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. ...
](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Remembering-with-poetry/i-kFC3qmf/0/KvNFshFzSrGsHLxnwZ9k3CdKrNLHWkRQXb7XVV383/D/DSC02009-D.jpg) “The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.” ― Czesław Miłosz, The Issa Valley\ Another colouring page finished! What good use could this be put to? This could be used for sharing poetry - my father’s. It’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’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’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. ...
](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Colouring-in-fun/i-229LcCJ/0/KbMsCzMgMG7Sn2h8MXWJQDgZJF7VZWpgvXXrgkh7G/D/Recently-Updated14-D.jpg) 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\ ...
](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Sunset-struck/i-8TJdd85/0/Lv2mZM8PjXbX2nW7wGVbjVbvWXtSsTZBH3VSPwj6T/D/DSC00905-1-D.jpg) “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.” ― George R.R. Martin\ It’s nice to discover new things about oneself. I didn’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’t like to miss. It’s a spectacular light show watching the kaleidoscope of changing colours. I’ve had to run for my camera spontaneously on so many occasions with the feeling that I couldn’t let the moment pass uncaptured. I’m not sunstruck; I’m sunset struck! It’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. ...
](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Mabuhay/i-CtXRKj7/0/Km7S5bbxss9wCtQgR49479kqh4dKqBDw74whXWsR4/D/Recently-Updated5-D.jpg) There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all. - Anonymous\ It was “Mabuhay” time in Toronto at the end of August. The Philippine Independence Day Council’s Mabuhay Philippines Festival was held at David Pecaut Square. It was a very colourful and beautiful event which I enjoyed immensely. I didn’t know what the word mabuhay meant so I decided to find out. “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!” (echonewspost.com) ...
“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 ](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Aloha/i-n4ZFhRw/0/Kdcn4PmMcFM9SzWLvjN72dWZqj7wBQrMQ6WpH6LHh/D/Recently-Updated2-D.jpg)Sometimes we don’t have to cross the ocean to have that “aloha” feeling. Last Saturday there was an amazing Hawaiian themed afternoon at the Grenadier right here in Toronto’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. “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.” (Local’s Guide to Kauai) The staff at the Grenadier definitely created that Aloha spirit. ...
](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2015/Dust-if-you-must/i-skPbRPR/0/LBDDh8gpLwjk7s3MCbmFZ64JGvrKLhMt9x6K6vvDN/D/House-Proud-001-D.jpg) The 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’t a plethora of information available on her. Dust If You Must Dust if you must. But wouldn’t it be better, To paint a picture, or write a letter, ...
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)\ Beautiful 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’s not always a conscious decision but rather something that takes place within our hearts, souls, and spirits. Just as we choose that “Like” button so frequently on Facebook to express our approval of what we feel about a certain image, a “Like” happens within our hearts on viewing a beautiful image. The artist’s rendition resonates within us on a deep level within. “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” ~ Aristotle ...
](https://photos.smugmug.com/Lateblooms/n-ZkfX3Q/2014/Big-to-small/i-HdjMsgM/0/NWtNtjdt5gJR6p7RPkTB53wHvMRs2kGJDqwDnN55h/D/5p-WijgKRkeCAOTwLg2lig-D.jpg) “Making a big life change is pretty scary. But know what’s even scarier? Regret.” (Zig Ziglar)\ Downsizing has been a big job. I’ve missed blogging during the time that this important life change has been taking place. It hasn’t been one life change really but several, each one hinging on the other. Downsizing 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’s own home. It was fun decorating and acquiring all the accoutrements to make this home truly beautiful and reflective of each family member’s individual personality and taste. ...
This book found me. “The Grace in Aging” by Kathleen Dowling Singh was staring me in the face on a recent visit to the Yorkville Library in Downtown Toronto. When I started blogging, it was my intention to cover many topics related to aging because of my own age. However, the blog took on a life of its own and evolved in its own way. Today, though, I highly recommend the above book to all the baby boomers out there who have been in the least bit concerned about aging. Notice that this book is not about aging gracefully but about “The Grace in Aging.” The concerns here are not about what’s on the outside but what’s on the inside. ...