Family Ties

In my family, birthdays are big! Every birthday is a occasion to have a party with lots of family, food, cake and picture-taking. And I wouldn't have it any other way! Getting together with family to celebrate each other's birthday is the perfect celebration. I love the inter-generational interaction. Sometimes I sit back and look over those who are gathered. I enjoy watching my newly-married nieces talking to older aunts and younger cousins. Young nephews and sons play games and get teased by uncles and older cousins. Young and old, we are all related and we learn from each other. We are safe in the unconditional love that we have for each other. Sometimes it amazes me how diverse we are. We are all so alike and yet so different from each other. My boys' birthdays are in the summer and our birthday parties are often outside. Today, we celebrated one of those birthdays - with family, of course! I believe the best gift we can give our children is a sense of family. I hope my children have benefited from a close extended family and that they, and their cousins, will carry on the the tradition of the big family gatherings. Families who celebrate together, support each other and create special moments for their children . . . it's a good thing!

Saying Good-Bye

It is always difficult to say good bye to a friend who is moving to a different city. Even if the city she is moving to is not far away, the dynamics of your friendship changes. No more spur-of-the moment plans, no walks together or attending last-minute events together. When you live several hours from each other, everything must be planned ahead of time. My friend R is moving to a new life tomorrow. Her house is packed up (almost), her boxes are stacked (more or less) and she is ready for her last day of work. As she leaves her career and this city, she is moving to a city where she will be close to her daughter, her son and her two grand-children. Needless to say, she is ecstatic about moving and is looking forward to her new condo and spending time with her family. So now, she will have family to share spur-of-the moment plans, to go for walks with and to attend last-minutes events with. Although, selfishly, I will miss R, I am so happy for her. This is what she has planned for and worked toward, and she is making it happen. It is one of life’s quirks that R and I even became friends. I was originally friends with her daughter. When R’s daughter walks into a room she lights it up with her energy, her conversation is animated with gestures and laughter, and she can hold you spellbound when she tells a story. When she moved away, I think R and I reached out to each other because we missed her, and we had our admiration for her in common. Who knew then that R and I would become such good friends? As I got to know her better, I began to see where her daughter got her qualities from! As well, R became my “music buddy”. We went to many public concerts and home concerts together. R has a great sense of humour, is artistic, musical and is an intelligent and vibrant woman. Her grandchildren are so lucky to have the chance to grow up with R in their daily life – what a gift that is! Knowing that, even though you will miss her, your friend is going on to a better life and you are happy for her . . . it’s a good thing!

Passionate about Passion Plants

In my annual “spree at the Green House”, I bought several new plants. I love shopping for plants each spring. I always buy old favorites, as well as a few plants I have never tried before. I usually buy a mixture of annuals and perennials. Usually, I know at least a little about the plants I am buying. This year however a plant at the green house caught my eye just because of its name: passion plant. I had no idea how difficult or easy this plant is to grow, if it has a flower or simply foliage or even if it is a perennial or an annual. The leaves were quite beautiful, so I would have been pleased to simply enjoy the greenery. Even if it had no flower or even ugly foliage, I would have loved this plant just because of its name: “passion plant”. The name congers up images of romance, knights in shining armour and true love, and I just knew I had to own one. The little sign that came with it said that could tolerate full sun or partial shade. Guided by that instruction, I planted it by my patio along the lattice. I planned on going on-line to look up information on this plant, but just never seemed to have time to do so. The plant began to climb up my lattice. A couple weeks later, I noticed a few bulb-like growths on it, which was my first clue that flowers were developing. The growth was quite big, so I guessed it might be a fairly big flower. Again, I was going to look on-line, but just didn’t get around to it. This week-end, I was “puttering” around in my back yard and out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something huge and pink on my trellis. My wonderfully-named plant had grown beautiful, huge flowers! How perfect the flowers were! Maybe that’s why it is called “passion” plant – because the flowers are so beautiful that everyone who sees one is passionate about it? Growing beautiful plant in your backyard and being passionate about it. . . it’s a good thing!

Keeping Time

Is there something wrong with one person having this many watches? I hope not, because all the watches in this picture are mine! And those are just the watches that have working batteries. I don't know when I started having a "watch obsession". I remember a time when I owned only one watch at a time. I can't recall when it all got carried away. All I know is that I suddenly have a lot of watches - more watches than a normal person should have. I had a watch given to me for Mother's Day, then one for Christmas. Then I found a watch I really liked in an Avon catalogue. And it just grew from there! Suddenly, when I wasn't looking, they multiplied. And here's the clincher: I don't even wear a watch very often. I usually keep track of time on my cell phone. However, when I do decide to wear a watch, it's fun picking just the right one. If any of my friends need to borrow a watch, they can usually find one they like in my collection, so maybe I am subconsciously collecting watches to help people. Yeah, that must be why! Having the perfect watch for every occasion . . . it's a good thing.

Criminal Intent

Why does it feel so good to get away with something illegal? I don't mean murder or grand theft, just little things like speeding or not plugging a meter. I was driving along in the city when my cell phone rang. Normally, I try to pull over to answer it. But I was on a busy street with no lane to turn into, so I decided to answer my phone while driving, which of course is now illegal. While I was busy talking and driving, I pulled up to a red light. Suddenly, I noticed that sitting directly across from me was a police car. I instantly knew that the police officer could see me and I was about to get a $200 ticket. The light turned green, our vehicles met and we made eye contact. I knew it was over! I checked my rear-view mirror to watch him crack a u-turn to "come and get me". However he kept on driving! What a great feeling! I had just gotten away with a crime - right under the nose of the law! It might not rate up with Al Capone or Bonnie and Clyde, but just for a little while I felt like a law-busting outlaw on the lam. I don't why it felt so good, but I was invincible for the rest of the day. I even considered parking in a handicap zone, but thought that might be pushing it! I guess I'm not cut out for full-time criminal activity. Getting away with it . . . . it's a good thing!

Purrr-fect!

Is there anything cuter or sweeter than a kitten? What is it about them that tugs at our hearts? Little girls love them and even grown men can't seem to resist picking one up and petting it. Part of their charm is that they really don't care what you think about them - they can live very well without you, thank you very much! They will purr when picked up, but won't beg for your attention. They are miniature cats with the attitude of a full grown cat. They are so independent that they can be infuriating! There is no "poor me" syndrome in cat land. Their eyes don't miss a thing and you can keep them amused for hours with a string. I love how soft their fur is - the feline equivalent of soft baby skin. There are some people that all cats like. My niece A was such a person. When she was little, she could subdue any cat, no matter how wild, and have it purring on her lap in no time. Come to think of it, A was also independent and played by her own rules. Maybe that's why the cats liked her so much - she was a kindred spirit! Independent and free-thinking little girls and baby kittens . . . it's a good thing!

The Trip Home

One of the best feelings is the happiness and relief you feel when driving someone you love home from the hospital. When my son was little, he spent a lot of time in hospitals, and it was always wonderful to be able to bundle him up and take him home. When a loved one is hospitalized, you feel so helpless as you place your faith in the hands of doctors and other medical specialists. You are so not in control! Without medical training, you have no idea what is happening and you just have to trust that all the right decisions are being made for your loved one. I often drove my Dad home from his hospital stays. I remember feeling that our lives were so disrupted when he was hospitalized and feeling almost angry that things were not normal. It always felt "right" once he was home. He did not come home from his last hospital stay. A few years later, my Mom married a wonderful man. Today, I drove my step-dad home from the hospital. All those feelings of relief and happiness came flooding back. As I delivered him to my Mom and to many waiting friends in his building, I realized that I am not the only one who loves this very special man, and that a lot of people are feeling that things are "right" again. Driving someone you love home from the hospital . . . it's a good thing!

National Aboriginal Day

In honour of National Aboriginal Day today, a Pow Wow was part of the celebration at one of our parks in my city. The beautiful regalia worn by the dancers shone in the sun and the drummers mesmerized everyone. The MC spoke of the drum beat as being the pulse of Mother Earth and I think that is a very fitting description. No one can listen to that persistent beat without feeling its force become a part of your very being. I have been to many pow wows and I always enjoy the dancers. But my favorite part of every pow wow, and today was no different, is the Grand Entrance. Every dignitary, elder, pow wow organizer, and all the dancers enter to the beat of the drum. What struck me today – and something that I should have noticed before, but haven’t – is the powerful message in the selection of people in the Grand Entrance. In today’s Grand Entrance, along with the organizers, Chiefs, First Nations Veterans and dancers were the City Mayor, Métis Leaders, Union Leaders, and local business people. To see Pow Wow regalia, Métis sashes and business suits entering the circle, together in friendship, symbolizes how we should live together in our society. That a tradition so unique and important to First Nations people would be used to welcome people of other races into their circle is a reminder to all of us that we should honour each other’s traditions and beliefs, and that we should welcome others into our circle, even for just a little while. Appreciating each other’s culture and beliefs . . . it’s a good thing.

Rock On, Sir Paul!

I wonder what John Lennon would think if he knew that his fellow Beatle, Paul McCarthney, was still rocking and filling stadiums at the age of sixty-eight? Yes, Sir Paul McCartney turns 68 today! So many old rockers are still touring. Many of them, like Paul, could be home collecting their old age pensions! Yet they continue to thrill audiences and perform at sell-out concerts all over the world. They strut their stuff in front of kids who were not even born when their bands were formed! What is about the Paul McCarthneys, the Mick Jaggers or the Gene Simmons that makes people forget that rock is supposed to be for the young? When the Stones played in Regina in 2005, both their concerts sold out in 15 minutes! ACDC tickets sold out in the same amount of time last year. How can men and women in their fifties and sixties seem cool to teen-agers and young adults? How is it that their thirty- year-old songs are still relevant to the children and grand-children of their peers? I think the magic secret is that they so love doing what they do, they just haven't taken the time to grow old. I believe that the love they have for their music and for their industry is so pure that it is contagious - and every new generation wants to be a part of that magic. These people have shown the rest of us coming up behind them that age really is just a number and that if you love your life, you'll live it to the fullest. So, as well as giving us music that will be forever enjoyed, these musicians have shown generations behind them, how to grow old without growing old. Old rockers who keep on rocking . . . it's a good thing.

Long Time No See

One of the best things about our changing seasons is the ritual change of the outerwear. It happens every season. . . when I retrieve the appropriate seasonal coat or jacket out of the closet and do a quick search of the pockets, there it is: long-lost money. Money that you last handled an entire seasonal cycle ago and has just been sitting there, waiting for you! You just know it’s going to be there and yet you are so pleasantly surprised – shocked even - when you find it. Sometimes it is coins, sometimes bills. (Personally, I prefer finding bills). No matter what the amount is, you suddenly have spending money to spoil yourself with. You can spend it without guilt because it is money that everyone (including you) thought you had spent last year. Who knew that you tucked it in your pocket and forgot about it? Whether it buys you a coffee or a new purse, it is found money and it is yours to enjoy. People who live in a constant climate and do not experience seasons never know the joy of finding money in last winter’s coat. I wonder where they get their spending money? Finding long-forgotten money in last season’s clothing . . . it’s a good thing!

Hooked on Books (And other things that smell good)

I love books, magazines and fliers! Not just reading them (which I do - I am an avid reader), but I love the smell of the ink! There is no better piece of mail than one that has a wonderful, deep ink smell. I look forward each year to receiving a copy of the Coteau Books flyer because their ink has a fantastic scent! Before reading which wonderful Saskatchewan books they are offering this season, I take a few minutes to inhale the glorious scent of the flyer ink. Each time I walk into a print shop and get a whiff of the ink, I think "I missed my calling - I should work here". Of course, not all books, magazine or fliers have a wonderful smell - in fact, most don't. So, when I do get my hands on reading material that does smell nice, I take the time to enjoy it! A good book to read - and maybe, smell . . . it's a good thing!

Theatre Popcorn

Why does theatre popcorn taste so good? Is it because you pay $8 for a tub and your mind tells you “This is really, really good popcorn or you would never have paid so much for it”, thereby convincing yourself that this is the best popcorn ever? Maybe the giant screen and surround-sound add to the flavour of the popcorn? Or is there some secret ingredient that makes it so much better than popcorn anywhere else (in the same way that KFC has its secret ingredients)? Times being what they are and with everyone eating healthy, theatres even offer becel margarine for your popcorn – and it still tastes better! And just what is in the shaker that makes your popcorn magically turn orange? The popcorn even smells different than any other popcorn you might smell elsewhere! Whatever the secret is, I really don’t want to know. I just want to enjoy the magic of the big screen with a container of delicious– if over-priced – popcorn. A tub of mysteriously delicious theatre popcorn . . . it’s a good thing!

Clean City Streets

I love it when my city sends out its street sweepers to my street. This signals the start of the summer as it acknowledges that the streets are actually dusty enough to require cleaning. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in a city for only the past three years, having spent most of my adult life on an acreage, but I feel so fortunate that someone would actually come out and wash down the street! How is that for service? (It’s right up there with garbage collection. Imagine: just rolling out your garbage can and someone takes your garbage away!) To add to the excitement, city employees set up their “Do Not Park On The Street/Street-Sweeping” signs days ahead! So, every night everyone in the neighborhood dutifully park their vehicles off the street in anticipation of waking up to a wonderfully clean street, only to be disappointed each morning. Finally, days later, we come to the sad conclusion that the city has forgotten us and we ignore the signs and park our vehicles back on the street. And, joy – that’s when the street sweepers out! What a lovely surprise and what a beautiful street! Living in a city where your streets are cleaned for you . . . it's a good thing!

Cry Me A River (Or at least a pond)

Is there anything more beautiful in a backyard than a pond? Each one is unique and is the creation and the vision of its builder. Sitting by a pond, hearing the water trickle creates such a sense of peace and well being - or as my more spiritual friends would call it, a "zen moment" The pond in the picture belongs to a friend, who decided that this was exactly what his back yard needed. He collected flat rocks from a "secret location" he found in northern Saskatchewan and hauled the rocks home. His plan went through many revisions before he found the perfect combination. His backyard has become an oasis for peaceful and serene relaxation and rejuvenation. A backyard pond shared with friends . . . it's a good thing!

Cool Treat

I wonder who invented the Popsicle. He or she deserves the Noble Peace Prize in the “Really Good Treat” category. When I was a kid, one of my favorite treats was a popsicle (ok - it still is one of my favorite treats). I remember hot summer days, sitting outside, sucking on a popsicle (usually only one-half of the popsicle because Mom would make me share the other half with my sister). More of the treat melted onto my hands and down my arms than I actually got in my mouth – but that was part of the enjoyment! My favorite was (and still is) the orange one. Some kids liked the fancier creamsicle, with its filling in the middle, but I always prefer just a plain old orange popsicle. Hot summer day, sitting outside eating an orange popsicle . . . . it’s a good thing!

The "Donald Trump" Feeling

I don't often buy lottery tickets, but when I do, I immediately start planning what I will do with the money. Depending on how much is up for grabs, I sometimes plan who I will give the money to: which favorite relative, deserving friend, worthy charity? The adrenaline starts flowing when I think of how I will react when the clerk checking my tickets says, "Oh My God, you've just won the big one"! I spend the days leading up to the lottery draw planning vacations, paying off mortgages for some of my favorite people and deciding in which countries I will buy my new homes. The draw itself is actually quite anticlimactic. Most draw dates come and go with the ticket still stuffed in my purse. I guess I really don't expect to win and just enjoy living in a parallel world for a few days - you know, the one where I am a lottery-winning multi-millionaire! Having a lottery ticket in your pocket and feeling like a winner . . . it's a good thing!

Flower Power

I love flowers! Every kind of flower. Nothing brightens up a day like a bouquet of beautiful flowers. My sister-in-law gave me an amaryllis for my birthday several years ago. It was just a root in a package given to me at the beginning of December. She told me to expect it to bloom once, around Christmas time, and then it probably wouldn’t survive much longer. “They never last long, these amaryllises,” she said. Well, it has bloomed each year for the past five years or more. . . never around Christmas. Sometimes it blooms in spring, sometimes in fall, and each time it blooms, it grows another bulb. So, some years I have two or three beautiful blooms all at once. The blossom is so gigantic and so graceful! A beautiful plant that blooms every year to remind you that someone cared enough about you to buy it for you in the first place . . . it’s a good thing!

So Dog-Gone Happy!

Is there anyone in the world that is happier than a dog when she realizes that her master is about to take her for a walk? My dog Jessie positively vibrates when she first begins to realize that a walk is in the plan. She bounces down the stairs, constantly looking back to make sure I am still following her. She can hardly sit still while I put her leash on. Once we are out the door and on the trail, Jessie prances with her head held high and her tail straight out. One look at her and you know that everything perfect in her world! While going for a walk may not be everyone’s idea of a perfect date, for Jessie it is worth waiting all day long for her people to come home. Everyone wins: Jessie is happy and we all get fresh air and exercise. Happiness, through the eyes of a dog . . . it’s a good thing!

Sandals and Painted Toe Nails

When I think of summer, the image that comes to mind is new sandals and brightly coloured toe nails. Throw in a toe ring or two for good measure, and maybe an ankle bracelet. Sandals just don't look right if the toes they are displaying are missing bright nail polish. Sandals and nail polish are perfect on women of all ages - from little girls, to grown women to seniors. One of the details I loved the most in the movie "Titanic" was the scene wherein the "old" Rose was standing on the edge of the ship in her bare feet - with brightly painted red toe nails! How perfect was that! Those brightly coloured toes spoke volumes, without anyone saying a word. I love that scene, all because of her red toe nails! New sandals and polished toe nails . . . it's a good thing!

Brunch with the Bunch!

When my friend Pat gets in the mood to cook up a storm, everyone hopes for an invitation. I was fotunate enough to join twenty or so other gal pals to enjoy Pat's gourmet brunch. We had a lot of fun, plenty of good conversation and ate wonderful food! It was nice to get together with friends for no other reason than to eat and talk!

Brunch with a bunch of friends . . . . it's a good thing!

A simple thank you

Many of us work at places where we help people. We do our jobs each day and hope that we have made someone's life a little better. In my job, I don't often get feedback from the people that I have helped - and that's ok. However a few days ago, a young couple came into my office with a huge problem and, although I did everything I could for them, unfortunately, I wasn't much help. A few days later, they stopped by to give me a thank you card, thanking me for at least trying to help. The card said "Your kindness has left me speechless". Well, the thank you card has left me speechless! A simple thank you for doing my job . . . it's a good thing!

Hello Sunshine!

After days and days of rain, it was wonderful to see the sun shining today. What a great way to start my blog "Through Rose Coloured Glasses"! June 1 was my planned start date and the sun came out, so how can I not make it my "good thing"?

A day of sunshine after a week of rain . . . it's a good thing!