Frivolous Friday

March 16,2012

Don't Save It---USE IT!!!!

Alright, now that I have your attention.... hold tight for just a wee bit!!

As I have retirement in my near future I am gradually winding down and have had a lot of time on my hands.  Having been a busy Registered Nurse for 25 years, I find some of the time long, and therefore have been busying myself with long overdo closet cleaning!!! I find it hard to believe that there are items hidden away for  2 to 3 decades or more!!! I must mention, here, that being the grand daughter and daughter of  a depression and post depression era family,  I learned to save just about everything. I was told "you just never know when you are going to need it" ( Obviously this was long before Dollar Stores were invented!!)
Case in point... While "downsizing" a linen closet I came across a set of  candle sticks. Now, you understand that when they were put away the were"special".   This title was attached to any and all things, that as young newly weds, we could not afford or did not want to spend the money on. The particular ones I am writing about were given to us by my husband's Aunt and Uncle.  The thought of acutally using them  for no good reason was just out of the question.  What if they were accidentally broken by one of our children??? Horrors!!
So, like good little candles they sat quietly at the far back corner of this closet, and never saw the light of day, as it was never deemed a good enough reason to put them to work . Very aesthetically pleasing.... at least for their day and age.... and made of pure  beeswax , they certainly were able to perform very well given the chance.

Now, here it is 2012, and for no other reason than seeing them made me feel good, I took them out of the box, placed them in holders and ..... God forbid... placed fire to their wicks!!! Know what??? I felt so good. Know why?? There is not better day then today!!  I am alive and well and so are you if you are reading this, and am  grateful for being on this planet!

In a way, there is a moral to this silly story. As young persons we felt that special things were for special days and we waited and waited for them to arrive, and lo and behold, our life has been passing by without us realizing  that NOW is special and TODAY is special.    So use the china cups ( do people still get those for gifts) and the fancy linens and don't wait to put flowers on the table if that's what pleases you. If you want to put lovely candles on the counter while you eat your breakfast toast....just do it. ( apologies to Nike!)

Take care.



 March 9,2012

Wow, has a week gone by already!!! Hard to believe.

In this part of the world -Atlantic Canada- the school age children have what is known as March Break. In my day.......oh, good Lord, I sound like my grandmother!!!!!....  the spring break coincided with the Easter Holiday and we called it Easter Vacation.  But, what ever it is called,it is a time away from  school, between Christmas Break and the Summer Vacation.  For many this is a chance to "go south" ie...Florida for a time. For a great many more, this is a time to just "hang out"!! For my Frivolous Friday moment this week, I have captured my beautiful grandchildren doing what they do best and that is just being kids!!!!

We  had the pleasure of  having them spend time with their Nana and Papa and although it was quite mundane by some standards, it was infinitely more to me and to my husband.  We are given the unique ability to see the world through the eyes of children. Oh, we did this with our own children, but we did not have the "gift" of age and time,we were too busy just "doing" to actually stop and appreciate all that we have..  To have my granddaughter say to me," Nana, this is the first time I put cookies in the oven that I made by myself", I acutally felt that perhaps,just maybe, I  might have made a little difference in her young life. That is quite a huge deal to me!!. I am posting photos of these delights today.

They are seen either, learning to use a stethoscope,  eating cookies on the way out the door, taking special cookies off the pan, or just plain old "hanging out" and watching a  favorite TV show. What ever it is, they are happy and in turn so are we. Really, does it get any better?!!

March 2,2012

The word "community" is derived from the Latin word communitas.  (cum. "with/together" and munus "gift") It is a broad term for fellowship or organized society.

By the time we reach later adulthood (aka "become older"!!) we have all belonged to many different communities. The first, in most cases, was our school and church communities, where we met and made friends, some we still may have today.  Then as parents, we had  the wonderful ( insert tongue in cheek) Home and School Associations where there was a common goal of obtaining and maintaining the best care for our children. And don't forget the sports or other interests your children had, that in turn we as parents united in a type of community to perhaps car-pool or baby-sit smaller children for each other. Wow, wasn't that just the time of your life!!!!
Definitely don't forget our work community!  Here, there are gatherings at maybe the water cooler, or perhaps it is the lunch room or somewhere where  the  individuals come together, with , if nothing else, the "gift" of gab!!!! Lively discussions ensue with topics ranging from how well...or poorly... this or that person performed.  I have heard.....that in some places...women even discuss the attire and attributes or their fellow employees!!! Can you imagine??? I am sure not one of you have ever been witness to this though.!!

Not to leave the wonderful male species  out of the picture,  it has filtered down to me that groups/communities of men gather in rather interesting  places as well. The basic "garage" seems to double as a more than adequate place to house "the guys", as they tell and retell stories of sports and of their own conquests in the arena or on the field.
 About now, I need to make it abundantly clear that I am not  gender type casting here!!  Purely observations!!
Speaking of which, my hubby and I were out for a short drive a few days ago ( prior to another winter blast) and came across a lovely scene of another type of "community". This particular one is called an "ice fishing community" and the inhabitants are young and old, male and female and very highly motivated.  I say this because why else would they come to this community , day after day, after day  with the only prize being a couple of smelt.?!!.(.fish.)  This particular village or community is one of many on the beautiful Kennebecasis River. Note that each house, lovingly called "a shack", has it's own unique character.  The  ice fishing community sets up when the ice is sufficiently frozen and  is taken down (usually) on or before the 15th of March. Don't you just wish you were there??!!!