Caring Is Sharing For December

 

The link for the Kindness Calendars is here: Action for Happiness

Me on A Monday - November 30th

 Hello & Good Morning.  The last day of November 2020.  I am not sure if I'm happy that it's already November 30th because then tomorrow is December 1st & out side lights can go on, or am I sad that another month ends which brings us closer to the end of 2020 - another year gone.  Well, not to spend too much time pondering that, let's make the most of the day.

I spent a lot of the weekend getting Christmas things out of boxes & into place of pride.  I really like my Santa collection & it is one of the first things I put out.  I got everyone on board with a few staged Christmas photos. Everyone putting on their best "elf" smile.  I send my photos out for printing at the end of each month & I've got some layout ideas I am just itching to try, so I need those photos now rather the end of December.

Someone in the neighbourhood, a few streets over, had her inflatables out & up earlier this month.  She is one of the few that has inflatables that keeps them inflated 24/7.  Many people only power them at night so in the day time they look like bedraggled carcasses on the lawn.  My photos are "Night & Day".  IMO, Some things just aren't better in the light of day ... I'll say no more.

 And of course yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent.  Our church also celebrated the official completion of work making our church building accessible for all.  We received a government grant in 2019 & we were finally able to find workers to complete the project last month.  The mayor of our village along with the oldest person in our church (she's 95 yrs) cut the red ribbon on the door that now is ground level to allow wheelchair access.

I'll see you Tuesday for some Wisdom sharing.

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt - aka WPSH

Eileen over at A Bracelet of Days is once again hosting the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt.  Just like this year's SPSH, Eileen has made a list that is quite doable for those in or out of lockdown & with a thought to social distancing & all that goes with a pandemic.    I hope you are going to join in with the fun, for some, for all, of the items on the list.  Thanks Eileen for organizing.

From Eileen's post; 

It's that time again. The Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt will run from December 1st 2020 to 31st March 2021; all photos must be your own work and must be taken between those dates, please.

There is a list of 20 prompts to find photos for, but up to three of these can be substituted using the alternative prompts at the end of the list if necessary. I've tried to think of prompts that can be found both indoors and outdoors, depending on local Covid restrictions but will add additional alternatives if it proves necessary.

Everyone is welcome to join in and remember, the most important part of the hunt is to have fun!

1. A set of three
2. Round and round
3. Peek inside
4. Glass
5. A treasured item
6. Horizontal
7. An opening
8. A sign of the times
9. Weather conditions
10. Work in progress
11. Measures
12. In the distance
13. Something beginning with C
14. One of many
15. Something with legs
16. A face
17. Comfort food
18. Something you do every day
19. Something yellow
20. Marking time

Alt A. In pieces

Alt B. Textured

Alt C. Black and white

The first link up will be in the first week of January. Does anyone want to start today? Go on then, and good luck 😀

Wisdom

 

 

 

"Faith & Fear ask you to believe in something you cannot see.   You choose."

                    ... Bob Proctor 

A pre-wish for a Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends on Thursday.

 

Me On A Monday - November 23rd

 Good Morning Everyone.

Yesterday was Stir Up Sunday - from the Book of Common Prayer (Anglican) "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."  

 Stir Up Sunday, always the Sunday before the 1st Advent, was & is important to me for various reasons but primarily it's a tradition within my family that connects me to my past, my present & hopefully my future.   My Gran brought a lot of her family/church  traditions with her when she moved from Wales to Canada & while my Mom & her were often at odds with each other, Stir Up Sunday was a tradition my Mom took part in.  My Gran would allow all of the grandchildren a stir of the Christmas pudding, which is said to bring good luck.  My Mother was not a Christmas pudding maker or liker,  so when she had her own kitchen, she would instead make her delicious Christmas cake & we would get a turn to stir that.  I still make my Mother's Christmas cake recipe & have only changed one ingredient - I add Grand Mariner liqueur (as the recipe calls for).  Neither of my parents were drinkers so alcohol was never added.   Are there any Christmas baking traditions that have been passed down to you that you make?

 

A sobering thought about COVID-19; our Prime Minister, Justine Trudeau told the nation on Friday, that a normal Christmas is just not possible this year.  The city of Toronto goes into the red category with restrictions of a lockdown as does the county of Peel for 28 days.  Our region, so far, has remained at the orange category.  As much as people are grumbling about the lockdowns, we need to remember it is our own fault, we just wouldn't follow the science, the medical advice.  Now all of us pay.  I'll say no more for now.

On a trip into town to collect a grocery order, I saw that the store had a row of fresh Christmas trees & other greenery on display.  What I am seeing every where in every way possible, are these gnomes, which I believe are of Nordic origin.  There are lots of local organizations doing online fund raising & one of the ways is to home create these evergreen gnomes.   Do you think they are cute?  Would you try to make one yourself?  Do you place a greenery pot at your front door?

 

I have caught up on my monthly One Little Word (OLW) exercises.  I feel a little bad for my 2020 OLW of Nourish; it's been a tough go making this word an active part of my life since most of this year has been spent in some form of pandemic lockdown or restrictions.  Usually by now, I have a couple of possible OLWs for the upcoming year rumbling around, but so far I have not got one single feeling for a specific word.  What about you & your OLW, was it a work in progress or a fell flat word?  Have you got your 2021 OLW picked as yet?

"do your best, while remembering your worth is not attached to what you accomplish."





 

Wisdom Wednesday - Change

"We do not lead by the example of our power, but by the power of our example."

                                ...President Elect, Joe Biden

which leads me to

"Change The World By Your Example, Not Your Opinion"

                            ... Paulo Coelho

Me On A Monday - November 16th

Good Morning,  I hope that everyone has enjoyed their morning beverage of choice.  

Sorry I'm late getting around to visit your blogs or posting mine.  We had a BIG storm yesterday that had 100/mph winds that knocked our power out on 3 occasions; 1 time the power was off for 5 hours - right at dinner into bed time.  It's temporarily repaired in our area & we will have a controlled power outage later this morning ... so now down to business.

It has been a week of many emotions.  Much of the news is dominated by worsening COVID new infection cases, everywhere.  I am not sure about you, but all this has me feeling very over whelmed with sadness, grief & anger.  I am not sleeping well.

And speaking of too much, I have seen so many F/B memes, many of which I totally agree with but one in particular stuck out for me.  Our health care workers are no longer the front line workers, they are our last defense & that we, each & every one of us, are the front line now - it is up to us to get these numbers under control.  I also found this week's Wisdom's quote among all the gloom about COVID.  Not to worry it is quite positive. I've printed it out & it's posted on the frig.

And speaking of positive, the county I live in, is now in the Orange category-Restrict,  because of all the positive tests for COVID.  Our Chief Medical Officer took a very hard line when reviewing the rising new cases & found the largest source of new infections in our region, were coming from the old order of Mennonites & since they will not/would not wear face masks or social distance, it was deemed necessary to close their schools & churches.  A tough but a necessary decision. Our medical officer is being heavily criticized for this, but she continues to work with the leaders of this community to find a resolution.  In the county just west of  us the rising numbers are attributed to the university students partying like it's 1999 ... (thanks Prince).  I've yet to see what measures are being taken.  It looks like Christmas will be very restrictive this year as I'm sure we'll be moving to a total lockdown.  Our local hospitals do not have that many ICU beds to begin with.

And speaking of Christmas, my good blog friend, Ruth at This West London Life, sent me some COVID Christmas journal boxes, which certainly cheered me up.  I spent a lot of time on the weekend finishing my 2019 December Daily album.  That felt good to have it finally done.

And speaking of blog friends, Eileen at A Bracelet of Days, posted last week her craving for cheese scones, which then created a need in me.  I baked up a small batch of cheese scones & oh my they were tasty.  Eileen has now had a craving for Thumbprint cookies, so I will bake some of them .  My waistline will need to watch these posts (lol).

And speaking of waistlines, I need to up my walking routines which have been only a few times in the last couple of weeks when I meet my friend at the fairgrounds. Mr Man hates to walk & I'm so bored walking alone.  But through my online Zoom bible study group, one of the ladies in my breakout group turns out, lives down the street from me & she likes to walk.  We have a walking, weather dependent, date for Wednesday afternoon. SO maybe I'll be inspired to walk more often.  

So that's my update for today, I'll see you Wednesday for wisdom sharing.  Be well, be careful, wear a mask & stay home.

Remember At The 11th Hour On The 11th Day of The 11th Month

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

  That mark our place; and in the sky

  The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

  Loved and were loved, and now we lie

      In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

  The torch; be yours to hold it high.

  If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

      In Flanders fields.

 

…Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae,MD 

Me On A Monday - November 9th

Greetings & Salutations on this very fine Monday morning.  Locally we have been experiencing record breaking good weather - temperatures during the afternoon have reach +20 (c).  On my morning walks I've had to only wear a very light jacket or sweater (jumper).  Patio Pete, one of my chipmunk friends was out & I ensured he had a good feed of peanuts in the shell.

Sunrise

Currently Digesting: new COVID rating information.  Our provincial government have moved us from ratings of stages to colour zones.  The region I live in, has been designated as a Yellow Zone - Protect.  Everyone is trying to figure out exactly what the colour zone restrictions are or aren't. And what does Protect mean?  Very confusing & I must say I am very disappointed that our MPP and/or Premiere have not provided very much public information, along with some conflicting information.  I finally found some charts explaining all the colour zone rules.  (MPP = member of provincial parliament vs an MP = member of parliament at the federal level).  Like every where, our numbers of new infections are rising dramatically & I feel so disappointed in my fellow members of society.  New restrictions imposed are not the government's fault, it's ours! 

Clear as Mud

Currently Reading:  I finished up Nine Women, 1 Dress; it was OK, didn't particularly bond with the characters & Eliza Starts A Rumor; which I did like.  Both of these books could be beach reads, but since we are now in the Autumn/Winter cycle of reading, I designate them as cocoa reads.  I'm in the middle of Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield; not bonding with anyone, but I'm pushing through. I am waiting on Matthew McConaughey's book; Greenlights.  I am not a huge fan of his acting work, but I recently saw two interviews with him about this book & I must admit I was intrigued by his thoughts about green lights in our lives.

Currently Impressed: with Mr Man's ability of fixing things.  With not a lot to do during COVID limited activities, Mr Man took on fixing the mantel clock we inherited from his Grandparents.  It is now chiming out the hour & half hour.  His job, his nature, his passion is to fix things ... & yes we are now watching The Repair Shop!

Currently Technology Frustrated:  I set up an Instagram account although I have not posted any photos & when I went to see what my December Daily Friend, Mel, had posted, I was told by Insta that I did not have an account, so I tried to set up & it told me that account was already in use, so I asked to reset the password, no account found - I cannot repeat here what language came out of my mouth.  I went around in technology hell for quite awhile. Anyway my card making friend, S,  took pity on me & is letting me use her Insta account - yes I know we shouldn't share passwords, but it's not like I'm going to post any thing, I just want to see what Mel is creating.  Mind you, I may have clicked on a fair few following tabs!!  Insta friend won't mind (wink wink).

Currently - OLW:  This month's assignment (please note I have not signed up to any official workshops online or otherwise) is making a review of how this OLW was working & what pushes can I make before the year's end.  I must admit I haven't spend a lot of time working in my OLW album or even for that matter working with my word - Nourish.  Will I pick a word for 2021?  Probably; maybe; yes.

Currently Planting :  I finally got my pink & white daffodils planted in pots.  I have sprinkled the top of the soil with blood bone meal to discourage the hungry squirrels.  I will move the three pots into the garage next week.  I'm letting the pots enjoy the last of the good before nasty, weather.  My roses have all been hilled up with their little Styrofoam huts on; settling in for that long winter's nap.

 

"we don't want managers to mange our change, we want leaders to lead our progress"

Sharing is Caring

 When I find something good & I believe to have life value, I like to share with my friends.  Here's the link so you can receive each month's calendar:  Happiness Action Calendar

Our good blog friend, Eileen is already putting the ideas into action!  A Bracelet of Days

Me On A Monday - November 2nd

Good Morning everyone.  I hope & trust that you are all well, that you & yours are all healthy.  The rising COVID numbers world wide are most concerning.

Source: Internet

Currently Reading:  recommended from Ruth & Deb, Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen.  I picked up from the library on Friday & started to read promptly - so far I am liking.

Currently Watching:  On Masterpiece Theatre; The Trouble With Maggie Cole, staring Dawn French. If this isn't a lesson in keeping your mouth shut, I don't know what is ... although it's only episode three tomorrow.  So many familiar stars.  Also watching; Bodyguard, starring Richard Madden (of Cinderella fan along with Lily James & of course as Rob in GoT). Oh excited that there might be a series two.

Currently Crafting:  Some Christmas gifts, that I can send through the mail.  I got the idea for this, when I received "one" as a gift last year.  I only have "it" as a pattern to go by.  I've made 4 so far, & I am rather pleased how they are turning out.  I promise all will be revealed at a later date.  Hint - it involves paper crafting ... I'll say no more for now.

Currently Attempting:  Sour bread starter dough - I was gifted this living entity about a week ago & when I said yes to receiving, I had no idea how much work is involved in feeding & tending to.  The making of the bread is also quite the process.  The person who gifted me the starter, insisted I name my starter as mine would be the "granddaughter" of the original.  My friend who owns the mother of mine, is called Bella, so I have named mine Ella. There is a whole online community of people sharing ideas & solutions.    I think I like the ease of Beer Bread much better.

Currently Moaning About:  We had snow yesterday, & it is staying on the ground!   I'll say no more for now.

Currently Sorting: I received a very large box & 2 bags of scrapping materials from my upline Stampin Up person.  She's not a scrap booker so when her friend gave to her, she passed it all on to me.  I now have to find a home for about 3/4's of it, as many of the papers are colours I would not scrap with.  There is a pad of very good quality paper, but not colours or patterns that I would use, but I'll keep to use the non printed side for my base pages to build on.

So that's a quick update from me.   November 3rd is the official voting date for the US of A.  Good thoughts & prayers for calm.  I'll say no more for now.