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Dear Women Friends Worldwide: I 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. ...

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’s something about a brand new start that brings a hopefulness to one’s soul and spirit. One never knows what’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’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 ‘it will be happier’… ALFRED LORD TENNYSON ...

In my youthful days, I didn’t want to miss out on fun things that were happening if I didn’t have to. In those days though, everything was more word of mouth. It seems that today the younger folk learn what’s going on through social media. If you’re not “connected,” there something wrong with you. I am on Facebook so I too am aware of happenings with friends through this medium. It’s nice to see what one’s friends are up to. “Engage, Enlighten, Encourage and especially…just be yourself! Social media is a community effort, everyone is an asset. (Susan Cooper) Having said that, there’s an up side and a down side to social media. ...

One of life’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) ...

We expect too much at Christmas. It’s got to be magical. It’s got to go right. Feasting. Fun. The perfect present. All that anticipation. Take it easy. Love’s the thing. The rest is tinsel. (Pam Brown) All 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? ...

I 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 ...

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” (Socrates) For most of my life, I’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) ...

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 “big changes” on the site and for me to take a look. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. We hadn’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’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. “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ’thank you?” (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’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. “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.” (Albert Schweitzer) ...

This 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. Tommy 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: “Thank you for buying this pirate costume for me. I always wanted to be a pirate.” Daddy and Mummy were happy that Tommy said “thank you.” 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. ...

[caption id=“attachment_3719” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] 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] Beautiful quilts are a joy to behold. I’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’s completed. Each hand-made quilt is truly a labour of love. Quilting is on my “to do” list as something to learn. ...