes to us bringing its own magic every year. Nowhere is this more evident than in the earth coming to life and producing a spectacular showcase of colorful, fresh blooms to make our hearts joyful. Spring is truly the Earth\u0026rsquo;s Birthday.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_59\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] To everything there is a Season[/caption]\nAs I went about the garden and neighborhood taking the photos that are in this collage, I was mindful of the seasons that have passed in my own life and of the old verse, \u0026ldquo;To everything there is a season.\u0026rdquo; These kinds of thoughts were remote to me when I was in the springtime of my own life as I\u0026rsquo;m sure they don\u0026rsquo;t come to many people at that time of life. We tend to take life for granted.\nEvery season, however, has its own potential. The potential of this time for me is to savor every new bloom and color as the newborn coming out of the womb must surely be dazzled by the light of day. We accept all the seasons of Nature as they come and go in an endless cycle. So too, we learn to accept the changes taking place in our outward and inward appearance as time goes by - the seasons of our own lives. Hope you enjoy \u0026ldquo;Spring Blossoms.\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;As I accepted the change of the golden hair of my childhood to the reddish-brown hair of my youth without regret, so I also accept my silver hair \u0026ndash; and I am ready to accept the time when my hair and the rest of my clay garment returns to the dust from which it came, while my spirit goes on to freer living. It is the season for my hair to be silver, and each season has its lessons to teach. Each season of life is wonderful if you have learned the lessons of the season before. It is only when you go on with lessons unlearned that you wish for a return.\u0026rdquo;\n(Peace Pilgrim)\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_980\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] Spring Forsythias[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/spring-blossoms/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSpring comes to us bringing its own magic every year. Nowhere is this more evident than in the earth coming to life and producing a spectacular showcase of colorful, fresh blooms to make our hearts joyful. Spring is truly the Earth\u0026rsquo;s Birthday.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_59\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2013/Spring-blossoms/i-sVrCG7M/0/Kj76hkht6bHf94bwwJ6dXswc8GZVkrTkJ778HnfSk/D/Loblaws-and-Allan-Gardens1-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Loblaws-and-Allan-Gardens1-300x168.jpg\" title=\"Spring Blossoms\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e To everything there is a Season[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I went about the garden and neighborhood taking the photos that are in this collage, I was mindful of the seasons that have passed in my own life and of the old verse, \u0026ldquo;To everything there is a season.\u0026rdquo;  These kinds of thoughts were remote to me when I was in the springtime of my own life as I\u0026rsquo;m sure they don\u0026rsquo;t come to many people at that time of life.  We tend to take life for granted.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Spring Blossoms"},{"content":"[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_30\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;] Cali - Unconditional Love[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Until one has loved an animal a part of one\u0026rsquo;s soul remains unawakened.\u0026rdquo; (Anatole France)\nAll pet owners know how these four-footed creatures can worm their way into your heart. Four years ago, I started to have a great longing to have a pet. I thought a puppy would be nice. However, after much thought and deliberation, it became clear to me that walking a dog in winter might not be that easy for me. So it was that Cali was adopted from a family who were not able to keep her anymore.\nWith an adopted cat, one is never sure what one is taking on. Cali is a very scaredy cat. She is one of my \u0026ldquo;late blooms\u0026rdquo; as I never had a pet before. Not only did Cali have to get used to us, we had to get used to her. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t only getting used to looking after her physical needs for water, food, and a clean litter box, but getting to understand what she was like. It was very hard at first - on both sides.\nI had always heard about \u0026ldquo;unconditional love\u0026rdquo; and thought that it was a human trait that existed between parents and their children. On some level, we are always seeking this kind of \u0026ldquo;love\u0026rdquo; in our lives. Never did I imagine that having a pet is where I would really understand what this meant. To love unconditionally is to love someone the way they are. Well, I can\u0026rsquo;t say that I loved Cali the way she was when she came. I wanted to touch her and she ran away. She was very finicky and not the most lovable of cats. However, over time, we have developed a kind of love and understanding for each other where I\u0026rsquo;m not wanting Cali to be other than she is and she seems to be fine with me the way I am.\nShe offers me companionship at all times and when I\u0026rsquo;m out for a few hours and heading back home, I think of her as soon as I exit the subway and start walking towards the house. Unlike dealing with another human being who may be trying to change me to their habits, ideas, likes and dislikes, and so forth, she welcomes me just as I am. We start interacting right away and it is always the most pleasant of exchanges. She has time for me and I have time for her. Having Cali has given me the opportunity to \u0026ldquo;bloom\u0026rdquo; in so many wonderful ways and shows how it\u0026rsquo;s never too late to grow in new ways and understanding of life. Pets have a lot to teach us about \u0026ldquo;unconditional\u0026rdquo; love.\nHope you enjoy the collages!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1455\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Cali On The Porch[/caption]\n","permalink":"/posts/cali-the-calico-cat/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_30\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;300\u0026rdquo;]\u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Cali-the-calico-cat/i-2WCbCcp/0/Lk7vvzz4dP5LvH8DqvxfsgtvmmjVDTrD6S6fn8xKs/D/Cali-sleeping-on-quilt-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cali-sleeping-on-quilt-300x168.jpg\" title=\"\\\\\u0026#34;Cali\\\\\u0026#34; the Calico Cat \"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Cali - Unconditional Love[/caption]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Until one has loved an animal a part of one\u0026rsquo;s soul remains unawakened.\u0026rdquo; (Anatole France)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e             All pet owners know how these four-footed creatures can worm their way into your heart.  Four years ago, I started to have a great longing to have a pet.  I thought a puppy would be nice.  However, after much thought and deliberation, it became clear to me that walking a dog in winter might not be that easy for me.   So it was that Cali was adopted from a family who were not able to keep her anymore.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"\"Cali\" the Calico Cat"},{"content":"If nothing ever changed, there\u0026rsquo;d be no butterflies. (Author Unknown)\nThe photos in these collages were taken at the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls on a recent visit. A beautiful glass-enclosed, tropical setting, heightens the experience of being with these \u0026ldquo;lovely critters.\u0026rdquo; Butterflies are weird little critters. They have taste buds in their feet, which they use to decide if the leaves they land on would make a good home for their children. They have eyes that see in the ultraviolet and infrared, so what we see as a white pansy is actually a multicolored neon “Eat Here!” sign to them. And they have noses on the end of their antennae, which they use to sniff out flowers that are full of nectar. It was fun to be surrounded by over two thousand butterflies. I get this light, airy, whimsical feeling when I see butterflies. Do you? As the kids would say - \u0026ldquo;awesome.\u0026rdquo; Got to thinking when I was there about the many stages of growth (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis) that take place before this wonderful metamorphosis occurs. Nature takes its course with everything. We too go through many stages from birth to adulthood (infancy, childhood, adolescence) and experience many changes along the way. We don\u0026rsquo;t take wings and fly but nature has endowed us with the wonderful ability to change internally as well as externally. We are evolving and growing and having our own \u0026ldquo;metamorphosis\u0026rdquo; as our thinking changes and we become more aware not only of ourselves but of those around us.\nMay we all become as beautiful as butterflies and share our beauty with the world around us. Although the butterfly has a short life span, it\u0026rsquo;s short reign here on earth is beautiful. I have yet to meet someone who doesn\u0026rsquo;t like butterflies.\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_1443\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;584\u0026rdquo;] ~ Colorful Butterflies[/caption]\n\u0026ldquo;Life is like a butterfly – You go through changes before you become something beautiful.\u0026rdquo; (proverbsway.com)\n","permalink":"/posts/metamorphosis/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf nothing ever changed, there\u0026rsquo;d be no butterflies.\u003c/strong\u003e (Author Unknown)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe photos in these collages were taken at the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls on a recent visit.  A beautiful glass-enclosed, tropical setting, heightens the experience of being with these \u0026ldquo;lovely critters.\u0026rdquo;   \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eButterflies are weird little critters. They have taste buds in their feet, which they use to decide if the leaves they land on would make a good home for their children. They have eyes that see in the ultraviolet and infrared, so what we see as a white pansy is actually a multicolored neon “Eat Here!” sign to them. And they have noses on the end of their antennae, which they use to sniff out flowers that are full of nectar.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2012/Metamorphosis/i-MpjZQKt/0/KZswhhVKV7dJKPdsqss7CW27Pp7p3sJCvX2brs2kR/D/Metamorphosis-with-statue-Butterflies-D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Metamorphosis (with statue \u0026amp; Butterflies)\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://jeanjankisamaroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Metamorphosis-with-statue-Butterflies-1024x626.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Metamorphosis"},{"content":"Meet Jean Janki Samaroo Hi, I’m Jean – a lifelong learner, late bloomer, and creative spirit living in Toronto with my wonderful husband and our fluffy, blue-eyed ragdoll cat. At 75, I’m still curious, still creating, and still discovering new ways to connect with the world.\nOver the years, I’ve worn many hats – Library Arts student at Ryerson University, certified TESL/TEFL instructor, editor, writer, photographer, and most recently, collage enthusiast! Whether I’m sharing travel stories, writing about women’s resilience, or snapping a quiet moment through my camera lens, I’m always chasing beauty, meaning, and growth.\nMy writing journey has brought me so much joy. I’ve published several books – Late Blooms: Inspiration for Seniors, the anthology Strong Resilient Women Make History, and a children’s picture book, Making New Friends – all of which have received Firebird Book Awards and are available on Amazon. I also had the honor of co-authoring Mindset Matters with Jack Canfield (yes, Chicken Soup for the Soul Jack!) – released in August 2024. This was also an anthology that became a best-seller on Amazon, and Barnes \u0026amp; Noble, in several categories on the day of its launch.\nI’m passionate about storytelling, especially stories that uplift women’s voices. You’ll find my work on Medium, Simply Woman Magazine, and Brown Girl Diary. And right here on this blog, I share bits of my heart – whether it’s a reflection on aging gracefully, a photo collage from a recent adventure, or a tribute to the strong women who’ve shaped my path. Thanks for stopping by – I hope something here speaks to you.\n","permalink":"/about/","summary":"\u003ch3 id=\"meet-jean-janki-samaroo\"\u003eMeet Jean Janki Samaroo\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHi, I’m Jean – a lifelong learner, late bloomer, and creative spirit living in Toronto with my wonderful husband and our fluffy, blue-eyed ragdoll cat. At 75, I’m still curious, still creating, and still discovering new ways to connect with the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the years, I’ve worn many hats – Library Arts student at Ryerson University, certified TESL/TEFL instructor, editor, writer, photographer, and most recently, collage enthusiast! Whether I’m sharing travel stories, writing about women’s resilience, or snapping a quiet moment through my camera lens, I’m always chasing beauty, meaning, and growth.\u003c/p\u003e","title":""}]