Go to the Water

I think that it goes without saying that time flies. How on earth can it be the last week of the year. I feel a year starts off slowly. January and February can be long months depending on their mood and what they think we should endure for winter. The year starts to gain momentum in the spring. Summer soars by and the rest of the year is at full throttle. Which brings us to the last Sunday of 2024. When we hang our new calendar and look at the year it will have the significance of being a quarter of the way through the 21st Century. I remember December 31, 1999, and the fear we had the world would shut down. Of course, nothing happened and here we are asking, "how can we be going into the 25th year of this century. Another inconceivable thought for today. It will be clear as you read this post, that it is not going to flow, it will be just random thoughts about random things. For example: do you ever look in the mirror and think, "who is that?". Do you see a person that...

Today is Christmas and I just want to say, "Have yourself a Very Merry Christmas". If you are reading this today, I know you are taking a pause in your activity. Christmas is what I call memory making time. It seems an old-fashioned family Christmas is not as popular as it used to be. People are creative for what they want their Christmas to be for their family. Whatever you have decided your Christmas will be, make sure it is a wonderful day.      The hustle and bustle leading up to December 25th has always been my favorite part of Christmas. This year I was involved in some new Christmas activities and parties. I am truly grateful for the new people and groups that have come into my life. It has been fun to celebrate with them.  The city seemed to be very busy for a long time and the stores got crazy the last couple of weeks. This year the postal strike sent me a curve ball; like many families my gifts will be late. I have always believed, you can have Christmas an...

Yesterday, December 21 was "Winter Solstice" in the northern hemisphere. It marks the beginning of the astronomical winter, which will end on March 20, 2025. It was the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The days will now start to get longer.  Up until now, I never even thought about the theory behind the  winter solstice. I am suddenly intrigued to know that the solstice is one of the most powerful points of the year. The axis of the earth pauses, shifts and moves in the opposite direction. For three days around the solstice, we experience the power of the standstill point and the shift of direction. The earth standing still and then changing direction is symbolic to how we can change the direction of our lives with intention and build on this energy as we enter into the new year.   Something else I didn't know is that winter is a season with profound spiritual meaning.  For some indigenous cultures running through the snow barefoot will assure goo...

At my gym if you can't make it to your regular class you are allowed to make up for missed sessions by joining another group. As a rule, if I couldn't attend, I just missed. Well, they have a December attendance challenge, and I am suddenly more committed. One day due to an appointment, I decided to join a group with much younger participants. I have always been impressed with how friendly everyone is that attends this gym. The first person that I chatted with was a delight. She shared that she was retired from the military, she was 44 and she didn't know what she was going to do with her life. I said to her, "I worked at my career longer than you have been alive". It's that profound information. Clearly, her retirement and mine are two very different things. During our conversation she said she used to be the 4:30 AM gym person and now she is the 9:00 AM person. She said she still gets up really early because she wants to get as much out of her day as she can...

I am writing this with my coffee, it is still dark, and I have my Christmas lights and fireplace on. I turned on the weather and it is on the move once again. This has been going on for a very long time. It is only mid-December, and I am already fed up with the craziness. Already we have had two storms that have shut everything down with snow, blowing snow and bad roads. Then temperatures plunged to numbers similar to those in the Arctic. I love the thought that I don't need to go out in weather that isn't suitable, but that doesn't stop me from talking about it.  I think the best way to describe weather is, "mysterious". How on earth can it go from -40 one day to 0 in 3 days. I have always said the weather is bipolar. It must be exhausting to go up and down the thermometer like that. In the last week there has been nothing but extreme weather. Last Sunday it was a very bad storm with mild temperatures, snow and blowing snow. Monday was much the same. By Wednesday...

One of the best days of my life occurred five years ago, yesterday. The day began with a visit to my hairdresser. She did my hair for my retirement party, complete with a few gems to go with the theme. I left there and went to see my friend in the chemo department. She was receiving her treatment, and I think she had put on some kind of show since there were several shocked medical staff standing around her. I just said, "whatcha been up to Jess?". She brushed it off and they eventually went away. According to her, we weren't going to talk about anything health, it was about me. Jess made sure everyone in the department knew I was having my retirement party that night. I felt like a Queen. I left there and went home to get ready for the big event. My dear friend picked me up and that was the first I knew we were headed to the Lady of the Lake.  My retirement party was the most beautiful event I have ever been to. The organizers did a "Glitter and Gala Dinner", a...

I am very proud to share my new morning routine. I start my day in my recliner with my coffee, watching "Schitt'$ Creek". The rule is before I do anything, I watch my show. I don't allow myself to open my computer or check my phone. It is a self-imposed exercise in self-discipline, I put my total focus into the show. I am hopeful by focusing early in the day I will carry it forward for the rest of my day. The best part of my new routine is, early in the morning I am already laughing, the show is just so funny.       If you haven't watched Schitt'$ Creek, I recommend it. It is a Netflix series and is right up there with Grace and Frankie. Give yourself time to get into the series, it can seem silly at the start. But when you realize you are hooked you will be binge watching until 2 am. Schitt'$ Creek is shot in Orangeville Ontario, and the "Rosebud" is a real motel in the town. It is  an exaggerated series of a very wealthy family that went bankru...

December is known as the most charitable month of the year.  Thankfully there are many programs set up to help those that are struggling to have Christmas.  The Salvation Army kettles are at every turn in the stores. Devoted volunteers sit and ring the bell to attract attention for a donation of any coin you can dig out of your pockets. December is the month that volunteerism is alive and well to help others in their time of need as Christmas approaches.   Yesterday was "Giving Tuesday". Although a new phrase to me, the concept certainly wasn't. It was started in 2012 by an American who looked at it as a chance to change the world. The dedicated day is the first Tuesday after the American Thanksgiving. It is a global effort and has become  the world's largest generosity movement. On Giving Tuesday, Canadians are encouraged to give back to charities and non-profit organizations.  It is designed for people to donate towards their causes. Some of the things th...

I read an article that was titled,"22 survival skills grandparents knew that could save your life". The one thing I have always appreciated about elderly people is their wisdom. Many have experienced a hard life, survived tragedies, accepted their life as it was with little complaint. After reading this article it may have been because of the survival skills they didn't even know they had. I found the list interesting, and I picked  10 that spoke to me.    1. Save early and save often . It is no secret that I am not a money person. I do remember growing up and hearing my parents talk about the importance of having a savings account. For my entire childhood, my parents put away the "Baby Bonus" as it was called. My recollection is that mom would receive a cheque every month from the government that was $8.00 each for Kay and me. Mom and Dad had decided it was to go towards our education, that they would never spend it. I am sure there were times they could have u...