She Was My Snow Angel

I was watching the news and they were talking about a group of volunteers called the snow angels. These volunteers come and shovel sidewalks for people like seniors who are unable to. What a great idea! Here we see both youth and energy channeled in a productive way.

It reminded me of a time when I lived next door to a lady. She had this wonderful invention called a snow blower. Sometimes after it snowed I would get ready to go out and shovel. When I looked out my window I would see that the main sidewalk was already done. And what a joy that was to see! That snow blower did a much better job that my most immaculate snow shoveling efforts could ever do.

So if you have more muscle than money this gift giving season, you can always consider being a snow angel. Not that you officially have to join a group to do this, you can do it just on your own. You never know 10-20 years later someone might still remember it.

Hope is like....

"Hope is like a bird that senses the dawn
and carefully starts to sing while it is still dark."
~Anonymous

For a Road Less Travelled...

....it sure does have a lot of foot traffic.
And it seems to come by when you don't notice it. So you don't really know whose footprints they are.

It is kind of like blogging.......some traffic comes by unawares.
A visit without comments equals a footprint without a face.

Yesteday I was reminded of a great invention

I was working on my computer and wanted to print a document. When I examined the printed page only part of the letters showed. It was like it wasn’t spacing right and only printed part of the letters and some lines it didn’t print at all.

So I went to my printer and faxes screen page. I tried some things on the troubleshooter page but wasn’t finding what I needed.

Then I went to the maintenance page. I did a nozzle check. I tried a cleaning. I did a printer alignment. I did a bottom plate cleaning. I debated a deep cleaning. I changed a couple of print cartridges. I unplugged the printer. I turned the printer off and on.

I printed pages in between it all and still they did not print correctly.

I thought “Oh no, I hope I don’t need to buy a new printer”.

Then I flipped the lid open one more time on my printer. I peered inside. Hmm, looks kind of grubby in there I thought. I’m going to get my vacuum.

So I very carefully did a bit of vacuuming inside and outside the printer.

I put some paper in, printed out my document, and now finally, it looks just fine!

So thank you once again to whoever invented the vacuum cleaner! Your invention revived my printer.

Aren’t you glad for great inventions?

There is something about...

that first snowfall that stays.

I dread it. I wish with all my entire mind and heart that it will not come. I beg, I plead, I hope that it doesn't come till January. But it doesn't help. It comes when it wills. And it has come and it seems it is going to stay.

I don't think all this snow is going to go away soon.

So I got to thinking, why do I dread it so?

What is it about that first snowfall that really bugs me...besides the driving in it?

And I thought. When winter comes I have to let go of the hope that my favorite seasons are still here....spring, summer and fall. When winter comes there is no more planting, or growing or harvesting. It is over.

Winter is the end of all that.

Winter is the end of the warm days and evenings when you can just run outside with one layer of clothing and simple shoes.

Winter is the end of getting into the car, starting it and driving off quickly.

Winter needs more thought and preparation. Winter is cold and dark.

But God bless the chinooks He sends, for without them there would be no hope.

The days of bone chilling below zero temperatures would be long and endless without them. I am so very glad for those nice warm winds that unthaw us and give us hope.

Aren't you?

Just for Today

A couple of days ago, I was sitting on the deck enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. Contentedly purring in my lap was my kitty.

I could only feel a hint of warmth in the air. The weather was about to change and I mostly could only feel the cool crisp wisps of air breeze past my face.

As I sat there, I thought, one really needs to stop and enjoy a moment of peace and contentment for today. The days are so busy and we worry about all kinds of things and it seems tomorrow gets more attention than today.

I thought of the verse in Matthew 2:34

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Do we worry too much about tomorrow that we forget to enjoy the precious moments of today?

Courage or fear?

About a week ago, I happened to turn on the TV, and found myself tuned into the program “Shameless Idealists” on CTV.

On this particular show the idealist was, Betty Williams.

Betty was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 1976 for her work in founding the Community of Peace People in Northern Ireland.

During the interview, Craig Kielburger, asks Betty how she handles the death threats on her life. Her answer was something like this, “I refuse to live in fear. Fear is contagious, so is courage.”

I thought, "How appropriate this is for Veterans Week (Nov 5-11)."

For this is the time we set aside and remember all the Veterans and brave soldiers who chose to stand up for our country.

They chose courage over fear!

We think of those who fought in the past and those who fight in the present. We think of families who have lost loved ones. We ponder the pain and the suffering that many have endured.

We appreciate all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and peace.

May we be inspired to choose courage?

A surprising find

It's amazing what you can find when you clean up!

During the harvest and fall cleanup in October, the Veggiefella found these beauties.

Considering all the rainy summer days and all the cool and frosty nights of Fall it is suprising that they grew at all.

For more info or photos see the Veggiefellas blog.

In Search of Fall Colors

Fall time comes and I go searching
for fall colors.
I go to the same spots, take pictures of the same trees at about the same time of year.
So yesterday I went on a search
and was pleasantly surprised to find some pansies still loaded with color
with quite a bit of green surrounding them.

This morning as I looked out my window I decided that
I still needed to go get a few more photos of the colorful Autumn display.
Soon I found
I had 92 clicks of photos, and that's not counting the ones from the day before!
So how to decide
which one should be the
"photo of the day" was quite the challenge.
But then I thought,
why not,
get the last bit of green in
before the next season slips by and green will be really hard to find.
So I do hope you enjoy the green and
the surviving color
despite all the frosty nights we've had so far.

The power of a rainbow

"God puts rainbows in the clouds
so that each of us - in the dreariest and most dreaded moments - can see a possibility of hope."

~Maya Angelou quotes

The Treasure is in the Memory

I had a friend who gave me a plant. I liked this plant. I wanted it because it would grow quickly and provide shade for those hot blistering days of summer.

So I got this plant and placed it in my yard. But the days of summer were wet and cold and not very blistering hot. So the plant did not do well. I fact to my dismay the plant died.

A few years later I went out to replace this plant. In fact I bought two because I liked this plant and I knew it could grow quickly and provide shade. So I planted them in my yard. And that summer the days were wet and cold and not very blistering hot. So I watched the plants struggle and wondered if they would survive.

And the seasons came and went....and to my joy the plants survived. This year in fact the plants did grow and flourish greatly.

So now every time I look at my plants I think of my friend. I remember fondly the gift that was given. And I think, it wasn't the gift that was the treasure, because the gift was replaced. It was the memory of the gift that is the treasure.

Do you have any memory treasures?

Tiny Construction Crew

Barn swallow

...

We were watching the barn swallows build their nest.

We even discouraged them from the spot they picked as we thought they would be in danger there. Seeing there is one energetic dog and two curious cats nearby.

...

But they insisted this is the spot.

And build their nest they did.

---

So I got to muzing.....Here they are. .

No big construction crew - Just 2 birds.

No big equipment - Just two mouths.

No watering can or hose, just a mouthful of spit at a time.... if needed.

...

And here they build a fully functional nesting spot

…..one mouthful at a time.

...

Pretty amazing.

I thought I'd try being prompted

............ and see where my thoughts take me….inspired by It's a Beautiful Life May 25 posting....

1. I never thought…I’d take a liking to yogurt again. I had many years ago taken a liking to it that lasted about three weeks then it passed. So now I am liking it again. I am especially fond of blueberry. Maybe I watched too many Activia commercials. Hm, maybe advertising does work.

2. I don’t really enjoy…. Below zero temperatures in May, or June, or even July and August come to think of it!

3. I like to eat…potato chips…okay, I know I shouldn’t…eat too many! I do like to eat other things but that was just the first thing that came to mind.
   

4. I cannot…..agree with the statement…that “one size fits all”. One size might fit some, or one size might fit most, but one size definitely does not fit all.

5. I have…..really taking a liking to the color green. I look out my window and see the green leaves on the trees, the green grass on the ground, and the color green is all around…and I just love it!

6. I do not like…the new smaller lids on water bottles. They remind me of child proof lids, you know the kind to keep small hands out. Well, some small hands need to get in.

7. I’m going to…do some weeding….or some transplanting.

8. A book I’m enjoying these days…..is “Carrots love tomatoes” by Louise Riotte. Of course I’m in gardening mode and don’t really have much time to read these days.

9. Some advice I’m going to take is…..I am agreeing with Brenda….I need to get the book out of my head. I also like the video clip by John Cleese (May31 posting on It's a Beautiful life). Will make use of the sub conscious factor.

10. I haven’t figured out how…or what to write for this one, other than I don’t know how to twitter either, but it hasn’t made it to the top of the list.

I hope my links work, otherwise I should have put that for number 10.!!

A Nice Surprise Cheers Up the Day

Was out for a walk checking out the yard when I found this lovely surprise. I started these last year from seed and was happy to see they survived the winter. It was a joy to see this splash of color!

I found the evidence....

...did you?.....

pussy willow sightings!

...on the...

...

First Day of Spring - Mar 20, 2010

...

......It is really here!!!.....

When you don't know....

what to think............think on these things....

".........whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report;

if there be any virtue, and it there be any praise, think on these things."

............Philippians 4: 8 KJV

...........

(maybe it also works for when you don't know what to write!?)

A Day without color....

...is like a day without hope."
~Betty
...

I thought back to the white days.
The ground was white. The trees were white. The sky was white. The air was white. It was all white.

I thought I should like white. For white is clean, white represents purity. It was white after all that dressed the trees and made them look quite extraordinary on all those frosty days.

However I couldn’t get excited about white. It was more like it says in

Daniel 5:27….
“….thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

Then the next morning as I was looking out the window I saw the pink of the sunrise above the trees.

There was color. It was pink, and it was beautiful.

Then I watched as the warmth of the sun creep in. The blanket with a hint of yellow slowly swept its warmth first along the ground then up the trees and then up to the sky.

Now that was a refreshing sight!

Just as the sun colored up the world, the warmth of the sun unthawed my heart. It was like hope crept back into my weary soul.

Now that is why I thought we like those nice sun shiny days….we need the color. Color brightens up our life and our world.

Early Spring?

Well if you were hoping for an early spring in Alberta...........Balzac Billy is on your side! You can even check it out on his website http://www.balzacbilly.com/

..

Hooray!!

(Good news from a furry forcaster)

...

Wiarton Willie and Shubenacadie Sam's fans have a different forcast.

..

(although if you look at the calender - 6 weeks takes you to Mar 15

....can you imagine Spring before Mar 15????)

..

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Happy 1st Blog Anniversary

Happy Happy Happy Happy Blog "1st" anniversary! Happy Happy Happy

It has been one year since my first post, on Feb 1st, 2009.

Thank you to all who took time to check out my blog posts and leaving your comments. It is always exciting to see who comes by to visit.

This blog was a new venture for me last year and I wasn't sure where it would take me. It was interesting to see how ideas come to mind for posts.

As for this year I still plan to stay..... "hopefully minded".

Sometimes you have to admit..

this Winter Wonderland...

.........is very very beautiful!!