Loud and obnoxious people in a social setting or in a public space, hot weather, shopping and too many errands or hard household work.
2. What things do you enjoy in life?
Faith, family, a few trusted friends and the physical energy to do a few enjoyable hobbies.
3. How do you want others to see you?
As a kind, compassionate, honest and God fearing person. Someone who will be helped when in needs and not just useful when others are in need. We are all human after all and no one person can be the best on their own at all times.
4. What things do you enjoy most and find most relaxing to do?
I enjoy many things and most of them are simple. These are in no particular order. I enjoy a good coffee, a warm, sunny day, birds in the garden, lovely flowers growing or cut, simple, fresh foods especially made by others, a nice sweet, a good song, a good poem, a good book. But all of these things are best enjoyed in the secure knowledge of a loving, Heavenly Father who cares for me, faith that I will see those of my loved ones who've gone on before me again, loved ones here on earth who make time to touch bases and show love even if they are busy and friends who do the same. I enjoy slow walks, sunsets, sunrises, green spaces, flowers poking out in places that seem impossible, travel to places near and far and someone with whom I can share all these things.
Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. It's so nice to have you here.
Let's talk about you this week. Let others know your feelings and convictions. Give some advice and some wisdom. And remember to visit the other contributors to get to know them and find out their opinions too!
1. What do you believe the purpose of life is?
When one is a Christian the purpose of life comes into clarity. We have a very brief time on earth. Our eternal home will come after our physical body dies, therefore the purpose of life is to make sure you know you are headed where you want to spend eternity and to live your life accordingly. I want to spend eternity with God and his Son, Jesus Christ and the multitudes of heavenly hosts and the saints who lived and died throughout all the ages, including mybown loved ones. I also believe we have a duty to share our faith with others so that they too can learn about the salvation plan.
2. How do you handle stress ? What do you recommend to others who are stressed out?
We all face stress on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. It affects us whether we are conscious of it or not. As a result, I have learned many ways of dealing with stress and I employ them as and when needed. For example, I pray and read my Bible, listen to uplifting music or read inspirational and motivational writings. I also go for a walk, speak to a friend, ask for prayer, do something with my hands, read a book or focus on breathing. When we are stressed we tend to hold onto our breath and our breathing can become very shallow or difficult. Stretching exercises are also good for someone who experiences tension in the muscles due to high stress levels or physical ailments like fibromyalgia or arthritis.
3. What enjoyable things do you wish you could do more often? How would it improve your life?
I enjoy so many things but one thing I wish I could do far more often is travel. I love to travel far and wide to distant places and it can require more stamina, energy and resources than I currently have. Many of my relatives live far from me and I would love to take some long road trips to visit them too. Travel would improve my life because it makes me happy and happiness is good for one's health. The bible says that "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones". Proverbs 17:22
4. Do you believe in God? Why or why not?
I do believe in God. When we hear the gospel preached we have a choice to accept or reject what we hear as truth or fiction. I choose to accept the Bible as the true and inspired word of God and moreover to accept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross and shed his blood to save me and all of mankind from sin and eternal damnation. I accept and believe in God and his Word through faith.
Living a life of faith doesn't always mean things go smoothly and easily in life. But even when going through difficulties and trials there are many scriptures that give comfort and hope.
Two of the scriptures that have helped me countless times are the promises of God in Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" and Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us".
Another week has flown by and we are already staring a new week in the face. Time for Toni's Tuesday 4.
Everyone loves a party. Imagine you are arranging a party or an affair for a friend. Perhaps a home wedding or a milestone birthday. Share with us your best ideas please. Money is not a concern.
1. a. What is the occasion?
The occasion is a wedding.
b. Will there be a theme to the party?
There will be a spring theme, assuming the wedding is in the spring season. Colours for the theme will be in pastel shades of rose, pink, lavender, creams and whites.
2. Will there be music in the background or perhaps a hired band or DJ? What music will play?
There will be beautiful classical music in the background selected for the ability to create a sense of elegance, grace and calm. Perhaps there will be some other music that is prepared for weddings and receptions.
The music of Pachelbel Canon in D will be played as the bride makes her way to the floral arch to meet her groom.
3. Describe how you will decorate the house for the party/wedding.
The wedding will be held on the patio and the entire home will be festooned with tall, elegant and extravagant floral bouquets. Some will be selected for fragrance but nothing too overpowering as some people have allergies. On the patio itself there will be bountiful flowers all around the perimeter. There will be a floral arbor under which the bride and groom will stand for the ceremony. The arbor or arch will be something like in the photo below minus the bouquets at the bottom on each side. Instead those lower arrangements will be arranged all around the patio and indoors.
4. What kind of foods will you serve and will it be finger foods or a sit down meal? Catered or home style? What kind of cake?
In keeping with the simple, yet elegant nature of the wedding we will have finger foods catered by a company known for healthy and elegant finger foods (click the link for some examples). There will be a variety of both hot and cold foods to ensure people have what they would like. There will be wedding punch to drink and toast. There will also be a beautiful yet simple cake with ivory frosting and more flowers all in white and off-white such as in the examples below. I like the first cake but the floral arrangement in the 2nd photo.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about the wedding plans. Please be sure to RSVP.
How are you doing? It's great to be back at Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
Music is something most people truly enjoy but some find it annoying at times. Some listen at home, some in cars, and music is played in restaurants, shops, you name it, music provides a background for many activities.
1.What kind of music appeals to you? What kind can you do without?
I love all kinds of music but my favourites are Christian music, mostly hymns and contemporary gospel, folk music/world music, some rock n roll, traditional country music and classical music. At the end of the day, I have very eclectic tastes in not only music, but also in decor, in books and foods.
I don't like heavy metal or a lot of what passes today as popular music. So much of it is vulgar, filled with cursing, degrading to women and downright nasty. But if one is a bit open minded there are good selections of music in almost any genre. I don’t actually listen to music a lot because there are so many things to fill my time. When I do listen, it is mostly worship music I like to listen to at home.
2.Do you consider music an important part of life? Why or why not?
Music is an important part of my life.Gospel music lifts me up and enriches me.
When I want to enliven my physical being, I listen to some rock n roll and dance in my chair as I work on the computer. When I want to relax and enjoy some moments, I listen to any of the other music I like but mostly folk music and world music, and less often to country music and rock n roll.
Music in general is important to society. It brings people together in a good way or a bad way. It depends on the music, the lyrics, the beats. Music has a very powerful effect on people, for good or for bad. I know music can be used therapeutically with the elderly or the suffering and that’s a good thing.
3. What's on the radio as you drive or what is on at home and do you find music in restaurants and shops soothing or off putting?
I don't tend to listen to the radio at home much. Now and then I’ll listen to a local news program or try to tune into a Christian radio station.But when I'm on a road trip I listen to whatever my fellow travellers listen want to hear.Usually they have a personal playlist. I don't mind music in restaurants and shops. In fact when I go to buy groceries, I will often dance in the aisles if no one is around, lol. I'm sure they get a laugh if anyone is watching the video cams.
4. Would you tell us some of your favorite songs and singers please?
I have so many gospel musicians I like: Don Moen, The Goodmans, The Isaacs, The Hoppers, Charity Gayle, Chris Tomlin, Tara Smith, Darlene Zschech, Tasha Cobbs, Sinach (Nigeria), Emmy Kosgei (Kenya-Nigeria), Soweto Gospel Choir (South Africa),and many others.
In the folk world my favs are: Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Buffy Ste. Marie, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Johnny Clegg (South Africa). Though it probably isn't technically correct, I classify World Music as Folk Music and I love a lot of World musicians. I especially like the music of many groups and individual artists. Examples include: Tinariwen, Ali Farka Toure, Sona Jobarteh, Fatoumata Diawara, Mdou Moctar, Bombino and many others. I often research the artists that come to town and though I don't usually go to their concerts I'll check out their music on You Tube videos.
Most of these World artists are men and women from many different countries in Africa and they are all absolutely incredible. Finding them and listening to them here and there, makes me feel a kinship with people all around the world and gives me joy to know that they are passionate about their music. I like some oldies but goodies in rock n roll. Too many to count really. I seldom listen but I do enjoy from time to time: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles and many others I can’t remember off the top of my head because I so seldom listen. When I do want to listen to some rock n roll, I simply google “70s hits” and rediscover the music of the decade and other decades.
I almost forgot that I also like a lot of country music artists. I had to come back here and update the post when I realized that. But again I so seldom listen. I mostly get to hear the artists on award shows when they perform. I enjoy the country performers of old and newer artists who perform the old style: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris to name a few. I saw Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Alan Jackson in concert over the years and they were all incredible. Oh my, I almost forgot too that I also love classical music. I find it very relaxing. I usually listen when I go to the symphony or opera but I haven't been for a long time. I enjoy Mozart best in terms of classical pieces and Giuseppe Verdi for the opera music. I will often listen to classical music on You Tube, especially in the Fall and around the Christmas season.
I close with two videos of my favourite gospel singers from the African continent. I hope you enjoy them.
Hello! This is Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we ask just 4 questions each week in an effort to get you blogging, thinking and learning about others.
Maybe we can discuss the town you live in. It might be nice to find out more about where you live and why you live there. Sometimes we just fall into a place and other times we choose.
Michelle Byrne painting
1. What are the good points to living in your town? Could you interest us in moving there?
There are many great things about my city. I think top of the list is the spectacular scenery, but there is also a good variety of arts and entertainment, public services and transport and lots of parks and touristy places nearby to visit if you can get there and have the time, money or interest.
Most people love it here though I've noticed young people from China think it's very boring. Our city is very small compared to most of the cities in China. If you come from Europe and prefer old, historic buildings, you might be disappointed here because we don't have much of that. I've talked to many visitors to Canada over the years and they are always in awe of our nature, wide open spaces (outside of the city) and wildlife.
The things we really have going for us are spectacular scenery, lots of green space, walkability and relatively good public transit (at least in the big cities). Unfortunately there are several things making this city and much of Canada not very good places at the moment though I understand nany if these issues are geing experienced in other cities worldwide: the high rate of homelessness and opioid addiction which results in rising crime rates, lack of affordable housing whether for rent or for purchase, lack of inter-city public transportation and the very high cost of living in general. The recent runaway inflation being experienced around the world has exacerbated many of these issues. I wouldn't advise people to move here unless they already have a place to live. A visit is good but do be prepared for the expense. Though I suppose if you come from Europe our deals may be more affordable to you due to the higher value of the Euro. You will get almost one and a half dollars for 1 Euro right now.
See here and here if you missed some of my recent scenic posts for an idea of what you're missing if you've never visited.
2. Are the things you need convenient to your home? (shopping, library, schools, entertainment?)
I am very deliberate about where I live so I end up paying more for housing due to living right in the city. For years I didn't have a car and I was always concerned about the time it takes to get to work and whether I could even get to work with a car if unforeseen things were to happen (accidents, storms and so on). Living in the city and closer to things doesn't mean there won't be unforeseen things happening, but it does cut down on some of the lost time that might be involved. I digress. To answer the question, 'yes', I live close to everything. In fact, I can walk to most places I want or need. There is a school or several in the neighbourhood if you have young children, there are several grocery supermarkets within a short walk, there is a library and several gyms and community centres, churches,
banks, salons, boutique clothing stores, thrift stores, restaurants and so on. I have to go a bit further for entertainment (plays, movies, art exhibitions and sporting events) and usually catch the bus or a friend who lives further away will pick me up so we arrive at the venue together.
3. Did you choose your town or did you just end up there?
I chose my city for educational advancement. Back in the day, there were not as many accredited universities (there are many colleges which are more accessible) and you pretty well had to move to a large city for them. One of the cities is on Vancouver Island; the other two are in the Greater Vancouver area. These days there are more universities to choose from. Government realized people need higher education with lower costs and greater accessibility. Also, not everyone wants to live in a larger city like Vancouver and some like people don't want to live on an island, large or small. I stayed in the city due to work opportunities. There simply wasn't, and still aren't, a lot of career opportunities in my field (public policy) in most smaller cities outside of the few large cities we have in the province or in the country. I also wanted to be reasonably close to my late mom and late sister so I could visit them more frequently. Otherwise I probably would have pursued opportunities outside of Canada.
4. Is your town known for any special foods, activities, places or people?
One of the things I loved about Vancouver when I first arrived is all of the multicultural festivals that occurred. Almost every known immigrant group had a special few days where one could attend to enjoy the sights, music and displays and food. Most of these events were held outdoors and were free except for the food/s. There are still many festivals. In fact, many new ones have started up but the old ones have kind of died off or they have changed and they aren't quite as much fun anymore. Maybe it is just me being older and having already experienced these things. I now prefer to go and see the floral displays at botanical gardens or attend a garden show in the park. Besides these activities we are also known for the place people come to go on a cruise up the coast, travel up to Whistler to go skiing (many celebrities come here for that) or as a jump off point to go fishing off the coast or whale watching. I haven't gone on a whale watching tour. I prefer to see them unexpectedly when I'm taking a ferry to the big island or sometimes a pod of whales will even come into the inner harbour and stay a few days.
How about a bit of coffee questions this week? Or, if you drink tea ow anything else, adjust the questions to suit you.
1. What is your favorite tea or coffee? (KIND or Brand)
My favourite coffee to make at home is Maxwell House regular strength. Years ago I used buy my beans, grind them and home and make coffee in a French press. My favourite beans were Swiss Wash (decaf) and Guatemala Antigua. I found these two were just the right strength and the Swiss Wash was actually quite nice for a decaf because the Swiss Wash process preserved the coffee flavour. I no longer have a French press to make coffee but may get one in the future. A while back, I also purchased a Nespresso Machine (as in the photo below) and like to use that now and then especially with the frother though I haven't settled on the right coffee blend and the pods can be very expensive. If I have just the right blend of coffee and use a French press or the Nespresso machine, I typically will have only one cup of coffee. It is enough. I guess it must be more concentrated than other coffees.
As for tea, I usually enjoy Rooibos tea (which is decaf) made in tea bag form by Lipton or purchased loose in some health stores. Lately, I've started drinking sage tea at night and sometimes in the morning too for health benefits. Apparently it's supposed to be good at fighting inflammation and reducing blood glucose levels among other things. Rooibos tea also has similar health benefits.
2. Do you prefer your coffee in the morning, afternoon or evening?
I have a cup of coffee when I rise and usually one or two more during the day. One in the afternoon and if I go out alone or with a friend, I'll also have one in early evening. When I'm alone, I use this time to enjoy reading a book.
Yes, meeting a friend for coffee is one of my favourite ways to visit with a friend. I'm not fussy as to what kind of restaurant. With my female friends they usually like to go to a quaint and interesting tea or coffee shop. With my male friends, Starbucks or McDonalds is fine. When I'm alone I usually go to McDonald's where I can enjoy a coffee and read undisturbed. Unless it's Friday night. McDonald's at that time of week is usually hopping with young people and they make too much noise for me to relax and enjoy a book. How often I meet friends depends on my schedule. I will usually book these meetups several in a row over a few weeks and then go for a while without meeting.
4. Do you have a night time regimen before you go to bed, and how about your first thing in the morning routine? Does it include a hot drink to relax in the evening or coffee to get you going in the morning? Does it help to start and end the day right?
Yes, my morning routine consists of waking slowly and having a water, medicine and coffee before I have my shower and begin the day. My days can vary a lot but I always begin with slowly waking. In the evening after cooking and cleaning up afterwards, I usually make a hot rooibos tea to stay warm in winter and relax over reading a book. In summer I'll have a cold beverage of some kind usually one without too much sugar and this is when I might have some kind of supplement or herbal tea as well. This is also when I meditate and pray more meaningfully because it is quiet and peaceful at this time of the day. Both the morning and evening routines help me start and end the day right.
I like too many decor styles to have a favourite. Having a beautiful home has never been that important to me though. It's more important I feel comfortable in my home. Since I used to travel a lot and I like handcrafted things from my travels or those I make, I prefer to decorate in an eclectic or bohemian style.
2. What makes your bedroom comfortable?
My bedroom is comfortable when I have cosy and warm or cool bedding depending on the season. I also like a variety of pillows because some days I need neck support while other days I need less support but I always need my head to be quite elevated. I also need lots of room for putting water and others things I might need including the phone for the alarm.
3 What do you think makes a home comfortable and welcoming?
A home where people don't feel that they are going to get something 'dirty' because it is too white or too elegant. Other than family and a few friends, I don't invite that many people to my home. Invariably they comment on how comfortable or peaceful my home is and that is the feeling I'm after. Some people also like to investigate all the books on the bookshelves. Over time I've downscaled a lot of books but I still have more I'd like to give away in due course.
4. Do you share your home with pets? Would you tell us about them please?
Long ago I had a beautiful while, long haired Turkish Angora. The cats I like tend to have long hair and require a lot of maintenance. These days I don't want to spend so much time brushing a cat or vacuuming after it but I do miss having one. From time to time, I think about getting another cat though it will likely be a medium haired cat. So far, the timing doesn't seem to work out to get a cat but I'm sure eventually I will have another fur companion.
It's time once again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. We're talking about cowboys this week.
1. Do you like western style chuck wagon cooking? Stews, chilis, beef steaks, BBQ etc.?
I like these kinds of food in moderation. I especially like stews with cubes of beef.
2. Do you make a good chili or do you know someone whose chili is the best ever? Beans, meat or both?
I used to make a great chili but it seems I've lost my touch. The last few times I've made it it wasn't that great. I use beans and meat, usually beef. Sometimes cubes of beef and sometimes ground beef.
3. Who is your favorite cowboy movie star?
I can't say I really have a favourite cowboy movie star. I liked almost all of them except Clint Eastwood. For some reason I didn't like him in cowboy movies but I did like him in other later movies. John Wayne was the actor who seemed like he was in almost all the cowboy movies that played on our two television channels growing up.
4. Do you have a favorite western TV show or movie
I liked all of them. I'm not sure why because I never was really into rodeos, horse riding or living on a farm. I attended the rodeo every year because virtually everyone in the family and community did. The Fall Fair happened at the same time and that was more my idea of fun. The one movie that sticks out in my memory is The Big Trailfeaturing a young John Wayne. It's about hundreds of settlers in covered wagons moving westward from the Mississippi River. You can watch it on You Tube for free. I did also enjoy all the western shows on television like High Chaparral, Big Valley, Cheyenne, Bonanza among others. I also enjoy Kevin Costner in the movie, Dances with Wolves.
Welcome to another episode of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we are challenged to answer 4 questions on different subjects each week. Thank you to Annie for hosting each week.
Maybe we could talk about the internet this week?
1. When did the home internet age enter your life? How much impact has it had?
It took awhile for the home internet to enter my life as I don't usually jump on any 'fads' as soon as they arrive, lol. I honestly cannot remember when we started using the home internet on a regular basis because I was using laptops and desktops at work for word processing and limited internet use for a few years before we had these at home. I think it was in the early 1990s, possibly even a bit earlier when we had home internet installed. In those days we tended to use it for learning something as opposed to entertainment, blogging and other things.
2. How powerful an influence if your phone? For instance, do you feel guilty not answering when you are busy? Do you text back immediately? Does the phone own you? Do you friends feel they should be able to monopolize your time by demanding to know where you were when you didn't answer? Is it intrusive or welcome?
Cell phones are a powerful influence and I often wish we didn't have them. It is intrusive because that is where I get too many notifications and unwanted phone calls which I tend to ignore. I subscribe to too many things so there is always something new. I often turn off notifications for a time and I could eliminate most of them but then I'd totally forget about certain things I don't want to forget about. As it is, I spend a good part of time throughout the day deleting things & trying to identify and keep the things that are most important. Every now and then I cull the subscriptions I have and delete a lot of extraneous email.
I don't get that many phone calls on my cell phone unless it is a service like a dentist or some other service provider, and a lot of crank calls, spam calls or marketing calls. The cell phone reminders about appointments are useful but I get annoyed when service providers call both the landline and the cell phone to leave messages. Some of them are just trying to ensure that their customers get a message like an appointment reminder or a change in appointments. But spammers and marketers really annoy me when they keep calling and don't leave messages. Friends and family mostly know not to call me on the cell phone and tend to only call my cell phone if they can't reach me otherwise. They know I prefer getting a call on the landline. In the beginning some people acted like I should always be ready to answer the cell phone just because it rings. Well most of the time I don't even hear it ring or I can't get to it in time. I've explained that I only have a cell phone for my convenience and also for safety reasons, not for having heart to heart talks with people. Most things are just not that urgent. They generally understand or at least I think they do. When we do get to talk on my landline it is a much nicer visit and in the comfort of my home. However, the cell phone is great for keeping in touch with my friends from abroad in Kenya and other countries through WhatsApp and for making quick calls when out and about.
3. What places do you frequent on the net and by phone or PC etc.? (pc. personal computer, laptop, etc.)
I frequent all the usual places: FB, YT, IG and email. Other than that, I spend time reading blogs, news, googling directions and travel times and various other things I might be interested in at that particular moment. For example, today I watched a YT channel from Kenya, downloaded statements from the bank, sent email to my bank investor, contacted a local organization about a zoom call for tomorrow and cancelled a physio appointment. I also spent time preparing this blog post and watching a few You Tube videos. I also use the internet a lot for participating in church services, bible reading, questions about spiritual matters and learning more about the work of Christian organizations and other charities.
4. Wikipedia is editable and biased because anyone can edit the articles. Algorithms also determine what you can and cannot find on the interest. So, how much stock do you place in its information?
I am aware that Wikipedia is biased but I think all information is biased to some degree. I use Wikipedia a lot especially for fact based information when researching authors/celebrities and their work projects or books, maps and important information about various countries and cities, public figures like politicians and business people I want to know more about, and so on. I check other sources as well and do a lot of online research in general. So far I've found the information on Wikipedia fairly accurate for my needs and I do my bit to support the website's efforts. I also supplement the information I find on Wikipedia with other information found on line. If I'm really not sure about something especially with all the fake news these days I try to look at fact checking sites.
I found these questions interesting and I hope you found the answers interesting too! Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your visit.
It's time for Tuesday 4 and we're back with our host Annie at Cottage by the Sea.
Let's ask ourselves some questions.
1. What was the worst date you ever went on?
I can't quite recall his name but I think it was Phil. It was a blind date and we met up for the one and only time at a coffee shop rather than at a restaurant. I didn't want to do dinner in case things didn't go so well.
I was actually looking forward to meeting him but he started off rudely by telling me I looked nervous instead of saying something nice. I thought to myself if he was a good man he wouldn't point out my discomfort if he noticed anything and instead he would say something to put me at ease. I wasn't actually even really that nervous and certainly not obviously since I have quite a bit of experience with small talk and meeting strangers in general. I just wanted things to go well enough even if it didn't work out for the longer term and that the experience would be useful for dating in general.
But the next thing he did was bore me to tears for about 2 hours and a half hours. He'd brought along several of his photo albums and proceeded to show me every single photo and describe everything in each of them. I did my best to be polite but seriously??? I didn't know him or anyone in the photos and it was excruciating to sit through a description of every photo especially since they were not what I would call 'artsy' photos but simple day to day kind of photos. I wouldn't have minded at all if he'd selected a few photos to introduce me to people in his life and if kept his explanations of them to the point. That way I might actually learn something about him. It would have also been nice if he'd bothered to ask anything about me and my life since I didn't take photos along, lol. When I finally had enough I made my excuses and said my goodbyes. Needless to say I never contacted him again and he made no effort to contact me.
2. How was the nicest date you ever had?
In my early years I had nice dates but not with anyone I could really connect with as a life partner. I can recall going to a coffee shop with one teacher. It was a romantic setting with candle light coffee, good music and good conversation. Though I wasn't attracted to this man, he later stayed a friend and I did enjoy the ambience and folk music at the venue. There were dates with other over the years. But life was very busy and demanding with many responsibilities and I didn't have much time for dating and building a relationship. When I did take time out I found I enjoyed romantic dates or doing simple things like a quiet dinner out, a stroll on the sandy beach under moonlight, or riding around in a sporty car, top rolled down and the wind in my hair.
I'm a romantic at heart but I need more than romance or a good provider or adventurer. I wanted a love connection with someone who was also deeply committed to God and who followed a Christian lifestyle. It has always been important to me to find a man who had a deep faith. It took many years before I finally did meet the man I am married to now. We met while I was on a missions visit to Kenya. We had many challenges to overcome (family illnesses, commitments to jobs/projects/dependants and so on) before we could be together even after we were married. But we hung in there and we are together now. Over time, as we courted and got to know one another we also did simple things. There wasn't a lot of free time as we were also working but from time to time there was time for romance and just doing the simple things of life. My DH is not, by nature, a romantic man but once in awhile he gets inspired. I remember strolling on a boardwalk under the African moon with hippos in the adjacent river nearby. It was also somewhat exciting because African wild animals were close by and hippos are also quite dangerous. I also remember another time when he introduced me to Ethiopian food at a wonderful restaurant in Nairobi. We chose to dine al fresco in an area nicely decorated with Ethiopian decor. We fed each other beef tibs, took photos and laughed a lot that night. Neither of us had experienced being fed by someone else since we were babies, so it made us giggle.
3. Where did you grow up and how did you like it? Are you far away from there now?
I grew up in the far north in Dawson Creek and Ft. St. John. I now live in Vancouver which is about 1200 km south of where I grew up. The cities in the north are very small and in those days there were very few amenities. Winters were long and cold with an excess of snow. I liked it enough but always knew I would leave one day to gain new experiences. Small town living far away from the big city isn't really my thing. The people I went to school with and my age mates were not interested in travel or furthering their education though things have changed. People now travel a lot more and many go away for further study though often returning to the north to live. It is still cold up there but it seems like there is far less snow.
4. What did kids do for fun and dates you were young?
We children went to church a lot. We were not allowed to date until at least 16 if not 17 and to be honest, I wasn't even that interested in dating. I was rather reserved, shy and a homebody. When I started dating I was almost ready to go away to university. My first real boyfriend was a very nice and respectful person and my parents liked him for that reason. We didn't have much in common though and and we didn't date very long because I was planning to leave and go to university. He knew that and he had no similar plans. We didn't do much except hang out with age mates and drive through the small town to people watch. Driving through town was a favourite activity of our age mates. Other times my boyfriend and I would simply sit and talk outside my house with mom and dad and the siblings all inside. There really wasn't much to do besides drive around or go to a movie. Back then young people didn't have a lot of extra money to go out dining like they seem to do today. If they had extra money they were usually saving to buy a car, buy clothes or move into their own place, that kind of thing.
Howdy Partners... welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. Today let's talk about the West.
1. Got some favorite Cowboy or western movies or TV shows you have liked?
I grew up in an agricultural region where there were a lot of farmers and cowboys. Most men worked out on the land and wore jeans and cowboy hats. With this background, listening to country music and watching western movies or TV shows was second nature. I watched a lot of western shows but oddly don't remember a favourite movie. I do remember a few television shows I liked such as Bonanza, Big Valley, High Chaparral, Gunsmoke and Davey Crockett. I liked them all. I also remember a lot of cowboy movies starring John Wayne which I enjoyed but cannot remember the names of the movies. I still watch any of these if and when I can catch them.
2. Ever been to a rodeo or horse show of any kind?
Definitely. Without fail the entire town and several surrounding towns, would attend the annual rodeo and fall fair. Bare back bronco riding and chuck wagon races were especially popular with most people but I liked the barrel racing best. The fair had carnival rides, snack foods, baking, sewing and handcrafts and all kinds of produce and animal exhibits.
3. Can you ride a horse or would you like to try?
I have ridden a horse. Someday I'd like to try again however I am far from being a natural horse woman. In fact I had trouble getting on a horse the few times I rode one. I'm the type of person who needs a stool to assist getting on the horse and have difficulty swinging my leg over the horse's back.
4. How would a vacation on a dude ranch suit you?
Yes, it would suit me however it isn't on my 'must do' list. I grew up amongst cowboys and respect them. However this lifestyle was never really my cup of tea. Fortunately if I change my mind there are dude ranches in my province that are easily accessible.
Happy New Year everyone. Welcome to Toni Taddeo's first Tuesday 4 in the new year.
January is named for Janus the two faced god who looked into the past and future. Some believe he
was Noah who may have been worshipped by his progeny. He certainly looked into the pre flood world and the new world. The Anglo Saxons called this month Wulfsmoanth. Let's talk about January.
1. January 1, 1892 Ellis Island opened it's doors. Did any of your relations enter the United States through Ellis Island? If not, do you know your family's history? My family isn't American so no relations entered through Ellis Island or any part of the USA. Fortunately I do know my family history but many of my extended family members do not.
2. January's birthstone is garnet and the flower is the carnation. Do you have favorite gem stones or flowers? The garnet is a very pretty gem but I've never been a big fan of carnations. My favourite gem stones are sapphire and turquoise. I'm not sure I have a favourite flower but if I have to pick one it would probably be the rose in any colour because they smell wonderful and there are so many varieties and colours for any taste. I do like many kind of flowers though so if we met up in person I'd probably ooh and aah over any beautiful, colourful flower in the garden.
3. January 6 is Epiphany. Many take that day as the final day of the Christmas celebration and take down their decor. What about you? I take down my decorations before the Epiphany otherwise they might stay up for several more weeks and that wouldn't do. I like to keep them up until New Year's Day then they come down the next day. This year I almost took them down on December 27th. I think it's because for the very first time in a long while I put the tree and decorations up at the end of November and so a few weeks is more than enough.
4. There is some evidence that January can set the tone for your entire year. What do you think of this? Do you make resolutions, etc? I'd be interested in what you mean by 'evidence'. Have there been some scientific studies on the subject? It does make sense to me that January can set the tone for the year. My maternal grandfather always used to teach us, and mom carried on the teaching, that we must set our home and our family matters in a good and positive way before the New Year comes and on the eve of the New Year and on the first day, we should be doing positive things and activities that will 'follow' us throughout the year. In other words, no fighting and division amongst family and friends and no negative activities. I adopted this as the way I live my life in general but also at the close and beginning of each New Year. My family also liked to gather together at home safe and sound rather than be out and about and we stayed up visiting and watching television festivities waiting for the New Year to be rung in at midnight. Then we would hug and kiss and wish one another a happy New Year. Following that the phone would start to ring and/or we would make phone calls to wish loved ones far away a very Happy New Year. Sadly, no one really does this anymore but I loved it. Today I do still stay up until midnight to wish my immediate family a Happy New Year and have a small toast. I hope to continue this tradition even if it is only with one person.
Update: After reading what others have posted in answer to this question I came back to expand on my answer in case there was any confusion by what I meant. I want to clarify that my maternal grandfather was not a superstitious person and nor was my mother. We were/are all Christians and the idea about the positivity was to set the tone of what would follow in the new year. It was not magic, nor a ritual but an intentional decision as to how we would live out the day, the transition to the New Year and the New Year itself. We were in gratitude, if you will for each day and moment that the good Lord has gifted us and were deliberately choosing our attitudes about the gift of more time.
Last but not least, I don't make resolutions but I do adopt a theme word for the year. A few years ago I did more detailed goal setting but this takes more thought and work to be ready to post it at the end or beginning of each year. The goal setting works well for me when I'm able to do it. The theme word also works well and gives me more flexibility in the activities I'm carrying out throughout the year.
Thanks for stopping by. I'll be paying your blog a visit soon!
Hello and welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we hope that 4 questions help you to blog, meet people and think about things in general.
Let's talk about the countdown to Christmas or Chanukah or both!
1. What was the countdown to the holidays like for you as a child? Special projects at school.. at home.. with friends? Was a big deal made of the month in your family or town? What does your countdown look like now?
Christmas season was always super busy for kids. We not only had Christmas programs at school to rehearse and prepare for but we also had Christmas programs at church to rehearse for the congregation. December was a nice, celebratory month in my town but I don't recall big and ostentatious Christmas displays. It was a small town after all and most people who decorated did so modestly. We children looked forward to getting the presents under the tree each year and to having a feast at Christmas dinner and all kind of snack foods throughout the season. Our house was a place for relatives and friends to drop by throughout the day to eat and visit. This was the case at every holiday and mom absolutely loved having everyone over and making sure they had too much to eat. Mom didn't go all out baking cooking and sweet snacks but she did make a big batch of Dream Bars and also shortbread and sugar cookies. I still absolutely loved and still love Dream Bars and make them on occasion for the Christmas season too. A day or two before Christmas and New Year all sorts of snacks would be set out which including things like nuts and mandarin oranges (the only time of year we could get these oranges in local stores), fruit cake, deli meats, variety of chips and dips, smoked oysters, pickles, cheese, crackers and cheese balls. We had this basic selection all through my childhood and into adulthood too. There was always plenty of food.
2. As a kid did your family stay home on the holidays or go visiting around ... what do you do now?
My family usually stayed home on the holidays and people came to us. These days, I find most of our relatives stay in their own homes celebrating with their own immediate loved ones or they travel far to gather with loved ones. After all the families have grown up with children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren so things have changed. I hosted both friends and local relatives for years but these days don't do much of it.
3. What foods did Mom and Grandma make for those days? What snacks were out? What is the food situation in your home today?
The snacks that were always out were mixed nuts most of which you had to crack yourself, Christmas candy (the red and white or green and white ones that tasted of wintergreen or mint, mandarin oranges, fruit cakes, Dream Bars, cookies,potato chips, pickles, cheese cubes, cheese balls, crackers, smoked oysters and deli meats. The only real baking was the Dream Bars which have a shortbread like bottom with crunchy coconut flavoured topping. I basically make the same Dream Bars but not every year and we have a lot of the same snacks. I guess the other home baked goods were the cookies, usually shortbread and sugar cookies.
4. Did you have a traditional way of spending the day with time to open gifts, visit, special breakfasts, special dinner, guests? What do you do now?
Christmas morning was always for our immediate family. The children woke early and excitedly waited until parents rose and said it was okay to open gifts. Then everyone sat around together and opened their gifts one after another while we all oohed and awed and commented on the revealed gifts, lol. I don't remember if there was a special breakfast until much later when my mother and sister always made waffles with fresh fruits, whipped cream and bacon for breakfast. Then we waited for the full feast at dinner. I still basically do the same but we don't have the special breakfast every year and I do not put the Christmas turkey on the table until supper time. Mother always wanted the 'dinner' early so it was more like late lunch growing up. Then we ate leftovers throughout the day and into the next.
Let me close by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. May you enjoy the season whether alone or with friends and loved ones. I hope you will feel refreshed and look forward to 2023!
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