Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! When my boys were little, I was just an anxious as they were to head out for trick-or-treating. I think that is because when I was a child, my parents never took us out trick-or-treating. How I envied my friends who would have the opportunity of being driven into town and would come home with a pillow case full of candy. When I became a little older, I always made sure I stayed at a friend's house that night and I would tag along with her family and get my share of treats. In the past, I have decorated my yard with white ghosts made out of sheets. I would then position a blue light to shine on them. How spooky they looked when there was a breeze swaying them back and forth. One year, I created several "spooky people" standing on our front lawn, including Freddy Kruger, a vampire and a witch. The next morning, Freddy's clothes were gone! I guess someone needed a last minute Halloween costume. Another year, I created a witch sitting on a chair on our front deck. My nephew was quite terrified of her. I decided to remove my witch's mask to show him that her face was created by placing a milk jug upside down into her shirt. However, ripping her face off did not have the desired effect on my nephew! I think he still has nightmares about it! I enjoy opening my door to excited little faces in cute costumes, with proud parents standing guard a few feet away, and placing treats in each bag. Enjoying Halloween . . . it's a good thing!

Fight Bac! (Bacteria, that is)

If you don't want to totally ruin your life and if you want to continue enjoying going out for meals, then don't do what I did last week! Do not take a food-safety class! My hands are chapped and sore from washing them so often and so long because the instructors are cruel people who think that everyone absolutely must be terrified of germs. I have also gone through an entire box of latex gloves this week because no amount of washing will ever thoroughly clean your hands. The instructors insisted on showing pictures of restaurants kitchens that are filthy and are home to bugs, bacteria and rodents. They also cruelly showed video from hidden cameras brought into restaurant kitchens by health inspection staff which showed restaurant employees doing things I would have preferred not to know about. They told us that you can't wipe your clean hands with the same towel you are drying clean dish with! Why not, if everything is clean? On the bright side, they also said that you should never dry dishes (which I have detested since I was a child - I was always the dishwasher), but should let the dishes air dry - after you have properly washed, rinsed and sanitized, of course! These people have taken all the fun out of using slow cookers, leaving pizza out overnight and just "guessing" when food is cooked enough. We were barely an hour into our class when we were given our first exam! We were still reeling from the shock of having survived our own childhoods and of not having killed our children with our filthy habits and they expected us to answer a quiz! By the end of the day, we had convinced ourselves that our bodies - and those of our families - have learned to fight off whatever bacteria we inadvertently ingest, and that we were all going to be OK. Knowing the rules, but not necessarily blindly following them . . . it's a good thing!

My Cheeks Hurt!

Don’t you love it when you laugh so hard, your cheeks hurt? It is like a work-out for your emotions, but you don’t need any gym equipment. All you need is a funny friend or a comedy on TV. I think funny friends are better than TV, but that works too. Have you ever noticed how everyone gravitates toward the “funny” person? Everyone loves to laugh, and everyone loves the person who makes them laugh! I have a few friends who always make me laugh. They are so funny that you find yourself not only laughing, but doing that deep, can-hardly-catch-my breath, belly type of laugh. That is the type of laughing that makes your cheeks hurt. You just feel so much better after that kind of laughter. You feel better emotionally and physically. I believe it is true that laughter is the best medicine. Laughing so hard, your cheeks hurt . . . it’s a good thing

Friends

Sometimes you just have to take a moment to appreciate how fortunate you are to have a great circle of friends. On Monday, I and several friends worked all day preparing a meal for a fund-raiser. It was a lot of work and we stressed and wondered if we would have enough food, but we also had a lot of fun. There was plenty of laughter coming out of the kitchen as we peeled, chopped and cooked. Because of my extensive cooking knowledge, I was “kicked out” of the kitchen several times and told to tend to putting the tablecloths on the tables and getting the banquet room set up. I did have the opportunity for revenge when one of the cooks tried to help in the banquet room and I was able to send her back to the kitchen. We are a group of friends spanning decades, who have formed what is probably unlikely friendships. The twenty-somethings are just starting their careers and are just beginning to think about life-partners; the thirty-somethings are settled in their careers and are busy raising tweenies and teen-agers, and the forty-somethings-and-up are beginning their lives as empty-nesters. Yet, we all have a lot in common, have causes we strongly believe in, and we truly enjoy being together, which is why we find ourselves together time and time again. Over the day, spouses and partners joined us as they got off of work, and they completed the circle. As we all sat together to eat, I looked around at our table and watched the interaction, I realized that friendship is not based on age, on income or on life-experiences, it is nothing more than simply liking each other and enjoying each other’s company and – most importantly – being able to laugh together. The banquet was a success, the food was delicious (and we did not run out) and our friendships remained intact and strong. Having good friends you can count on . . . it’s a good thing!

Just Like A Sister

The other day I was shopping for a greeting card. As I was searching through the rows of cards, I noticed a card that said “To Someone Who Is Just Like A Sister”. That got me to thinking about what it takes to be “just like a sister”. The bond between sisters is very powerful and unique. It is based on love, on memories of a shared childhood and a similar belief system learned from the years of growing up in the same household. As adults, sisters lean on each other for support. Sisters can truly be themselves with each other – how can you fool someone who has seen you in diapers, has seen you with front teeth missing, knew you for years before you wore make-up, and has seen the hair style failures you experimented with? So, if this is truly what creates that bond between sisters, I wondered how does one become “just like” a sister? As I pondered that thought, I had a “duh” moment: I have a wonderful “just like sister” in my life! My sister-in-law couldn’t be more of sister to me if we were biological sisters. She married my oldest brother when I was two years old. I have known – and loved - her almost as long as I have my brother. I was fortunate that they lived close to us and were within easy walking distance. She was there to witness most of my “firsts”, she told me about the tooth fairy, provided a safe haven for me to escape to every once in a while, and she was the first person to tell me that women could do anything they set their mind to. She would make birthday cakes with coins baked into the cake – and we would get to keep whatever coin we found in our piece of cake! I loved going places with her – she was a cool big sister I loved to tag along with. When she and my brother started their family, I loved her babies. She was there for my first communion, my high school graduation, my wedding, when my Dad died, and when my own babies were born. She was there when I needed help and support the most. If that is not a “just like sister”, what is? Having wonderful sisters and “just like sisters” . . . . it’s a good thing!

Mothers and Daughters

In previous blogs, I have talked about my multi-talented friend, Barb. I have blogged about her scrapbooking, her creativity and about her community volunteerism. Barb is a talented photographer with an eye for unique poses and situations. For today's blog, I decided to write about the love and bond between mothers and daughters. This picture is of our friend Angela with her mother. I stole it from Barb's facebook site. (Please don't sue me, Barb). This picture, more than words, demonstrates the strong tie and love shared by Angela and her Mom. Everyone has that special bond with their mother, but for some people, it goes beyond the mother-daughter bond. Sometimes, mothers and daughters are each other's best friends. Who would want a more perfect friend than your mother? I love going out to events or shopping, and seeing mothers and daughters out having fun together. I think it is wonderful when I hear someone say they call their Mom two or three times a day, because they have so much to say to each other. Those fortunate women who develop a friendship with their mothers have the best of all worlds - they have a mother with her unconditional love and support and a friend who is fun to be with and shares the same interests, all in one person. Having the good fortune of being friends with your mom . . . it's a good thing!

Spiritual Confetti!

“Encouragement is like Spiritual Confetti!” That is wonderful quote from Nicole Johnson in “Fresh-Brewed Life”. What a refreshing way to describe encouragement! Johnson says that confetti is used as a way of lavishing our love on people – whether it is at a wedding or New Year’s Eve. She describes confetti as being “a tangible expression of intangible emotions”. She has nailed it! What a perfect way to explain why we throw confetti to the people we love when they are celebrating a special occasion and to encourage them to be happy. By taking the time to encourage our loved ones every day, not only on special, confetti-throwing occasions, we offer them hope, love, grace and strength. This act, Johnson calls “spiritual confetti”. I think we could all use – and give out – spiritual confetti. I’ve commented before how a friendly word can make a sad day much brighter. I love how Johnson sums up spiritual confetti: “Encouragement is to friendship what confetti is to a party. It’s light, refreshing, and fun, and you always end up finding little pieces of it stuck on you later.” Throwing out spiritual confetti, and maybe even finding little pieces of it stuck on you . . . it’s a good thing!

Linda

Last Saturday, I returned to my hometown to attend a fund-raiser. The fund-raiser was for a woman in the community who has suffered with MS for many years. In recent years, Linda's MS has progressed very quickly. The community came together to raise money to send Linda to Mexico where she would be able to receive the new experimental Liberation Treatment. As the hall filled with more and more people. Linda and her family were overwhelmed with the generosity and the good wishes. A person who had moved away many years ago but still has ties with our community went to the mike. She said that, as we all knew, she also has MS and she had just returned from Mexico two weeks ago after undergoing the Liberation Treatment. She spoke of how much better she felt and how much better her body was working. Her most touching point was to tell Linda how fortunate she was to have such support from her community. The love of friends and family is a huge factor in the success of any medical procedure and she had no doubt that Linda would come through with flying colors, based on the number of people at the fund-raiser. This small community of some six-hundred people raised over $13,000 for Linda! Knowing that Linda takes with her the hopes, the best wishes, the love and the support of her entire community . . . it's a good thing!

You're Going To Be Just Fine

A few days ago, I required a band-aid for my finger. As I opened the new box of band-aids, I noticed some writing in tiny print just below the flap. I paused for a moment to read it, and before I knew it, I was smiling. The line said "You're going to be just fine". It always amazes me when an advertising firm comes up with a perfect slogan or saying. What could be more perfect than "You're going to be just fine" on a box of band-aids? It appeals to the child in each of us as that particular line has been repeated over and over by generations of mothers comforting their children. I think that is what makes it so perfect. It instantly transports you back in time to the safety of a parent's embrace as a band-aid is put into place over your latest wound. It reaches to the very core of safety and protection through the eyes of a child. Well done, Johnson and Johnson! Knowing that you're going to be just fine . . . it's a good thing!

Bunny Slippers

In her book "Mama, Get The Hammer", Barbara Johnson states that whenever she needs to be "re-grounded" or cheered up, she puts on a pair of bunny slippers a friend sent her. Johnson claims that whenever she starts to feel too important or too focused on herself, she reaches for the slippers. Once she has them one, she finds her perspective returns where it belongs. As well, when she is feeling sad or sick, her bunny slippers cheer her up as she pads down the hallway with them on her feet. She says, "Pain dissolves, frustrations vanish and burdens roll away when I have on my bunny slippers". What a great idea! We should all have bunny slippers to cheer us up or to bring us back down to earth. Of course, it doesn't have to be bunny slippers, it could be anything, as long as it is a constant in our lives and that when we see it, our perspective falls back into place.

Knowing that our "bunny slippers" are our anchor and remind us to stay true to ourselves . . . it's a good thing!

The Art of Savoring Life

I admire positive people; people who look for happiness in every circumstance. Author Luci Swindoll is just such a person. Luci describes her life as each day being "a grand new day". I love that she is committed to "living the life out of everyday". Living the life out of everyday! Doesn't that say it all? Every day should be used up to its fullest. At the end of each day, there should be nothing left but happiness and contentment, no "what-if's" or "why-didn't I's". According to Luci, everyone can experience happiness. You just have to know how to do it! She insists that we must train ourselves to live in this moment - not in looking forward to the future or re-living past events. When asked how does one find happiness when faced with disappointment or heartache, Luci Swindoll's response is "Pleasure lies in the heart, not in the happenstance - that is the art of savoring life" I have never thought of happiness as being an art that one can learn, or that one could savour life. It occurs to me that even the thought that life is to be savoured gives it a whole new feel, a new meaning, and, as such, happiness becomes something that can be attained by everyone. Being taught that happiness is an art and that life is to be savoured . . . it's a good thing!

The Soul Of A Space

I recently read an interview with Heather Clawson. Clawson is an interior designer in New York and the author of the popular blog"Habitually Chic". In this interview, when describing her love of old furniture and flee-market finds for her home, she said "Old pieces give soul to a space". That quote caught my attention. It made me think about my own home and what gives soul to my space. My grandmother bought the dining room set shown in the picture many years ago; my mother thinks it was bought in 1949. I remember this set sitting in Grandma's living room throughout my youth. After she passed away, my mother inherited it. It sat in Mom's garage for a number of years because she had no room for it in her house. When Mom and Dad built a new house, the table, buffet and hutch sat in her dining room for twenty years. Mom later moved to an apartment, and I was the lucky one to inherit Grandma's dining set. It now sits in my dining room. As I pondered Ms. Clawson's statement about old pieces giving soul to a space, I realized that these three pieces of furniture do, in fact, give soul to my space. They span three generations of women who shared a love of these beautiful pieces. When I polish the wood, I realize I am touching the furniture that my mother and before her, my grandmother, lovingly touched. I feel very connected to both of them. This connection is truly the soul in my space. When it is my turn to pass on the furniture to a fourth generation, I hope it will create the soul of the new home it sits in. Knowing that the items passed on from one generation to the next create the soul of the home . . . it's a good thing!

Rescue

I, along with the rest of the world it seems, have been watching in amazement as the Chilean miners have been brought to the surface, one by one. Their strength and spirit as they step out of the cage that has brought them back to the surface is breathtaking and inspiring. No one expected the men to have the stamina and the sheer strength they have displayed as they embrace family members, their rescuers and even the people who have been watching and cheering them on at the rescue sight. After sixty-nine days underground, we all expected more sickly and subdued men to rise to the top. We could not have been more wrong! As stories began to emerge, the world is beginning to understand that faith was a major factor in keeping these men alive and they never doubted that they would be saved. I marvel at that kind of faith. I think it has made all of us who are watching the rescue step back and realize that in this fast-paced world and in the midst of all the modern equipment that is saving these men, they still needed "old-fashioned" faith in the equation for survival. I, likely like most people watching, find myself in tears as each man steps out of the rescue cage. As they emerge from below, I am most fascinated by their calmness - evidence that they fully expected this moment to happen. As I observe them with their families, most of the men appear to be the ones offering comfort, not the other way around as one might expect. Because of this calmness, strength and faith, I strongly suspect that in the coming days and weeks, we will hear incredible stories of what happened almost a mile underground. I can hardly wait for these stories! I believe these tales will have a great and positive effect on the entire world, and perhaps in the end, that was the purpose of this terrible incident. Knowing that someone, or some power, kept guard over thirty-three miners deep in the earth for sixty-nine days . . . it's a good thing!

A New Life

This Thanksgiving week-end became even more special than usual - a new baby boy came into our family. My niece and her husband welcomed their first child. As I look at this picture - their first family picture - the years peel away. I remember when she was born and I travelled to another city to meet her and welcome her. I held her, a tiny bundle, in my arms. It is surreal that soon I will hold her child in my arms. Where have the years gone? Does this make me old? I have realized in other family events that I am witnessing generational passages. Our children are graduating from high school and university, getting married and having babies. These nieces and nephews were children only yesterday, when did they grow up and begin to have children of their own? How wonderful to witness it all and now to begin the witness the lives of their children, the next generation. How thrilling to have a new member in our family, this baby boy who will be loved and cherished by a large family, the family who, not so long ago it seems, welcomed his mother. Welcoming a new little person into our family . . . it's a good thing!

Thanksgiving Day

I don't know if it is because I'm getting older, or if it is because there have been so many catastrophes around the world this year, but whatever the reason, I feel a lot of gratitude this Thanksgiving. A person only has to speak to someone from another country who has come to Canada to find the freedoms that we take to granted, to realize how fortunate we are and how thankful we should be. Closer to home, I am thankful for a wonderful family. My own little family and my extended family spend most holidays together. As I think back over the years at the gatherings I have enjoyed with brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, I realize anew what a wonderful family I was born into. I am grateful that at those gatherings we enjoyed food and had enough left-overs for almost everyone to take home. Compare that to the children who have to fight for scraps of food just to survive. I have wonderful friends which I am thankful for - both friends my husband and I have as a couple, and my women friends. When I compare the lives we lead as strong, independent women with the women in countries where they have no rights at all, I realize how fortunate I am to have been born in a country and at a time when the women before me fought for the rights I and my friends now enjoy. I am grateful that by working hard, my husband and I now have a home we love in a city we love. People in other countries work hard just to survive and never will be able to own their own home. Thanksgiving is really a time to reflect upon how fortunate we are and how blessed our lives have been. Well, for most us - my little friend, the turkey, in the picture is not so grateful to see Thanksgiving arrive. For the rest of us, however, enjoying a day with family and friends and being truly thankful for how fortunate we are . . . it's a good thing!

The Secret Society of Happy People

"The Secret Society of Happy People"! The name itself intrigued me and I had to find out more about this club. The more I looked into it, the more I loved the concept. The motto of the Secret Society of Happy People is: "If you're happy and you know . . . tell somebody! If someone else is happy and they know it . . . listen!". The society describes its purpose as "encouraging the expression of happiness and discouraging parade-raining. Parade-rainers are people who don't want to hear your happy news". Parade-rainers! Don't we all have parade-rainers in our lives? We just didn't have a name for them before! I have mentioned in my blog that you can "fool" yourself into thinking you are happy and before you know it, you truly are happy. By focusing on positives, life is more enjoyable for you and for others around you because happiness is contagious. And that is the very root of what this wonderful society is attempting to do - create more happy people! They describe one of the side-effects of belonging to their Society in this way: "Since happiness is contagious, if more people are recognizing and talking about it, then more people will be happy. And, ultimately, our world needs more happy people". Happy people creating happy people! What could be simpler? By the way, this "secret" society is not so secret; they have thousands of members from over 34 countries - each one spreading happiness and joy. Being a happy person - not a parade-rainer . . . . it's a good thing!

T'is The Season For Shopping

Well, I did it! I bought this year's first Christmas present! During the first week of October! I never, ever begin Christmas shopping before November, - ok, usually December. I always plan to shop early, but I never do. Before I know it, it's December, everyone else is done their shopping and I am in a panic. But, it's a nice panic. I like shopping during the Christmas rush. It puts me in the spirit of the season. And bonus, because I'm so late, I don't "over-buy", which I know I would do if I started earlier. The more time you have to shop, the more likely you are to find additional items that would be "just perfect" for everyone on your list. Which is why I was shocked to find myself buying a Christmas gift in October. I don't want to be one of those organized people who has their shopping done in October and their wrapping done in November! Well, maybe a little part of me wants to be that organized, but I don't think it would be as much fun. However, now that I've started, maybe I should try to have all my shopping done by the end of October. I wonder what that would feel like? I wonder what I would do in December? Maybe there is an organized person screaming to get out - perhaps I've been too stressed fighting the crowds to notice! I just might spend Thanksgiving week-end Christmas shopping! Being open to changing the way you do things. . . it's a good thing!

The Guys In The Sky

For the past few days, I and everyone on my street at work, have been watching with amazement the men who are replacing the shingles on the church across the street. The church roof is very high and steep, and towers over the other buildings in the area. I cannot imagine what would possess anyone to take on that kind of job! I have been watching these workers high in the sky perform their work with an agility that almost defies gravity. Almost defies it, but not quite - equally impressive are the various safety measures they are taking. They are at all times secured with cords and ropes, and they create "steps" by laying and nailing down ladders and boards to the roof. They move quickly and efficiently across the roof. Equally impressive is how quickly they descend and climb the building. I wonder how one would train for a job like that. How long does it take before you become accustomed to working on tall buildings? Why would you even want to? I wonder if their mothers know what they do for a living? These men bring the term "Don't look down" to a whole new level. I salute and admire these workers, but I would not want their job for a million dollars! Having a job that does not require you to climb tall roofs and allows you to keep your feet solidly on the ground . . . it's a good thing!

The Last Line On The Last Page

Don't you love that bitter-sweet feeling when you come to the end of a really, really good book? You might stay awake until 2:00 in the morning, reading to the last page. I find myself rushing to the end because I want to know what happens, yet feel conflicted because I want the story to continue so I can enjoy it longer. When I read that very last line and close the book, I savour the adventure and the excitement of the story. Only a really good book can do that to you. And that's when the bitter-sweet part comes in. I love that I enjoyed the book so much, but I hate that it's over. The mission then becomes to find another great selection to read. Reading - and finishing - a really great book . . . it's a good thing!

A Woman Ahead Of Her Time

My maternal grandmother, Elise, was a woman much ahead of her time. She spent her early adulthood travelling and didn't marry or start a family until her thirties - unheard of in the early twentieth century. Born in Jura by the Swiss border in France, she enjoyed a life of privilege. She did not marry until later in life, and spent her twenties travelling, especially to Paris. I wish I had asked her more about her youth when I spent time each summer with her and Grandpa. By the time I was old enough to start to wonder about the life she had led, she was gone, and with her went all the stories of her youth. I know that in her thirties, she travelled, alone, to Canada to join her brother, who was a priest. Her brother was not well, and she took him care of him, moving with him each time he was posted to a different parish. Eventually, she met Grandpa. They married and had two daughters. Even as a mother, she was a woman born before her time. She returned to Paris several times over the years. She travelled alone, crossing Canada and crossing the ocean by ship, leaving Grandpa and her children at home. I have pictures and post cards she brought back from Paris, but not the stories of what she did there or which family members were there to meet her. She was at the World Fair in Paris in the thirties. The post cards and pictures she gave me tell the story of the World Fair, but not the story of my grandmother at the World Fair. While I do not know the details of her life as much as I would like to, I do know that she was strong, independent woman long before society encouraged women to be that way. Being secure in the knowledge that strength, independence and self-reliance runs in my genes . . . it's a good thing.

Autumn

Fall was my Dad's favorite time of year. I don't care so much for autumn because I know that soon it will be winter. While it may seem unfair, fall has never been my favorite season, only because of what follows it. It does have its own beauty which I appreciate. Driving down tree-lined streets with their gold and red leaves is breath taking. Tonight in the park I saw a mom piling leaves in a pile so that her little boy could jump into it, much to his delight. Autumn for me brings a vision of my dad raking leaves, stopping to lean on his rake and telling me how this is his favorite season. He enjoyed the change in weather from the hot days of summer, and liked the crisp, clean air. My dad died in fall. The day of his funeral, my older sister and I commented to each other how fitting it was that this was the season he died in. As we buried him, red and gold leaves flew, and the air was crisp and clean. Over the years since he passed away, autumn is the time of year I feel closest to Dad and to his memories. He is there with me when I rake, clean flower beds and bring in the garden. Enjoying the different season - for different reasons . . . it's a good thing!