Wisdom

 

Courage is knowing that it might hurt, but doing it anyway.

Stupidity is the same thing.

And that is why life is hard.

                ... Inspiring Souls

Me On A Monday - May 29th

 Good Morning All.  What a lovely weekend in this region.  I spent most of my free time in the garden.  It was glorious.  So much is happening out there.  Several of my perennials have bud colour coming through with lots of promise of magnificent blooms.  My Tree Peony has 10 flower buds.  

We had another crisis with Mr Man's eye.  This time it was the left eye.  Mr Man receives an injection into the eye every 10-12 weeks now to prevent bleeding behind the eye.  When he started receiving this injection 7 years ago, we started out with weekly trips to a Toronto hospital.  About two years into the routine we were able to get an eye doctor closer to home to do the injections.  Last Wednesday he had one of those scheduled "routine" injections.  The next day we had an appointment with the surgeon eye specialist two cities over from us, who did the surgery in March on his right eye. This specialist detected Mr Man's left eye was leaking fluid.  The doctor that did the injection on Wednesday went a little too deep (apparently) & actually punctured the eye.  The eye pressure was dropping quickly, so to prevent further leaking they applied a bandage to the eye in the form of a large medical lens.  Before inserting the lens there was an injection into the eye of a antibiotic to prevent/stop any infection from the hole.  Antibiotic pills to take for 7 days, two new drops for 7 days. Mr Man's left eye is lime green (antibiotic) & enlarged (eye bandage/lens).  Thankfully on the Saturday follow up appointment, tests show no more leakage & no signs of infection.   

The driving to & from these Wednesday to Saturday appointments was crazy.  We encountered, drivers driving on the sidewalks, people driving the wrong way, drivers racing. The young man who was in & out of traffic, speeding along, crashed 10 minutes down the road from us.  He took out a hydro pole (electricity) & required an air ambulance to take him to a trauma centre.  We were re-routed through a shopping mall parking lot.  The road was closed for 12 hours.

Hence why I retreated to my garden every chance I had.

I just started two new  to me book series; War At Home (7 books) & Ashmore Castle (at least 4 books). Both series are by a favourite author, Cynthia Harrod Eagles.

Don't forget that this Thursday the SPSH begins.  Have you printed out the list to keep in your purse/bag/car for reference? 

Wisdom

 

SOURCE: INTERNET

 

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.

 

Why did you spill the coffee?

"Because someone bumped into me!!!"

Not the answer.

 

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.

Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.

Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.

 

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled.

 

So we have to ask ourselves... “what's in my cup?"

When life gets tough, what spills over?

Joy, gratitude, peace and humility?

Anger, bitterness, victim mentality and quitting-tendencies?

 

Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it. 

 

Today let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, resilience, positivity; and kindness, gentleness and love for others. 

 

                    ... source: Internet/FaceBook

 

Me On A Tuesday & A 2023 SPSH List

 As in previous years, the Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt/Search (SPSH) will run from June 1st to September 30th.  We'll have a couple of check ins throughout the summer so we can keep encouraging one another.  First check in will be Monday July 10th.

Just let me know in the comments if you want to participate. 

All photos should be taken by you or some one in your family. And as always, this is meant to be a fun activity, so if you only get one or two items on the list, great!  If you get all the items on the list, fantastic!

This year's list is a little shorter than previous years & most of the items can be found on or off your home patch. I think that the selections have an option of being easy or difficult.

2023 Summer Scavenger Hunt / Search Ideas

1. A Plant/Tree With Thorn(s)

2. A  Wordless Directional Sign

3. Something Netted or Webbed

4. Something Berry Berry Delicious

5. A Bridge

6. A School

7. Something That Dangles

8. Some Shadows

9. A Crack or Pothole in The Road or Sidewalk

10. A White Flower(s)

11. Extraordinary Water 

12. Summer Tools

13. A Sold or For Sale Sign (not necessarily a house)

14. Something That Rolls

Alternate A: Your Favourite Summer Taste

Alternate B: Your Choice

 

Wisdom

 

The soul has no secret that the behaviour does not reveal.

                                    ... Lao Tzu

Next Monday, the 22nd is a holiday here in Canada, so I'll be checking in with you on Tuesday the 23rd with a 2023 Summer Photo Search list. It's a shorter list this year. 🌼

Me On A Monday - May 15th

 An amazing weather weekend this side of the pond - a perfect Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day.

Currently In The Garden: this past week it was all about my garden & getting some professional help with the out of control, beyond my doing, goutweed removal!  A team of three very strong energetic young lads, dug out 97% of the goutweed & other invading plants. They put down some heavy duty landscape fabric as a barrier & then put lots of mulch on top.  Some of my plants had to be dug out, so I could sift through the root base to pull out the goutweed & replant.  Right now it does look a little stark, but many of the plants will fill in the space.   Any of the goutweed sprouting up now in between the leaves of my "wanted" plants, can be easily plucked out. 

Looking West

Looking East

I also had them remove a Forsythia shrub that was taking up way too much real estate in the garden for so little return of either beauty or value.  They also cut down a one sided stunted evergreen, which was occupying a lot of space & interfering with a peony bush.  

We have made up a natural weed spray; 1 gallon of cleaning vinegar  (I did not know there are different types/strengths of vinegar), 1 cup of Epsom salts & 1/2 cup Dawn dish liquid soap.  Mix all together & spray on the offending plants.  This is safe to use around animals & people.

My vision for this year is to not fill in spaces, but to live with some emptiness & see what fills in with existing plants. I would like to have more visual calm in my garden.  I have lived with so many "gifts" from friends & family, that this year I de-cluttered my garden space with a rather firmer hand than in previous years; gone are those ornamental things like plaques "bloom where you are planted" or "gardeners know the best dirt", even the little fairy girls are gone.  What is left is Meredith my angel that I made in ceramics class several years ago & my swinging monk, who makes me laugh every time I give him a push to swing.  

Currently Watching: caught up on the very brief season 3 of Grace.  We finished all 5 seasons of Blue Murder & we are just starting White Chapel.

Currently Reading: well nothing at the moment, as I need to get to the library to pick up my latest request; Smitten Kitchen Keepers.

Currently Healing: Mr Man's eye(s) continue to heal, slowly. At last week's follow up appointment, the tests show the bubbles in the right eye (most surgery) are diminishing & the inflammation is reduced.  Yeah! 

I hope everyone has the opportunity to get outside & enjoy Spring.

Wisdom

 

If you don't separate yourself from your distractions, your distractions will separate you from your goals & the life you want.

                            ... Source: unknown