The End

It seems rather fitting that my last post of the “year long blogging” is about the house as that’s why I started blogging in the first place. 

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YXE Tonight

Too often we ignore the back yard activities and events in favour of staying home and doing stuff. Not tonight thought as this event seems to speak our language.

Changes

I’ve grown accustomed to the vista and it fills my soul up. I am a wide open spaces prairie girl. The years in Vancouver proved that. Heck even a trip to ski in the mountains reconfirms it.

So the question, for me, is whether or not a

Grateful

A couple of random Facebook posts made me think about what I am grateful for. One asked what’s your biggest fear was. The other was a complaint about the way things are. It lead me to thinking and then I saw this Charlie Brown poster and knew what today’s post was. I was also inspired by our supper – garden produce and local beef.  
There is a huge list of things I would include. So huge I’d be here typing away when I should be sleeping. Then I’d be wondering I missed something or someone. 

I’m grateful that I’m living a full productive life. I am grateful I became a nurse and that my path took me to the operating room where I try to make a difference one patient at a time. I am grateful to have so many wonderful family and friends around me — near and far. 

I am grateful and blessed that I’ve spent over 35 years with a wonderful man who is the prototype for the Renaissance man — he really can do it all. We raised two children and we are grateful and happy that they cheerfully come here to visit and include us in their adult lives. We are grateful for the time we’ve spent with our parents and now our mothers.

See I knew I could go on and on! I’m full of gratitude that my life is rich enough and full of hard work and blessings so that I can feel this enriched. Surrounded by nature and living in our dream home is the icing on the cake.

Bernie 

My Focus

A night “on the town” had me thinking about doing a post about loud music, sore throats from yelling, varicose veins and generally how the body does start to deteriorate a bit as we age. But that’s not the post I’m doing as I decided that I could find a story I would rather share.

The incessant

A Twist of Ten

It’s a bit of an odds and sods post. Random thoughts about the important things in life. If you need the advise take it or just ignore it if it doesn’t work for you. 

1. Stop moaning about the weather. It is what it is — dress appropriately and move on. It’s ok to talk about it but there are those that complain about it incessantly.  

2. Don’t just pay lip service to it but truly appreciate your good health and fortune. If times get tough or your body starts to break down remember those good times. Strive hard to get back there and don’t give up easily. 

3. Hard work is good for you. Keeps you moving and engaged. Hiring it out or sluffing it off “till you have time” isn’t going to serve you in the long run. And don’t even give me the crap that “it isn’t in your job description. If it needs doing do it. 

4. Seriously,  lighten up and have some fun. Watch funny movies or shows, laugh out loud with a good book. Laughter is good medicine and has been proven to help. Find some wacky twisty friends and get together regularly. 

5. Give up some of the screen time. Get off Pinterest or Facebook or Twitter or whatever your social medium. Maybe especially get off of it if you use Ashley Madison!  Let’s all try to reconnect more and spend less time looking down. And hey I’m as guilty as the next one but recognizing it is the first step. 

6. A vehicle is just a vehicle. They get us from A to B. Sure it’s nice if they have some features but you can’t take it with you and it really isn’t a status symbol if all you do is go to work to pay for it. 

7. Vote — municipally, provincially and at a federal level. More people didn’t vote in our last federal election than did vote. If you don’t vote you can’t complain is an old saying but it is true. We need to engage, listen and evaluate the information so we can make an informed decision. My dad always said not to talk politics but perhaps we should so that we all become informed. Find out where you vote, who the candidates are and put an X where your head tells you to. 

8. Get some exercise — there are 50 reasons why it’s good for you and no excuse is good enough. Sure some days it’s doesn’t work because of other demands but fit your health into your priority list. You are worth it. 

 
9. Don’t get bogged down in having the perfect house or perfect bag or weighing the exact amount you did before kids or in high school. Have company over even if the kitchen floor is dirty. Life is messy, live it fully. Take those along that make the ride more enjoyable. Open the door and leave the others behind! Just kidding — if they are family they get a free ride just like Monopoly! 
10. And speaking of Monopoly – play games. Have a games night with your family or friends. It’s fun, funny and you might even win. Or you might lose the game but come out the winner because you connected with those who’s company you enjoy. 

  
OK. There aren’t many photos and grammatically it’s probably not my best writing. It’s partly a soft rant and a nudge of encouragement. It would have been easy to turn it into a full on Rick Mercer style rant about annoying habits but I try, very hard, to focus on the positives so that’s the slant I took. I was going to talk about being politically correct but thought it would be incorrect to do so 😉. 

So go do something you like. Me — I’m going to see if the northern lights have returned. 

Bernie 

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