I Am Thankful! (and more…)

Sometimes I just want to say thanks! Sometimes I just want to say thanks but add a bit more to it. That’s what this page is about.

The Happy Tourist

“We start off in life as tourists, but often we turn into spies. Tourists come to see the good, to enjoy the journey, to notice everything this place has to offer. Tourists are upbeat, excited and happy to be visiting.  Spies look for problems, always figuring out what’s wrong, sniffing out the bad and the weak.

If you want to be happy, then learn to live life with the consciousness of a tourist.” – Yehuda Berg

 

Reader Appreciation Award June 6th, 2012

What a surprise this morning as I opened one of Kim’s posts and found that she was  nominated for the Reader Appreciation Award. If you have not had the chance to visit http://ladyromp.com/  you are missing out on someone who devotes much time and effort into her blogs – 4 per day.  These are not just your run of the mill blogs either. Kim sends out a quote, then a Mother of Inspiration, A Woman of Inspiration and Local Inspiration.  I have travelled down memory lane, met beautiful women, and men,  cried at some of the memorials and laughed at some of the quotes and expression that are posted.

To my surprise, I was given this torch to pass on to six other bloggers.

First I must let you know what I have been up to lately.

I have been preparing to move. My husband has gone ahead to Alberta to secure employment and I will follow as soon as I tie up things here. It is with a heavy heart that this move takes place, but sometimes, as we know,  things happen for a reason.

Now for six nominations.  This is the hard part. I am choosing these as they have been supportive to my Box of Books by commenting and putting in their two cents and stimulating my brain. In no particular order:

http://newfoundlandtraveller.wordpress.com/ Pauline

http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan

http://judysp.wordpress.com/   Judy

http://beanovelist.wordpress.com/  Norma Jean

http://ahhamoments.wordpress.com/  Brian

http://oddducksociety.wordpress.com  Brenda

Should these lovely bloggers decide to accept this award, they need to link back to the nominator, let your readers know what is going on in your life, and nominate six blogs.

I thank you, Kim, http://ladyromp.com/ once again, for your great works and for the nomination. Thank you also to my blog mates.  You know that even if you weren’t mentioned in this round of nominations, you are still thought of and read almost daily.  Thank you for being in this part of my world.

Tornado Tracking – 53 Years in the Making

One of the blogs that I follow (Grist) had a link to the following site.  I was amazed at the visual data that has been recorded over the years.  It looks like a streaking light show.  What was a bit more disturbing, is that there is a very large population base located in the heaviest hit sectors of the USA.  The following comments are only from my mental cues, so please know that I do not mean to disrespect anyone for their choices.

I don’t know if I would have what it takes to live in an area where the threats to family and property would always lurk in the back of my mind.  This must put a subliminal stress to their lives.  The disaster drills, taught at school, home and work,  are well thought out and delivered on a regular basis, but still the enemy would be casting his dark shadow over me daily. That combined with the population base trying to get out-of-the-way, or travel the emergency evacuation routes, or even have a form of communication, in a real event, must be mind-blowing. Now I am going to throw in the heat, the further south you are. When the power is knocked out because of the storm, or other disaster, it is likely that the elderly and young ones are going to be feeling the heat stress rather quickly.

The only thing I can think of that would show my thoughts of organized chaos, is akin to picking up a rock, and underneath it is an ant hill. It really doesn’t take that long for the group to move the eggs to another section out of harms way, but they  crawl all over each other in the process. The stress shows by their movements.

If any of you have read my short story, Things  That Go Bump in the Day, https://littleboxofbooks.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/things-that-go-bump-in-the-day/   you will notice that tornadoes make me uneasy anyway.

I am  pretty sure that the choices we make, as where to live, are personal as well as economical.  I just know, that I would have a hard time wondering if I should I have this child,  buy this home or take this job, knowing that it could be wiped out with the twist of fate or Mother Nature’s hand. Despite this, you face life head on. You may very well be better, stronger people than I.

http://visually.visually.netdna-cdn.com/TornadoTracks_4fbd458d255c5.jpg

This Is Tough But It Works

Posted by liz blackmore on May 28, 2012 in Thankful and Challenging

The moment we decide we want to do more, a negative force comes to push us back.  Leadership and challenges come hand in hand. This because if it is too easy, then it is not real or fulfilling (remember the spiritual principle of earnership). There has to be a challenger to make the trophy meaningful. Our ace in the hole is to be aware of this universal principal, and to make the commitment to re-educate how we react.  When the push back happens – go forward.  Do the opposite of what your fears and doubts are telling you to do.  –   Yehuda Berg

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you did not move forward. Was it fear that held you back? Lack of confidence? Listening to other people? Not listening to your inner voice? Lack of finances? Lack of  knowledge?

For myself, yes to all the above. I have had so many ideas come to my mind, that I was beginning to think that I should just become a professional muse. The bad thing about doing this is that the moment money enters into the muse aspect, for me anyway, the ideas dry up. It is funny how you can see so many starving artists, so to speak,  that create the best work when they are hungry. (Remember that I said I have been a gypsy most of my life – I have seen a lot of stupefying artists.) Is it  the fear of the unknown that takes over the wish to step into the next phase of success, and then  opens the mind to express the fears on canvas or in the words written?

Are you able to push back?  Have faith in what your ‘voice ‘ is saying. Face the challenges, take that breath and step through the portal.

I Caught This show On TV

I don’t  normally have the TV on when I am doing my stuff at night, but tonight it was on. I turned up the volume on a PBS station when I heard a few of the comments and pictures being heard and shown. The show was called On The Edge: Family Homelessness in America.

It was a show that evoked a lot of emotions in me. Partially because of self induced homelessess when I was younger and the fear of becoming homeless when I was older with family. It was a show of reflection, and really humbled me.

I have so much to be thankful  for now, and really, it is not in physical comforts, it is being aware and complete in myself, my surroundings, my spouse, and my extended family. Coming to peace with all things past and present is such a blessing. No I don’t live in a bubble, sunshine and rainbows, life does come in to my world, but I can deal with it and move on. I can chose my battles and usually, keep it under control when dealing with the extreme ones.

If  you have the opportunity to watch this,please let me know what you think.  I know that this subject is one of the passions of one of the blogs I follow. To you, I am grateful that you are doing what you can to help aleviate this issue in your area! Sing your hearts out! Thank you from the bottom and top of my  heart!

The Worst Is Over

I am thankful for the firefighters that gave it their all in order to help squash the fires burning in our area.  While the fires are still burning, those great professionals have got it under control. The emergency response team tried their best to keep communications as optimal as possible, despite the lack of cell and inter-organizational communications.

I would like to encourage all those who are going to relax in the great outdoors this long weekend, to ensure they comply with the local parks, municipalities, and fish and game relugations in respect to open fires. There are bans in effect in many areas, and while this may take away from the whole experience of camping out, the memories you would have  losing someone to a wildfire would linger longer.

In the words of Smoky the Bear – “Only YOU can prevent forest fires!”

Not Quite What It Was Supposed To Mean

Tonight we sit on pins and needles.  The old saying ‘keep the home fires burning” is not intended for what we may have to face.  The forest fire burning 4 kilometers away is still out of control. If the winds shift, we are in BIG trouble. Right now we are on evacuation alert. Hopefully we will be allowed to stay. The smoke is getting heavy again.  Not a good sign.

I am very worried about the horses. They really are in the best the best place they could be in as the pasture is large. We are able to wet blankets to cover them and keep the out of harms way if needed.  This is when one gets very upset with the hydro company.  We could have set up our hoses and pumps if we had had power hooked up there.  Grrrrrr!! That is another story.

If I am absent for a bit, you’ll know why…we  were given the notice to leave.

William Shatner – You Changed My Mind

OK, I was NEVER a Trekkie (?). You know those avid followers of Star Trek.  All these years I kind of avoided anything that William Shatner was involved with, because I did not like Star Trek and I couldn’t see past the Captain Kirk persona.

One day,  Wierd or What was on TV.  It was my first experience to see Mr. Shatner as more or less himself.  He wasn’t too bad. I could handle him here and besides the stories were interesting.

Well tonight, April 1st, 2012, Mr. Shatner is hosting the Juno Awards in Ottawa, Ontario. He can be comical and he has some musical talent. Hmm – who’d a thunk it??

I am saying this because I like to think of myself as  someone who does not judge.  I try to accept a person for  who they are, not what they are stereotyped as. Yet here I had judged the Shatner  who is on stage for all these years, (I am sure that a Trekkie will let me know how many that would be.) simply because I did not like the show he became popular on. As I started to look into the man, he is quite the guy.

If you are interested in finding out more about him, you can link to one of the many sites , but I put this one in.  http://www.tribute.ca/people/william-shatner/5415/

Now I have to go through my mental list and start looking at who else I have wrongfully stereotyped despite my thinking otherwise. How about organizations?

I am thankful for the ability to accept my short comings. I know that I must stay diligent to keep the one trait I like, being non-judgemental, in tact. I need to purge the garbage, yup, the ones I have to pull out of my basement, and deal with the reason I let it slip past my radar.  Thank you William Shatner for changing my mind.

Annonymous Poem

Never look down on anybody, unless you’re helping them up.

To realize the value of a sibling: Ask someone who doesn’t have one.

To realize the value of ten years: Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize the value of four years: Ask a graduate.

To realize the value of one year: Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of nine months: Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize the value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of one minute: Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize the value of one-second: Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of a friend or family member: lose one.

Time waits for no one– Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when You can share it with someone special.

I AM Thankful…So very thankful, for the family, friends and new people who have entered our lives. You all bring something special to our lives.

Thank you.  Sincerely, Liz and Randy

A Quote for My Daughter’s Wedding

“That alliance may be said to have a double tie, where the minds are united as well as the body, and the union will have all its strength, when both the links are in perfection together.” – Colton

Wishing you both many happy and exciting years to come! You are loved.

I heard someone say this once before…

“Imagine a day without a need for our masks. No fears or false personas. No holding back and no wanting approval from anyone!” Yehuda Berg

When I listen to what writers are saying with regards to their fears, I could not help but think of the Don’t Hold Back phrase that I have posted on my fridge. The quote from Mr. Berg made me think about myself too. Do I have too many hats or masks? Am I really afraid of what others think, but pretend not to care? What am I afraid of, really? How about you?

Snow Delay and  a few other things

OK- I think I have finished the snow removal for now.  There is only supposed to be another couple of inches over the next two days. That is bearable! Back to the blogging!