Go to the Water

                                                              I was scrolling through Facebook, when I came upon a video of a blind couple performing on "Britain's Got Talent". Their introduction was so funny, I assumed they were comedians. Not only had they led their life in the dark, but she was also a breast cancer survivor. They had one son together, and he was also blind. When the time came for their performance, the husband made his way to the piano and his wife began to sing. The song they chose couldn't have been more appropriate, "Climb Every Mountain". I hung on every word as she sang in an incredibly gifted way. The crowd was on their feet, tears were flowing, her three adult children were yelling words of encouragement to their mum. The judges praised their performance.  We are all familiar with the words to "Cli...

If you ask me what my favorite number is from one to ten it is always 3. If you ask me for my favorite number, I always pick my birthday number which is 27. I found some interesting information about the number 27, and wouldn't you know it, oddly it describes me.  The number 27 is a symbol of wisdom and understanding in many belief systems. It is associated with deep insights and a higher level of consciousness. This one I really like, 27 is a reflection of the significance of acquiring knowledge and seeking profound understanding in life.  Fun Facts: 27 is the atomic number of cobalt, there are  27 letters in the Arabic language, 27 bones in your hand and 27 books in the New Testament of the Bible.  Here are the descriptive words for people that have a birthdate on the 27th. We are believed to be highly intuitive and spiritual. We possess a deep understanding of the world and universe. We are wise, enlightened and are connected to a higher realm. As everyone knows m...

The words, "you don't know how good you have it, until it's gone" were spoken to me by a close family member. She has been suffering with not only disability issues but a new way of living because of them. She is determined to overcome her problems, and because of her determination, she is doing just that. Suffering is difficult to endure, it becomes a world of trying to manage symptoms. The lives of people that are suffering is now replaced with a smaller, more difficult way of living. Often overlooked or sometimes forgotten is the person who is watching a loved one suffer. It is impossible for me to even describe how they feel as they watch the hurting. They must live with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and long for life as they knew it.     As we age, we face the reality of knowing more people that are dealing with sickness and an expected death. These brave people are now living a new normal life which often includes more doctor or hospital visits. A new ...

The official 2024 summer is long gone. As a senior I feel the need to reflect on the weather. It was an interesting summer regarding the weather. The first part of July was cold, filled with lots of rain and of course, wind. O nce it settled down there were nice summer temperatures. The weather finished strong, September was one of the hottest on record in Manitoba and most of Canada. Reality has now set in for me when I look at the heavy frost in the mornings, no more summer. It was many years ago, a friend told me that her and her husband didn't do anything during the summer months. She decided that every day she would do one summer activity to make it memorable. I liked that idea and for some time now, I have embraced her concept. I made it a focus to do a summer activity nearly every day. Often it was a visit to the pool, coffee in the park or at the river, just something simple. Other times it was a much bigger event. The take-away here is, it is the little things that we do f...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One in eight women will receive the diagnosis of breast cancer in their lifetime. That is a staggering statistic.  The gals from the "Waves of Hope" have just exploded with activity. Awareness is what "Waves" is about. First up was the "Run for the Cure". The way these women go for it, it was of no surprise that they were the top fund-raising group at the event.  Three days later several members were special guests at the Manitoba Legislation. They were witness to the discussion of a Bill, regarding the self-referral age for mammograms. This Bill had been discussed many times and plans were to lower the age to 45 years by 2025. The Waves group had gathered signatures on petitions. They were added to an overwhelming number of petitions presented to Legislation to consider. The petitions indicated that the people wanted a better result for women than what was proposed. Following a discussion, Bill 221 was passed late...

The story of the white buffalo at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation began in 2009. The community was gifted a white and brown buffalo from the Assiniboine Park Zoo. The calves were born the year before at the zoo. Several First Nations communities were considered to receive the young buffalos, but it was Sioux Valley that was selected. The gift of two buffalos, one being white was a gesture of friendship, recognizing the significance of the animal to the First Nations people.    A white buffalo is rare and are born one in one million. They are also sacred. The white buffalo is rooted in the spiritual beliefs of many Native American communities. They are considered a symbol of hope, peace, purity, and abundance. It is believed they have great spiritual power, in that the white buffalo is connected to the Creator and the natural world.  It took six years before the community welcomed the first white buffalo. This calf was the third white buffalo in Manitoba. A white buffalo i...

I have written posts about books before, and here I am again. Quite odd for someone that rarely reads a book. I think when it comes to reading there are two questions: "do you like to read" and "do you read". The answer for me would be, I like to read but I don't read. I would never be one of those people that has a book on the go all of the time, or maybe even more than one book. There are a variety of reasons that I do not class myself as a reader. I am not a sitter; you have to be able to relax in order to remember what you are reading. When I do read, I deeply immerse myself into a book. I have such a vivid imagination, I become the person I am reading about. I have to be in the right space to read.    When I say to people, "do you read?", people know exactly what I mean. It is like a universal language. I always question them on what they read. The answers are interesting. Many people say, "I read anything", others say, "I like book...

I am never sure if I like making rules for myself, or I feel more focused following the rules that I make for myself. I find if I am ready to follow my rules, it works better to make them. I got a beautiful journal from my cousin, and I have been keeping it for a special occasion. That came on October 1. Summer is over and I just had an Aunt Joan talk with myself and decided, I needed to grab onto some focus. My focus can be wild and uncontrollable from time to time, so making it mind is a task in itself. I felt the need to name the activity, and I came up with "October Objectives".  My objectives come under the titles of daily, weekly and within the month. I know winter is the next season to arrive. I want to establish a good routine before the snow is everywhere. It is a fact that you have to do something 22 times before it becomes a habit.  Daily:  1. Take supplements. I don't take any prescription medications, but I do have a cupboard full of supplements. I know I nee...