Frivolous Friday

                    

FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2013

Intention--- What do you intend to do about it??

"Intention"~ Merriam-Webster defines this as (noun)- A determination to act in a certain way. Resolve.

This word has long been a part of my vocabulary, but it seems to be in the forefront of my mind lately.



At this time of year I intend to clean the house and windows.  Still need to finish that one.

The month of May has a lot of family birthdays... they don't sneak up on me.. I've known  since last year about them, and every year I intend to get cards and/or gifts early...but never have.  This theory also applies to the Christmas season... rife with intentions!

I know some people who have been struggling with disease, whom I have actually told I would visit them, but have not as yet..... but I do intend  to do so.! This one really eats at me.

I was out shopping a few weeks ago, was introduced to a lady who is a friend of my daughter, and I complimented her on her earrings.  A few minutes later ran into  this lovely lady  in another department of the same store and she actually took off her earrings and GAVE  THEM TO ME.  I couldn't believe it. I have been intending to writing about this. Now at least I have done that.  Now to pay if forward!

I think, in general, that word " intention" and all its forms, connotes some type of inherent guilt. You know, things you intend to do, but if you are using that dastardly word then you have not done it yet!!

Life is about choices and in this  case we have two of them: (1) Do it and  be done with it. or (2) Forget about it entirely . Either way you will feel better!  I certainly intend to!!







Cartoon from Google Images

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FRIDAY, 24 MAY 2013

Friday -Celebrate the Small Things

May 24,2013

I decided to join a  weekly blog hop in which  the author Scribblings of an Aspiring Author,celebrates the small things. It is aptly called--

Celebrate the Small Things



Today is a foggy damp Friday in Eastern Canada, but I am choosing to celebrate this weather as there is nothing I can do about it, and am trying to find the positive in it all.
Here is the list I came up with for now-
1.You don't have to shovel it!
2.You save on sun screen
3.The world ( at least around here) looks almost mystic
4. The lawn/garden does not suffer from drought!!

OK, that's about it for me. Hope you get the idea.

June 8,2012

Marigolds on Main

I live in a comparatively small city on the east coast of Canada. We have   a fantastic view of the Bay of Fundy.... which empties into the Atlantic Ocean for those of you not familiar with the area.... four beautiful seasons  to enjoy each year, friendly people and an amazing population of young people,aka, kids!!

Every year for the past 15 years, the children of our city are bused or walked to one of the main streets in the  city which  is called....hmmmm,  what is it called again, oh yeah, Main Street!! Here the children, accompanied by their faithful and patient teachers and family come to plant Marigolds. The students have nurtured these plants from seeds, and in the process have learned first hand about biology, history of that part of the city,  community  involvement,planning, patience, co-operation and  the immeasurable joy of seeing the fruits of  ones labor. I personally think their teachers should each receive an award of merit as well!!!

Here, little guys, you stay here and grow up strong!!

Each year  over 1,000 children give 30,000 marigold plants a  new home down the center of the street and provide beauty and a sense of pride to all that view them.  To date about  2.5 million plants have been planted by students from neighboring schools.  This project has served as a model with more than 50 other sites  taking part in other areas.

I happened to be present at the fun exercise this year and was able to get a couple of pictures to show you what can happen at the grass roots....  or  in this case, the marigold roots, level!!!!

Just a bit of water to get started!

It was a cool day so some of the pre-K youngsters sought refuge after their work was done.

Everyone loves a day away from the books!!

For more information on this project see the following sites:

http://www.marigolds.ca/

http://www.saintjohn.ca/en/home/cityservices/communityenrichment/neighbourhoodsupport/marigoldsonmainstreet.aspx








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Frivolous Friday

This post of frivolity is aimed at the life we have become accustomed to and how I deal with said life when it is not as I have become accustomed to.    Alright, now that have committed so many grammatical errors,I can't count them, I will continue.
Like most of you  I have had a cell phone for many, many years and every time one wears out I get another that has, by that time, become much more technologically advanced. Usually by the time I feel comfortable with it, it crashes or falls apart necessitating yet another. Now, bear in mind that I am not a teenager, and although the latest version was "smart phone capable".....( whatever the heck that means.. perhaps it was capable of being smart but chooses not to be!!) and was very touch sensitive, much to the chagrin of my five thumbed husband. We did, however, learn to operate the device, at least for making "phone calls" which I believe is or at least was, the primary reason for having one!

Fast forward 11 months. I now am able to text at a reasonable speed, take impromptu pictures, and even use it as a calculator,and a mobile calendar for my appointments! All of that changed this morning. After being carefully examined by a"certified specialist",it was determined that there was a hairline crack in one corner that totally messed up the LCD screen. Now I am relegated   to using an older model graciously donated by a family member who was wise enough to hold on to her previous model and not toss them out as I finally did two months ago!!!

The point of this diatribe is to point out that we,or at least I, can so easily fall prey  to the insatiable Eagle of speed and ease, that I did not even realize it until it is no longer there. I am of the generation that started out DIALING numbers to communicate and now only have to "say the name" of the recipient  of my call. Phones are only one of numerous modes of technology that have advanced faster that the speed of light. Bulky computers are now hand held devices, also on the above mentioned phones.... hence the "smart" part!! The two channel televisions that were floor models have been replaced with 60" and 70" models with unlimited access to movies shows and movies,  and are sleekly mounted on walls or even ceilings!!!

Now I am about to relearn an old skill, hopefully not for long!!!

Helllooo, can you hear me now!!!

Posted by Patricia at 1:00 AM

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May 25,2012

It has been  unusually warm and sunny  for Eastern Canada in May. Consequently I have been outside much more than usual and as I am 97% retired I am thoroughly enjoying it.  However, it has caused me to miss a few blogs, and instead of being  contrite, I am putting things in "my" perspective.  Putting  my  words on .... I almost said "paper" ....a blog, versus being outside enjoying the sun and working in my yard, well, even if you don't know me, you can guess which side of Lady Justice's scales are tipping!!

Now for the "frivolous" part.  While working in the yard today I was thinking of how some of what we do today would be so weird if seen by our ancestors, even as recent as  grandparents. Think about this. First of all I go to a store to buy plants to put in my garden.  "Big deal" you say, "so does everyone else".  but the ancestors who I will affectionately call "the oldies", planted seeds and waited to see if they grew.   I have a small  back yard, but it is pretty bare in places so off I go to the trusty garden center, and fill my trunk up with rolls of grass!!! Again , a fairly normal thing to do, but picture if you will the look on the "oldies" faces if they could see me buying  25-  3x1.5 foot rolls of grass!!! They would be bent over laughing or  feverishly "figgerin'" how much they could earn if they rolled up the "back 40" of their farm!!  Think about it ...... planting fully grown grass!!! O.K. I know what you are thinking.... the oldies hadn't' even heard of that kind of grass, so get with my program here!!!  Now , after  all this hard work , my husband and I take a break and sit on the back deck.... (porch as "they" called it) and instead of  sipping well water from a well used ( and God knows how bacteria laden)  dipper,  we go to  fridge and get two "bottles of water" Now I know for a fact that the mere thought of having to purchase water would be more than they could comprehend. But  even in their wildest dreams such an occurrence could not be true.

Alright, my evening, along with my back, legs and shoulders , is about finished and I am talking to a former neighbor about the weather..... well, what else do you talk to someone you haven't seen in years about when you have 10 minutes to kill..... and picking up my  rakes,  edgers, etc, when I bend down and  realize that the Nike shorts I am wearing  are ripped from top to bottom on one side, with only the waistband and hem intact!!!Oh, crap, now what to do...... I smiled, pretended like nothing was wrong and walked as gracefully as one can with arms full of  tools and and right thigh exposed , to the shed.   Definitely another thing that the female "oldies" could never imagine happening to them!!!!

6 comments:

Kathy25 May 2012 04:06

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Friday, 18 May 2012

Frivolous Friday

OK, so this is going to be a real "off the cuff" post. There has been a string of wet, grey days lately, there are a hundred things I "should" be doing now instead of sitting here at my computer and to say that I am frazzled would be an understatement!. Ever have a time when as much as you try to be all things to all people,you fail miserably, and realize the person you have failed the most is YOU!!   I have reached a point in my life when time seems to have taken on a whole new significance . It has become a lot more important and for once in my life I would like to spend some of it doing what I would like to do.
Phew, now that I have that rant out of the way, I can begin to tell you what I wanted to post for this week's Frivolous Friday.   There is, ironically, a connection between my little"hissy fit"( see above) and my topic. It is called "Relaxing Places to Be"  
Frequently......or would it be "often".... I never really fullly understood the subtle difference between the two... I would drive to an area near by and just sit and think or just sit and put my  mind in neutral.  It helps if you also have a cup of coffee, tea, or just a bottle of water with you, to refresh you as you engage in this arduous task.
Amazingly, just allowing yourself to be still and see the scenery around you has a calming and peaceful action. It is uncanny how often we "look" but don't "see". Everyone has their own name for what is around us, but I am calling it Mother Nature for now.  How life unfolds, slowly, surely,  and without fanfare has always and hopefully will continue to bring me peace and an acceptance of who or what I am.
Having a friend, spouse, or confidant with you can also be beneficial as you can bounce ideas and thoughts off them  and perhaps gain a whole new perspective of whatever it is that has you operating at less than optimal level.
I am putting a couple of photos here as they are beautiful places at any time, but seemed especially "peaceful" on the evening last week when I snapped them.  They  all are of the Kennebecasis River ( say that fast three times!) on a late spring evening.Maybe later in  year I will show you a  few others at different times of the year. Perhaps it is the combination of water, trees, new beginnings , but whatever it was it makes me relax and enjoy life even more than I already do!!

11 comments:

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Frivolous Friday

May11,2012

                                                               Hypnosis                                                                  

 

After recently attending an entertaining evening  of stage hypnosis, I thought that would be a good topic for the Frivolous Friday post.  Like many people, I have over the years, been to a few such shows and found them quite entertaining  and a bit frivolous and just left it at that. After checking a bit, it is worth noting that  there are some beneficial results from hypnotherapy that are used in the medical field.  It is important to be aware of the difference in the two terms, however.

Wikipedia describes "hypnosis" as  "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as "hypnotherapy", while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as "stage hypnosis"
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Mayo Clinic describes this procedure as "Hypnosis, also referred to as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion, is a trance-like state in which you have heightened focus, concentration and inner absorption. When you're under hypnosis, you usually feel calm and relaxed, and you can concentrate intensely on a specific thought, memory, feeling or sensation while blocking out distractions." Hypnotism is used for a number of reasons intended to help you gain more control over undesired behaviors or emotions or to help you cope better with a wide range of medical conditions. Hypnosis isn't considered a treatment or a type of psychotherapy. Rather, it's a procedure typically used along with certain treatments and therapies to help a wide variety of conditions.Some of these include pain control, smoking cessation, allergies, asthma .Skin conditions and Gastrointestinal problems are also among the areas that benefit from hypnosis.
Hypnosis that's conducted under the care of a trained therapist or health care professional is considered a safe complementary and alternative medicine treatment.          





Stage hypnosis is  performed in front of an audience for the purposes of entertainment, usually in a theatre or club. Expert opinion is divided over whether participants' responses are best explained as being due to an altered state of consciousness ("hypnotic trance") or by a combination of deliberate deception and ordinary social psychological factors such as disorientation, compliance, peer pressure, and ordinary suggestion.
A modern stage hypnosis performance regularly delivers a comedic performance rather than trying to impress and audience with the powers of persuasion. Stage hypnosis performances often encourage
audience members to further look into the benefits of mind powers.

It was the latter that I attended and had a wonderful evening out and certainly had a lot of laughs, but am I a "believer"....... well, let's say that it has indeed encouraged me to delve more into the amazing power of our mind.       Close your eyes......you are getting sleepy!!!!!   ;-)





  Information found at www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypnosis/MY01020   and  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis

Posted by Patricia at 1:00 AM 7 comments













March 30,2012

Frivolous Friday..Lost Art of Sewing

Gotta love Fridays....   When I was young (er)  Friday meant the week-end was here and time away from studying.When I was married and  the children were in school, it meant that I could be less organized for the next two days. As a "working gal" my shifts often require me to work every second week-end, therefore Fridays  were the harbinger of either another day on the job or ...yeah!!... my week-end off!!!Now, however, Friday means I can rant  about any and all subjects that pique my interest.

The topic today is The Lost Art of Sewing.

                 
 When I was in Intermediate School... now referred to as Middle School...taking a Home Economics class was compulsory. Here under the tutelage of some patient and kind soul, we were made aware of how little we actually knew about "being a home maker". I know, it makes me  tremble with anger at the sexist attitudes of the time, but it was acceptable then and that's where I was!
Here, in the pseudo home like atmosphere, we were instructed how to read a pattern ( I bet you didn't know they COULD be read!!) the difference between a rough edge and a salvage edge ( like anyone really cares now) and the correct stitches to use for each type of sewing that was done ..... now get this.... BY HAND!!
Yes, we actually did sew  parts of  items without the use of a machine. There was the straight stitch,  self explanatory., the overcast stitch ( this refers to going "over" the edge of material to finish it... not a reference to  cloud covering!), the ever wonderful blanket stitch used to  prevent edges from unraveling  and the all time fun maker was the button hole stitch!! This tiny group of even tinier stitches were around the cut in the material that facilitated the entry of .... you guessed it... a button!! Now in order to make a passing grade one had to not only complete these  draconian tasks they had to meet with the approval of the aforesaid  ?kind, and ? patient teacher!!!

After somehow getting through that we were  "allowed"  to use the sewing machines, which had their  own set of stitch types that were on a handy dandy dial on the machine!!! Pretty much the only requisite for completion of this part of the class was not sewing ones finger to the fabric!!Oh yes, that and having all the "right sides" of the fabric together.

Despite all odds, and perhaps more so, because my wonderful mother and grandmother were accomplished seamstresses, I managed to survive the  class and went on to make  a few "jumper" dresses ( the easiest of all) for my  2 daughters. At the time I was very pleased with myself, but learned later of their  humiliation  at being subjected to such fashion torture!.

Now perhaps I understand that the art of sewing.... and indeed to those who do it with such passion it is an expression of themselves and a true art.... has not been lost, rather it has been gleefully abandoned!  Instead, one can  buy  a new outfit each season for less money and hassle and not risk life long injury to pride or fingers.I think the feeling of accomplishment is not the same, but the the price of "time" and "effort" appears too high in these times of restraint.

  The basket (above) was given to me, as a wedding shower gift, by a very dear friend . Although I still have it (obviously) it suffers from extreme lack of use.

The Singer sewing machine (right) is one like that used by my mother to make countless  dresses, including those used in all her daughters' weddings!

 

 

March 23,2012

Frivolous Friday

 

This weeks frivolity is an obituary of sorts. Now there's two words you seldom see in the same sentence.
We are bidding farewell to what was once a staple in many homes and used by generations of young and old alike. The name that comes to mind   is the Encyclopedia Britannica, but others of the same family will suffer the same demise. As a child I referenced the World Book Encyclopedia for school assignments and  actually did a stint trying.... unsuccessfully I might add... to sell them. Then there were  less pricey versions that were often made available in supermarkets sold individually, in  alphabetical order, to ensure your continued patronage.
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The Britannica, which has been around for 244 years, or whatever form you or your family used, has been discontinued and replaced with the digital form of up to date knowledge.
 It is the end of an era. What was once part of the status symbol of the 50s, 60s and 70s has been replaced by the digital conveniences  such as Wikipedia with up to the minute data . To quote Doug Mataconis "But in recent years, print reference books have been almost completely wiped out by the Internet and its vast spread of resources, particularly Wikipedia, which in 11 years has helped replace the authority of experts with the wisdom of the crowds."

The good news is we all are part of this change. I wonder if this is what the people of my great- grandparents generation felt like when "slates" were no longer used in schools. I, for one, am 100% on board  with the new technology, and am embracing it wholeheartedly!  As I bid a fond "adieu" to Britannica I turn and pick up my smart phone and  check the location of a friend on Google Earth!!!
Take care!

Posted by Patricia at 3:30 AM























March 16,2012


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??!!!   

February 24,2012

In keeping with my idea to post something of a positive nature, that involves  simple things that occur in our daily routine, I am adopting "Frivolous Friday" as a header for a weekly blog. These posts are not earth shattering events nor are they of the inspirational variety. Instead , to quote a current catch phrase, "it is what it is". If there are such events in your life I would be happy to learn of them and with your permission share them on this site.

The topic of this weeks blog is COFFEE.  I need to make you aware that there probably are few people in this world that hate getting out of bed every morning as much as I do. I need all the incentive I can get  to drag my sorry  self  to a standing position!!  The aforesaid coffee, is just the trick needed to affect this transformation!  My wonderful husband, who, incidentally arose between 0400 and 0500 everyday for 39 years, does not have my "condition". He is the brewer of early morning coffee, if for no other reason than to have company  while drinking his  morning beverage of choice.
Now, it is necessary to say that the type of coffee is , of course, a personal preference, but  the basic java does the trick for me if it is percolated in our ancient electric coffee maker.There are many additives, cream, sugar, milk , honey or any combination  that pleases you. I have enjoyed many delicious flavored coffees that are particularly enjoyed with the company of friends and/or family. There is something to be said for just lifting the lid of the large can and smelling the unadulterated  ground coffee beans! Mmm, take a deep smell..... isn't that lovely??
One other fact I must mention, though, is that I just drink coffee ( at least on a regular basis) until 11:00h. After that it is  tea..... but I digress and that will  be a blog  for another day, perhaps!