Welcome to October's first Tuesday 4 kept in memory of Toni Taddeo.
1. What memories do you have of Octobers past?
Welcome to October's first Tuesday 4 kept in memory of Toni Taddeo.
1. What memories do you have of Octobers past?
Hello friends and fellow bloggers,
I hope you are all well. Today I'm sharing several photos taken this past week. We had several days that covered us in gray skies but we also had a day here and there with bright, clear blue skies.
The one thing you can count on is the sky is always changing and giving us interesting things to look at.
I'm joining in with Skywatch Friday today. Thank you for stopping by!
1. Is there one piece of advice you were given that you feel has been very important in your life?
Yes, to stand up for what I think is right even if I have to stand alone. In my lifetime there have been occasions when I've had to implement this advice and stay strong on my own (and of course with the help of God).
In later adult, years I heard a quote by Sir Winston Churchill I also took to heart. Perhaps you've heard it.
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” (Sir Winston Churchill).
The reason I found it helpful is I have a tendency to drop everything to help someone else who perceives they need a listening ear. I get this from my later mother who was very giving and very self-sacrificing. It's a symptom of how she was raised as a motherless daughter and the expectations others placed on her. Over a long period of doing this, I realized that it was hampering my ability to get things done, whether large or small, because there could be so many interruptions in a day.
These days, I strive for a better balance between making myself available, especially at crucial times, and focussing on my own goals and priorities. It's a form of self-care and it's also a way to be a better steward of the time God has given me.
2. What advice do you think is important for building good personal relationships?
Understanding that every person has a story and sometimes they need someone to listen to it. It's also important to really listen to others and try not to give them too much unsolicited advice. The longer and the better I get to know someone, the more I get a sense of when to keep opinions to myself and when to offer advice. Of course, some people straight out ask for advice.
One thing I've learned in this life's journey is that there are also people who are known as energy vampires. These are people who sometimes intentionally, drain your emotional energy. They feed on your willingness to listen and care for them, leaving you exhausted and overwhelmed. I have actually met several of these kinds of people especially when I was just starting out on my own. Once I recognized the situation, I had to learn to put up boundaries and sometimes even cut out certain kind of people, especially those that like to complain a lot and look to you to prop them up emotionally. We all need a bit of this kind of emotional support, however when it is constant and overwhelming, it's my belief that someone needs professional assistance.
3. Do you give advice to friends when they have problems to solve or do you refrain unless asked?When I was a young adult I often gave advice, solicited or not. These days I refrain from giving advice unless I'm asked. Even then I don't readily offer detailed advice.
4. What advice can you give us today?
Be grateful for each day because tomorrow is not promised to us. That is what I'm trying to do myself. Also, it's good to learn to be content in life and to honour what the Lord has given to us. I get inspiration from the Apostle Paul in this regard who said (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV).
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Take care everyone. Thank you for stopping by!
Sunday September 22 is the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of the Autumn season. Let's talk about it okay?
1. Are there pumpkins or chrysanthemums on your porch or are you planning on putting some out?
No. I don't have a porch but I also don't care for mums or using seasonal decor except at Christmas. Even that is minimal.
2. What seasonal changes are you noticing in your part of the world? What would you add or take away?
I've noticed a drastic change in temperature. We've had some lovely sunny days with brilliant, blue skies but we are now in the period where rain can happen at any time. If I could add or take away, I would increase the temperatures just a wee bit and take away some rainy days. We do need rainy days to keep our trees and grass green.
3. Is pumpkin pie on the menu for you this fall? How about pumpkin spice or pumpkin latte coffee flavors? Are you a fan? Spiced teas? What do you like?4. If there was a free week long tour of New England, complete with peak colors and a trip to Plimouth, Massachusetts (the colony site with historical players), would you come along? If that doesn't suit, where would you like to go for your Autumn trip?
Absolutely. I love autumn colours. The closest I've gotten to the beautiful autumn colours in the east is in Quebec and southern Ontario. In fact, many years ago I took my mother on an escorted Fall Colour Tour and we both enjoyed it so much. The foliage was absolutely spectacular. We get beautiful foliage here in BC too but not so many deep reds (maple trees) which I absolutely love. An alternative trip would be to New York City. I think it would be the perfect season for walking and sightseeing in Manhattan.
The weather has definitely turned cooler though it has been beautiful and sunny. I enjoy this time of year before the rains fall. One can still enjoy the light and sunshine, some floral blooms remain and fall colours are starting to set in.
Hello friends and fellow bloggers,
I hope the end of the week finds you well and in good health.
On my end it's been a hectic week and I suffered a bit of ill health here and there but am more or less fine. I think it's just the transition from hot to coolish weather that usually gets to me at the change of seasons. But I'm enjoying getting out in the cooler weather while the sun still shines.
I hope you enjoy today's skies over Vancouver.
The moon is out and shining bright. It's time to say goodnight.
Enjoy your weekend and thank you for visiting. This is my submission to Skywatch Friday.
Hello friends and fellow bloggers,
This is a continuation of my decluttering and reorganizing efforts.
I'm so happy that at long last I've been getting to little bits of clutter that doesn't seem to have a permanent home. I should throw it all out but that is not like me, ha ha. Instead, I stash it and hold on to it. Now at last I'm going through it, sorting, organizing and disposing of it as needed. I can't tell you how good this makes me feel because these little bits stashed in bags and containers of all kinds is so much visual clutter.
Visual clutter as opposed to hidden clutter, makes me uncomfortable and anxious every time I look it. I don't have hide away places where I can stash everything until I'm ready to deal with it. That's probably a good thing. I want things 'out' so it's easier to access them and organize whenever I have a few minutes here and there. That time is now.
Tuesday and Wednesday I dealt with clutter in the living room and organized the TV cabinet shelves. I've still got too much 'stuff' housed there but I did get rid of a large bag of books and CDs & I will be getting rid of more.
I've got a CD player or two and so I can still listen to them. I have a lot of study materials on them so I've kept those that I want to study soon. Mainly foreign languages and Bible studies.
Does anyone out there still listen to CDs?
I also continue making small decor changes. Although the changes are small they take so much time to research or consider products, order them, assess how they are working and package, return and reorder them as needed. Here are some of the recent changes.
This one is for paper recycling. |
Replaced shopping bags with covered bins for recycling containers and papers. I got the new to me Sterlite bin from a woman in the neighbourhood. Previously I thrifted a covered Ikea bin which I'm using for containers.
Replaced the blue scatter mats (as in the photo above). Every time I look at these mats in the entry way and kitchen I cringe a little because the edges are becoming quite frayed and the white-ish gray colour is looking 'dirty'. I'm loving the lighter, brighter colours in the new mat and I hope they last for a while.
Covered chairs with slipcovers to bring cohesion to 2 different coloured chairs in 2 different styles which I've now put close to one another. First I tried gray slipcovers. They were supposed to be a light gray colour but instead they were quite dark. I returned them for this beige colour which I prefer. The problem is the covers aren't quite long enough to cover the bottom of the chairs. I've ordered another style and I hope they will work better.
I've ordered a different type to see if it will work. |
Replacing old outlet covers with new ones. No amount of washing the grooves made the plate look clean. It's hard to wash the switches. They need to be changed or removed to be washed and dried properly. I figure if I am going to remove them or have them removed, they may as well be replaced. Only a few need the switch mechanism changed but this is actually quite a low priority in the long list of things to do.
Hello friends and fellow bloggers,
A happy Monday to you all. I hope you have a beautiful week ahead.
Yesterday was "Car Free Day" on my city street. I didn't go out because I don't want to line up to buy something to eat and I don't need anything the small shops are sending. But the event was incredibly well attended. By the time I went out to buy a few things at the local pharmacy the stalls were mostly gone but the police were still in attendance directing traffic. There were also a lot of pedestrians walking here and there since no buses or cars were permitted until around 9 p.m.
I was amazed to see what looks to be a small ferris wheel being packed up and taken away. I guess the small kids had a lot of fun.
It just needs a good cleaning and it will be ready for use. |
Welcome to October's first Tuesday 4 kept in memory of Toni Taddeo. 1. What memories do you have of Octobers past? I have 2 memorie...