Spring Hurrah

Spring’s Hurrah

Winter’s over, the snow has gone

My heart is singing, the battle’s won

I meander down the city street

Till I get blisters on my feet.

But I care little about the pain

I’m just so happy to be out again.

Nature’s finally turned the tide

And opened up the countryside.

Life again is full of bliss

As summers breezes softly kiss

My cheeks still pale from winter’s gloom

But now so eager for summer’s bloom.

So I keep walking, though my feet complain

This new-found freedom is worth the pain.

More “cabin  fever” I can’t abide

Those winter doldrums I just can’t hide

I’m ready now for the soft caress

Of summer’s breezes to assess

And catch the zeal of the sun’s bright rays

To counter that “captive” malaise

So burning blisters won’t keep me home

Cause I’m determined now to roam

And if by chance I have to shed

Some skin that blistered till it bled

T’is but a little price to pay

For the recompense of a lovely day! 

Testing My Patience

Is It Spring Yet

It’s been much warmer lately

And the snow has all but gone

It’s been a long time coming

It’s been a long, hard run.

I haven’t heard the robins yet

But the magpies squawk and shriek

They disturb my early mornings

They really make me freak!

They’ve made their home as usual

In the tree in our courtyard

Their chatter and their squabbles

Show blatant disregard.

For us humans that are trying to sleep

(We really could sleep late)

We’re all just retired old folks

But we can’t enjoy that fate!

Those magpies all wake up at dawn

And they hold such early meetings

They make us all just listen

And don’t offer friendly greetings.

I know it’s just the beginning

And I know they will get bolder

When the hatchlings all start begging

And the young chicks all get older.

I‘m really a nature lover

And my patience is long enduring

But magpies mock that patience

“Nature’s enthusiast” obscuring.

Their sleek shape notwithstanding

Magpies disrupt my serenity

They challenge my persona

And deny my soul amenity 

Easter Wishes and Memories

Happy Easter Everyone!

Once again it it is that joyous time of the year when we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.  Like Christmas. this is a very special holiday for people of the Christian faith.  In fact, it is the basis of our faith, and, speaking from a Ukrainian background, it is heaped in rich tradition and pageantry.

How well I remember the great anticipation and preparations which started a week before and culminated with that special church service on Easter Sunday. It was the highlight of the year, especially for us kids.  Sometimes I wonder that the walls of that little country church did not explode from the sheer reverberation of the hymns, sung, not by any professional choir, but by sincere and enthusiastic ordinary (mostly uneducated) farm folk whose simple unpretentious faith gave such meaning to their life and lent them such lofty wings on which to soar.

After the  church service and the traditional blessing of the Easter food baskets, we rushed home to partake of the delectable repast. When  that special feast was finished, all the young kids hurried back to gather around that little church to play games and take turns pulling the long thick rope that rang the huge bell up in the bell tower above us.  That bell could be heard for miles and miles through the countryside.

Easter was three days and while the adults celebrated with friends, neighbors and/or relatives, we kids spent those three days in the churchyard in carefree exuberance, singing, playing games and ringing that huge bell.  Our folks always knew that as long as that bell kept peeling, we were safe and happy and in good hands.

We lost so much when we became "MODERN"!

In A Rut

Ruts and Procrastinations

“Don’t put off till tomorrow

What you can do today

For tomorrow may not ever come,”

I’ve always heard them say.

I’ve been so guilty of that crime

And I feel I must confess

It’s not that I’m so busy

It’s my approach that is a mess.

I’m remorseful and so mortified

My humility is intense 

I need to clear my conscience

And to offer recompense.

I’ve got into a rut somehow

And I have no justification

For this indolence and lethargy

And this lack of concentration.

So I’m whining and complaining

Cause it’s easier to do

It really takes less effort

When your brain just won’t come through!

Armchair Holidays

Armchair Travel

Just came back from a Mediterranean Cruise and a tour of Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel --- from  my armchair.  It was a trip I made in 1990, one of several international holidays I had taken when I was younger and alot more spry and adventurous.

 In addition to tons of captioned pictures that occupy a bookshelf of photo albums, I have detailed travel logs of each and every trip.  I had always planned to relive these exciting highlights of my life  and now I truly appreciate all the minute and comprehensive information I included in those logs.

I recall sitting on the edge of the bathtub each evening before I went to to bed, religiously recording the events of the day into my log book  while my roommate slept in her bed beyond the closed door.  I did my writing in the bathroom so as not to disturb her sleep with the lights in the room.  This system worked well for both of us, she got her sleep and I got my travel logs.  Now I appreciate all that effort and sacrifice though at that time I probably did not realize how much time and work I must have been  putting into the task.  (I must have forfeited at least an hour or two of sleep each night after very busy and tiring days of sightseeing as indicated by those logs). Still, now, between the pictures and all that minute information that I included in those notes, those holidays are a real pleasure to relive!

And with almost no effort or inconvenience to expend at all!

Late again

My Computer’s Empty

My computer’s empty, no data inside

But I’m still tryin’ though the power has died.

It seems too early to admit defeat

There’s still a target that I must meet.

It's  much too soon to call it quits

But I must confess to “lazy” fits.

I have been told that it’s “S.A.D.” disease

I’d love to claim it but it’s just a tease.

May as well call it by its proper name

And put it in a “genteel” frame.

 To camouflage it might be unfair

It might just give it a haughty air.

So I’ve just been groping for lame excuses

Some slick manoeuvres or deceptive ruses.

But my stalling tactics have reached an end

All those impediments I must suspend.

I must face the fact that I am failing

Those procrastinations may be curtailing. 

Just vain attempts to distract, disguise

Diminishing abilities to just organise.

I miss that drive and that motivation

That thrust for a goal with no reservation

That focus on purpose with optimistic direction

With keen intent and decisive action.

So no more stalling and no more defences

I’m through with all the false pretences

I’ll put the blame where it should be

And drop that blame squarely on ME!  

Lessons Learned

Goal Accomplished

A goal accomplished, a conquest made

An angst defeated, a vanquish stayed

It took forever, to get it done

To learn this lesson, that was no fun

I’ll make my next choice with more precision

I’ll be more diligent with my decision.

There are some subjects not meant to mine

To just ignore them would be just fine.

I knew I’d bit off, more than I could chew

But once I started, ‘twas  just “follow through”.

So I’m smarter now than I was back then

And I’ll be more careful when I plan

My next project, my next venture

So it will be a “fun” adventure!

Sochi Olympics

Well Earned Success

Finally I can post this.  I had posted it before but then I realized Sochi was still in the limelight with the paralympics - those undauntable  super-achievers  that, in the face of all odds stacked against them, they just refused to roll over and give up!!!!  All participants of all the Sochi games deserve our utmost respect and admiration! 

Below is my original post:

Now that the Sochi Olympics are safely over and all the athletes are home free and in their own beds,  I feel I can finally, and enthusiastically, congratulate all the hard working participants  on  their well-deserved successes, whether they came home with, or without, medals. Their very courage to aspire to compete in those games was worthy of great admiration.  In fact, just going out there to compete in the first place, was an admirable feat, given the much publicized  predictions of eminent catastrophic tragedies awaiting them there.

I don't know if there were others that felt like I did, like I was holding my breath, fearing for their safety.  I was almost afraid to watch the broadcasts lest I should see some traumatic atrocity or disaster that I would have trouble forgetting.  In fact, until everyone was safely home, I dared not talk about it. Finally, I feel I can relax and express my relief.

Now basking in the glow of success for all the athletes and  for Russia itself in averting any possibility of disaster,  I have to offer a congratulatory salute to  Russia, to its security, to the Olympic athletes and to all the people who braved the odds to attend the spectacular event.  

Kudos to you all!!!!!!!!

The Waiting Game

A Holding Pattern

I’m in a holding pattern

Can’t move forth cause I’m holding on

Wishing for a happy ending

Hoping for this phenomenon.

I hold my breath as I wait and wonder

As I watch with baited breath

For that day of peace, serenity

Engaging harmony in silhouette.

Should we ever know the pleasure

Of a loving peaceful world

All its peoples, all its problems

All in unity and wisdom swirled.

But alas, the dream seems futile

As we strive to just maintain

A semblance of a truce untethered

By ideologies held in disdain!

Unbridled Courage of Paralympics

Paralympic Athletes

In the face of all adversities

In the fight against all odds

They just achieve successes

That our whole world applauds.

They dare to push their limits

They just refuse to quit

They have to strive much harder

To failure – they won’t submit.

Their courage and their stamina

To all, are a shining beacon

They conquer every hardship

And never succumb or weaken.

They show us how to master

And to fortify resolve

To strengthen all ambition

That apprehension could dissolve.

But determination and great courage

And fortitude and grit

Bring triumph and validation

And declare them all as “FIT”!

Food For Thought

1   Notable Quotations

I     I copied this from the Ethelbert Echo, a small town newspaper from my old home town in Manitoba. I thought these were neat gems of wisdom and I wanted to share them with you. 

1.   Accept the fact that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.
2.  Always keep your words soft and sweet, in case you might have to eat them.
3.  Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4.  Drive carefully.  It is not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5.  If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6.  If you lend somebody $20  and you never see them again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never put both feet in your mouth because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
9. When everyone is coming against you, you’re probably in the wrong lane.
10. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
11. The really happy person is one enjoys the scenery on a detour.
12. We can learn alot from crayons.  Some are sharp, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all live in the same box.

Fear: A Debilitating Enemy

 Demons  On The March

Seems my (insecurity) demons are on the march again. Ever since I was a kid,  whenever I had a problem that intimidated me, the issue would always manifest itself in bad dreams about savage bull(s) that would be charging after me.  My only means of escape was waking up - often in terror and a cold sweat!

Then somebody told me that the bulls were actually just "symbols" of my fear of some kind of authority, (possibly an "authority figure") that was intimidating me. The only way to rid myself of the bad dreams was to face my fear (tormentor) and thus vanquish those demons.

I had actually fought back (and won) once and the savage beasts  had disappeared from my dreamworld for a number of years.

Well the demons are back!  I know what the issue is that is intimidating me now, but I don't know how to fight back against this one. I know I have some options  but they all require drastic measures and I don't know if I am up to that kind of battle at this stage of my life. I know I can postpone the issue for a while but I cannot do so indefinitely.  One way or another, I have to defeat this demon of fear. I know I have to "bite the bullet",  but my "teeth" are not what they used to be.  I desperately require a major dose of unbridled courage here.

Anyone have any to spare out there?

Raising the Bar

Raise Your Own Bar

I just attended a meeting

Of eager beavers today

I found them so inspiring

A virtual “focus” ballet!

When looking for ideas

To strut and to display

Just ask some eager beaver

It’s an inspirational buffet.

They’re often just busy people

Yet they find the time to grow

And before you even know it

You’ve an entire portfolio.

It really is good therapy

To relax after a grueling day

To create a neat arrangement

Your ingenuity to portray.

So don’t let yourself go stagnant

Or whither without a cause

It’s often great incentive

To work for such applause!

Helplessness

Strife in Ukraine

As a Ukrainian, I find it very hard to watch the news now.  Seeing the strife in the Ukraine and how many people are caught in the crossfire of the political struggles there is truly painful to see.  I am not now radically political nor have I ever been, so I do not profess to know who is right and who is wrong over there.  If I had a solution for them, I would certainly offer it, but as it is, all  I can do is watch helplessly from behind a television screen and empathize with their pain.  What I do know is that many innocent people are getting hurt, probably on  on both sides of the issue and that is where the tragedy lies.

I have never been to the Ukraine myself though I have traveled alot.  I had the good fortune to be born in Canada under peaceful conditions, but I am still Ukrainian and it hurts to know that Ukrainians are having to suffer  that way.  However, it really does not matter what race or what people or wherever in the world they live. Strife is strife and people are people regardless of the where they come from.  We all bleed red blood and pain is still pain.  Whether it is east, west or in between, it is the innocent that always suffer most.

Oh, for a world of perfect peace, where there is no evil and no pain! I wonder if God is looking down on this world and thinking He should just start from scratch again!!!!!

Lifestyle Options

Making Your Life Count

I was talking to a very cynical lady the other day and she was telling me how used to used to like to write poetry at one time but she quit writing because she found it too costly to submit poetry to magazines and contests. She did have some poetry published in a few anthologies but it did not yield any substantial financial rewards, so she just gave up writing poetry altogether.  She is retired and lives in a one-bedroom apartment so I asked her what she does for a hobby or for a pastime now and she said she spends her time "just watching TV".

Personally, I have nothing against TV, but I do think it is a waste of time if it keeps you from engaging in some activity that can give you pleasure - or if it prevents you from utilizing some talent - unique or simple. My belief is that you owe it to yourself to utilize all of your God-given talents. To me, wasting a talent is not an option, regardless of its unique or simple qualities. Submitting your work to magazines or contests should not be the only reason to write (or paint pictures, or do carvings or  exploit whatever other talent you may have). A compilation of your work, in whatever form, can still be appreciated - even if it is only by you and your family or friends. In the meantime you have indulged your very own  talents to  create something uniquely your own   (writing, painting, carving, sewing, knitting, etc. etc. etc.)   "Giving up" keeps you from filling a very basic human need - that of feeling worthy and validated! And that does not even include the pleasure you get from doing it!

Hobbies are the passions that add the spice to your meal and the icing on your cake!
 

Weather Worries???

Happy Valentines Day

Guess what!  We're into the the middle of February! The worst of winter should be over.  We should be on the downhill slide toward spring, and today, at least, we are above 30 below! So  we ARE making progress!  Nonetheless, in my opinion, it is not the cold that is the worst of our problems.  It is the ice on the roads and on the streets that is causing pain where we don't need it.

We were gloating in January when our temperatures soared high over various places throughout the southern United States and other places that regularly put one over on us with their  "reasonable" climate.  It was a genuine "AHA" moment.  But it just proved we should never gloat!

We are now paying a dear price for that unusually warm January.  That melt left us with skating rinks where we did not want them. We are paying dearly for our gloating. But I see on the news that the States are still not done with what almost seems like some kind of punishment or something.  We can truly empathize with Atlanta. Been there, done that, though I think we are somewhat more equipped to handle such storms, being on the receiving end of them rather more often.  So you do have our sympathy.

The only comfort I can offer you is the one that consoles me during difficult winters: "THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS!"  (In the meantime, we simply grin and bear it.)

Struggles

My Struggle With “The End”

I’m working on a major chore

I’ve been working for some time

It’s like a work of fiction

But the plot is more sublime.

I’m almost at the point now

Just the climax to conclude

I know just where I’m going

My problem's simply  attitude!

 I know that when I finish

A major struggle will begin

And that’s the part I’m dreading

For therein lies chagrin.

Final details bring vexation

Second guessing and inquiring

Could I have done much better?

And made it more inspiring?

I wish I had more confidence

More faith and self-assurance

It could have really served me well

It would have been insurance.

But I never really was that great

With decisions of magnitude

So I struggle with indecision

This anxiety and ineptitude! 

Stuck in Neutral

Stuck in Neutral

I fear I’m stuck in neutral

Can’t go forth and can’t go back

My brain just won’t cooperate

It’s gone all out of whack.

I think I hit a brain freeze

With those temperatures so darn low

I’m waiting for a muffler

To get that brain to glow.

 I tried to shift to overdrive

To get out of this rut

But getting out of neutral is

Not as easy as I thought.

So I struggle and I grapple

And I labor and contort

Still words just seem to fail me

All I get is a dismal snort.

So I must practice patience

Till I can switch those gears

I’ll thaw this frozen brain out

And make sure that it clears.

For I still need it working

To execute each task

I need to keep it honed and sharp

And to function when I ask.

"For PEACE Sake"

Personality versus nationality

I was at a social function yesterday and there was a couple that had just come back from a Caribbean cruise.  One of the things that they said was very interesting.  They said they were fascinated that despite the fact that the passengers on that cruise ship were from various countries around the world, representing various ethnic races and cultures, there seemed to be goodwill and a congenial atmosphere among them all.

Would not our world be a beautiful place if we all could just put aside prejudices and judge people by  PERSONALITY rather than by NATIONALITY????   How nice it would be if we practiced "live and let live" and, (as long as people did not harm or take advantage of us - or anyone else) we could all treat each other with respect and dignity. That could  stop all the hatred and discord that is such a cancer in our world today. If only......... 

Meeting Life's Challenges

Confronting Challenges

Life is an endless journey

Of challenges and trials

Of countless opportunities

Strewn along those weary miles.

Sometimes we fail to see them

Or we choose to just ignore

The road signs that point the way

To wherein lies that store.

False dreams may be our blinkers

That detour us off the course

Alter our fate and fortune

And conceal that info source. 

If we cleared our minds just to grasp

Just opened our eyes to view

New prospects that await us

New directions to pursue.

A closed door holds no promise

Of happiness that we require

But capitalizing on opportunity

Brings the success that we desire!

So broaden your horizons

And examine every angle

Try each likely option first

Each tangle to finagle.

You may just find solutions

You never saw before

It may just spur you on to find

Ne passions to explore.

Appreciating Special Talents

Special Musical Talents

I was listening to a music station the other day and I was thrilled to come across a piece with some actual yodelling.   I have not heard yodelling in a long time, though I used to hear it often when I was growing up, back in our little farming community in rural Manitoba.  One of the neighbour boys could have yodelled his way through the Swiss Alps, he was so good at it.  I was always convinced he must have had a special multijointed tongue and very special vocal cords to be able to produce those unique and fascinating lilting musical sounds. I think all of us kids dreamed of being able to yodel like Rudy. I believe each and every one of us tried to imitate him – with absolutely no success at all. 

I recall the time I determined to try my luck at it.  To preserve my dignity and protect my reputation as a sane and at least somewhat intelligent persona, I had the good sense to test my capability in the barnyard with no human ears to pass judgement on my skill or lack thereof. Still, even there, the roosters hid their heads under wings in shame and the turkey gobbler almost killed himself laughing.  (He couldn’t yodel worth a darn either, but he did possess some unique skills which he utilized to do his "gobble, gobble, gobble" so he felt qualified to pass judgement.) 

Suffice it to say, I gave up trying to yodel after that, but I certainly learned to appreciate and admire that scintillating musical talent in others – and I still do to this day!

Survival

The Big Blow

I had never considered myself a dainty little woman (though I always envied the women who were). Born and bred on a farm and having lived on a farm till "75, I always rather considered myself somewhat more like a Clydesdale horse - strong and tough - able to withstand whatever nature threw my way.  But last Wednesday was a day of revelation for me.  Wednesday was the day of "The Big Blow" for us here in Edmonton (and apparently in other parts of our province as well. Some areas clocked winds up to 120 km.

Had I checked the weather, I would not have ventured out of the building, but I checked it out my window and it did not look that bad.  Well I simply boarded the bus like I always do and by the time I discovered how bad it was, I was downtown and half way to my destination so turning back was hardly an option.  As I stood there in a bus shelter waiting for my connection, I literally feared for my life as the shelter rattled and strained to maintain its position - and remain intact - against the force of those gale force winds.

I arrived home several hours later, still alive, still in one piece and thankfully unhurt, though I was shaking like a leaf from the sheer effort of walking the short distances between the bus stops and from the fear that I would not survive it.  I am not a "feeble old woman" but I certainly felt like one on Wednesday!!!!!

Ukrainians All

Happy New Year

To all Ukrainians out there.  (and all those that would like to be,) I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!  May all your endeavors be fruitful, and may all your dreams come true!
May 2014 be the best year yet!!!!!!!!! 

Winter woes

Maintaining Balance

I’ve not been drinking horiwka

I have not been smoking pot,

I’m not  “under the influence”

Though I seem to stagger alot.

I’m not the least bit tipsy

Though I look like I can’t walk

It’s really not my fault at all

That I waddle like a duck.

My head is really screwed on right

It’s the iceman who lost his head

He forgot where t’was that people skate

And flooded the streets instead.

So we grumble at that iceman

As mutter #*&%$@ under our breath

We struggle to maintain our balance

In spite of the his wicked threat.

We slip and slide and wobble

As we strain to stay upright

We're still trying to be civil

But we're losing that darn fight!

.

Another Milestone

My Poetry in a Book

Finally received my poetry books.  Over the years, I have dabbled in poetry. Just simple purging of thoughts, ideas, emotions and just plain whimsy. Somehow poetry expresses thoughts and emotions so much better than prose, particularly when emotions are somewhat strong or intense. Poetry is "the great catharsis".

My poetry has been all over the place and last month, I  decided to collect it, sort it out, and get it published in book form.  The result is this little book of my poems. Shown, front and back covers. Another project completed!!!  Next project is finishing that novel that is still in progress.   (Honest, I am working on it!)
And perhaps even a sequel to "Secret In Her Heart" someday. Hey it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?!!!!

Titles

Redundancy of Titles

I was reading some material on the net today that really hit home with me. It was a bunch or “writers” responding to an editor who was trying to encourage them to write by infusing them with confidence in themselves. The gist of the message was that  you need to believe yourself “a writer” in order to become one. Most of the responders to the message had problems with calling themselves “WRITERS”.

Before I published, I, too, was reluctant to call myself a “writer”.  I feared being ridiculed because I felt it was too presumptuous of me. I have since published my books and I don’t know if that is the reason or if I am just now starting to see straight.  When asked what I do, I now can confidently say “I am a writer”. I don’t view it as some prestigious title or award. I am simply answering the query about what I do.  I write – consequently – I am a writer! No big deal. You lay bricks – you are a bricklayer. What is this thing about  titles??? Why are we so hung up about “titles” all the time? We do what we do – consequently we carry the label.  No biggie! Why do we intimidate ourselves by attaching so much importance to things that really do not matter at all in the grand scheme of things?

When I started writing, I did not know if I would publish, but my motto was “even if I never publish, at least I will have had a whole lot of fun trying!" And I did have fun! And it had absolutely nothing to do with pronouncing myself a “writer!” Let’s lighten up folks.  We’re all just people who do things--- and liking to do what we do is just icing on the cake! 

Happy New Year

Second Chances

"Out with the old and in with the new!"  This is the time for new beginnings. Whatever the old year has held, good, bad or otherwise, NOW is the time for a new beginning.  Here is your second chance!

A chance to do much better

A chance to start anew

A chance to aim for loftier heights

New victories to accrue.

A chance to dream, envision

New horizons far to view

New adventures to experience

New vistas to  pursue.

A chance for new beginnings

A chance to change a mind

To look toward a future

Not what we left behind.

To welcome each new dawning day

With a positive belief

All struggles in our lives will cease

And bring us sweet relief.

A chance to see a future bright

Glorious foresight to foresee

That life is ours to shape and groom

To what we wanted it to be!

In Retrospect

The Final Reckoning

When that bell tolls for me up yonder

And my time on earth is gone

I hope I’ll leave with no regrets

About what I should have done.

I hope I’ll have accomplished

All things I set out to do

That I won’t have to pad my slate

And my account of life is true.

There won’t be unfinished business

Those regrets that burden souls

The “should’ve”s “would’ve”s “could’ve”s

Those missed unfinished goals.

I didn’t put off those travels

That gave my life its wings

I’ve lived life to the fullest

And enjoyed the simple things.

I didn’t forgo important dreams

Or put off till tomorrow

Those hopes for great adventure

Those thrills I did not borrow.

I tried to live within my time

Though I was always aiming higher

But I did achieve some fair success

To which I did aspire.

Merry Christmas

Christmases Remembered

Being of Ukrainian  ethnic origin, I have memories of many old European traditions that seem to be fading into oblivion here in our "affluent?" society of today.  (Or is it just our North American society?)  I don't know which.  What I do know that our old European heritage ways were rich and vibrant with cultural traditions  that were more than just Santa Claus and presents under the tree.

They were watching for that first star to appear in the heavens so we could start a supper that was served on a table over a bed of straw brought to the house by Dad that evening to represent a stable.  To further the "stable atmosphere", the meal contained no meat, no milk, and no egg products, in honour of the animals that shared their humble abode with the Christ Child who had been refused lodging in the "people's inn".

Not only did we have the special traditional Christmas dishes like the boiled wheat with poppy seed and honey representing sweet and plentiful harvests, and the tri-braided (for the Trinity) round circle of bread that had no beginning and no end, but it also held a burning candle in the middle to represent the light of God in our midst.  Every food served on Christmas eve had some meaning.

Carols were always part of the evening and the season. How well I remember the next day, when the carollers would come to the house. The distant jingle of sleigh bells would announce their impending arrival, as they came in an open sleigh with hoarfrost on their moustaches and on their eyebrows.  After they finished carolling, there was always much merriment as they helped themselves to the mounds of food that Mom put out for them and of course Dad would reward them with his treat which was the home-brewed whiskey that all major events always had to have.  I am certain that that whiskey was what helped to keep them warm --- and eagerly going --- in that 30 below weather.
Those Christmas traditions were truly meaningful and definitely memorable!

But regardless of how you celebrate, traditional or modern, have very Merry Christmas!!!!!

Decorating A Christmas Tree

It Just Is Not "FUN" Anymore

Putting up a Christmas tree is just not fun any more.  It used to be such an exciting day when the children were small.  It was a big issue, a huge job and an extremely momentous event.  I can still feel the thrill of stomping through snow that reached well above our knees, as the five or us, my husband, our three kids and I, searched through the woodland for just the right tree to grace our living room for the holiday season.

When we brought it home, we would very carefully maneuver a heavenly smelling spruce - or, if we were really lucky to find - a fully-branched Scots Pine, (the ultimate prize) through the door that was always way, way too narrow an opening to get through, then drop down panting - often on the floor to rest after the struggle.  Always there were excited, smiling faces, eagerly waiting for us to get up and start setting it up.

Tree decorations were few and simple, a silver star for the top, some old garlands that were begging to be retired years ago, a few plastic and several handmade paper decorations to hang on the tree plus a few very colorful glass balls that were more precious than gold because they were so fragile. (I have wrecked my brain trying to remember where those glass balls came from,  but for the life of me I cannot remember.) They were just there from as far back as I could remember.  I recall buying a couple of strings of Christmas lights after we got hydro in,  so it was really such a special pleasure to see the Christmas tree all lit up. The smell in the house was always of a fresh pine forest.  That was always the added bonus.

Now I have many fancy decorations, lots of flickering colored lights  not just for my artificial tree but for the whole apartment, but the Christmas season lacks its most important ingredient --- the excitement in the eyes of eager children!

Anyway I know many homes are now decorating trees, and hallways, and stairs, etc etc. etc.  If you have kids to help you celebrate, enjoy that bonus!  They grow up and leave!  Me, I am going to spend Christmas with my GROWN-UP family.  Someday, - Hopefully - Great Grand kids! ( God willing, they will help me decorate a real tree!)    
Merry Christmas to all!  

A Freebee

Free Pre-Christmas Giveaway

Is anyone out there looking for snow?  It is really pretty and white.  Good for skiing, tobogganing,  sledding,  snowshoeing and all manner of winter sports. We won't charge for it.  We'll give it away for free!

We usually kind of like it ourselves, but in more reasonable amounts and, as a rule, somewhat later on into the winter season. However at the rate we are going this year, we can spare much for just giving away to anyone in need. We are confident we'll acquire more for ourselves as the season progresses.

 So come on folks, any takers???? We have enough to spare! And just in time to provide you with a really MERRY WHITE CHRISTMAS!   Get your freebee before this offer expires.

Still Kicking

Still Kickin’

They advertise the merits

Of those creams and smart elixirs

That promise to make you younger

All those magic “old age fixers”.

But I’ve earned every wrinkle

Every crease on there is mine!

I’m past the point of lying

That I’m still “just thirty-nine”!

I proudly display “age spots”

Dark “liver spots” or blotches

All those blemishes that tattle

My complexion now has splotches.

My hair’s no longer dark now

It’s “bottle-blond” for a reason

You won’t detect the gray now

I’m in my “autumn” season. 

But I still keep on dreaming

Of triumphs that may occur

I can’t afford to slacken now

My brain I have to spur!

  

So don’t you write me off yet

I’m still within the class

I’m happy that I’m kickin’

On the green side of the grass!

A Past Remembered

A Life That Was Never Meant To Be

Sadly she gazes at a photo

In black and white, taken long ago

A baby girl, so sweet and precious

A life to cherish and watch her grow.

She sees a life of bliss, contentment

Her little family is growing fast

Her hopes, her dreams, her life evolving

Her fervent prayer comes true at last.

She pictures images of great successes

She smiles with pleasure and delight

At stumbling steps, and proms, and grad nights

Those wondrous “firsts” for her neophyte,

Her maternal heart dreams, envisions

Such timeless pleasures, with wistful thrill

A golden future of life’s great moments

A glorious prophesy yet to fulfill.

She sees a wedding, a bride so radiant

A white mirage floating down the aisle

An apparition of life enraptured

Her heart so full it lights her smile.

But fate was cruel and life was stolen

Those dreams she’ll never come to see

A poignant memory still full of sorrow

A perfect life not meant to be. 

A Lasting Legacy

A Lasting Legacy  -  Nelson Mandela

The world has lost one of its greatest icons!  I know many people, worldwide, are mourning his loss.  What he stood  for. and the lengths he went to, to stand by his beliefs, will forever be a tribute to his memory.

His philosophy of equality for all peoples is an inspiration to the world - not just this or that country. I just read one of his quotes the other day that said "A winner is a dreamer that never gave up".  That man certainly had a dream and he definitely did not give up on it.  May we all aspire to emulate Nelson Mandella!

Appreciation

Humble Pie

Seems like my menu for this whole week is strictly Humble Pie  - all the way!

I had planned a lighthearted poem for this posting but  I have to forego that notion.  I just do not feel lighthearted at all tonite.  I feel far too humble to be able to spew trivialities from such a full and grateful heart as mine is at this moment.

I had a very interesting day today.  A friend asked me to accompany her for an Appreciation Luncheon at a Group Home where she works with  handicapped people. If seeing those unfortunate individuals did not debase me enough, seeing the sensitivity and compassion of those care workers certainly cut me to the core.  Their unfailing patience, their cheerful and positive attitude, their calm  understanding and love for their charges truly strummed my heartstrings.  How fortunate the world is to have such people in our midst to take on such benevolent work!

Let’s all just take a good look at our lives and count our many blessings - whatever they may be. Things could be so much worse!

(Sorry to go heavy on you folks again.  I’ll lighten the load next time, I promise.)

Disabilities

Disabilities

I  opened the TV the other day and the program happened to be W5. They were talking about  various disabilities that different people have to live with - physical, mental, emotional, or social ones like poverty, abuse, injustice, etc.  Some people just fold up with a disability. It becomes their master, totally crippling their life. What fascinated me however, were the ones who were able to do something positive with their lives in spite of their handicap, sometimes even capitalizing on their the very handicap that disabled them in the first place. That takes tremendous courage, determination and sometimes even anger or spite!

When the threat of eminent of danger confronts us, it can trigger that "inner warrior"  within us that makes all of us instinctively defend ourselves - sometimes utilizing mechanisms that we were unaware that we even possessed.  That survival instinct is probably stronger in some folks than in others, but perhaps some of us accept defeat too quickly. We have probably all seen the videos of the young fellow who was born with no arms and no legs who is so positive about his life that he now makes a living by giving motivational speeches at schools and social events.  You can see him on   http://youtu.be/ciYk-UwqFKA  

Now I know that is an extremely extreme case!!! However, determination  can take you a long way. I once wrote a poem called "Who said it was impossible?" Perhaps some of you may have read it, further back in this blog (also in my book "Roots- A Life in Review"and  in my upcoming poetry book "Images From a Pensive Mind").  One of the verses starts out with  "Who said it was impossible  to reach the rainbow's end?"

Life is all about --- Reaching.  If something is beyond our scope of capabilities, we try a different goal or perhaps a different route the the same goal or perhaps we modify the goal! The thing is Do not give up!  It is not our handicap that is our worst enemy, it is that defeatist attitude that disables us worse!!!


When my eye went back in '98, a doctor told me "We don't carry spare retinas!  Learn to live with it!  Other people do, you know".  While I would certainly not recommend that doctor to anyone, he did make me mad enough to fight my way back. Sometimes it takes "mad" to make you do something for yourself.