Thomas Crapper - September 1836 - January 27 1910

It would only be fitting if all of us  at that time of day we all have would take a moment to remember this man.

After all - just think what life might be like without the crapper!

VANOC and the FLY!

Yes ... flies... or I should say fly as there is only one, has taken up residence in our apartment.  I have no idea where he came from or why he seems to be the only one. For that matter I don't know that it is a HE, but no woman would be as annoying as this guy. The fly keeps flitting about my desk as the worst times. Either I am on the phone trying to make appointments and there he is bouncing off my desk lamp or worse walking across my computer screen. One time he was actually cheeky enough to bounce his creepy self off my forehead. I grab magazines, rolled up newspapers and anything else handy and try to smack his little brains out. But he is clever and just when I think I am about to get him he flits off and hides somewhere in the house only to reappear at the most annoying times. Funny thing is he never seems to bother my partner one little bit. In fact my partner claims to have never seen the little bugger.

My guess is that the fly is here because the weather in Vancouver has been so mild much to the chagrin of VANOC the Olympic bullies organizers. With the winter games about to begin VANOC is about as annoyed with the mild weather as I am with THE FLY! They have had some snow on the mountains, but not in the amounts they had hoped for and the temperature keeps on being very mild without much relief in the forecast. So the weather is as annoying to VANOC as the fly is to me. However, while I will continue to roll up newspapers to swat frantically at it, I, unlike VANOC, will not spend a small fortune to resolve my angst.  

 VANOC and the fly have much in common. They are both annoying!

Drizzle

Lucy and I have been walking in the drizzle down by the lake for most of the week. Lucy, like me, does not really like being out in the rain all that much however it is a fact of life we take for granted if we want to live on the lower mainland of British Columbia. Because Lucy and I are out so much in it Fred got me a really good water proof jacket and two pairs of water proof walking boots/shoes. I am usually warm and dry for the most part. Lucy however much shake violently every now and then to stay reasonably comfortable.

Last year at this time it was a very different scene here. There was snow and ice most days through January. I thought it was never going to end.While I did not like it I loved some of the beauty it brought. Trees covered in snow and icicles hanging from roof tops.

This morning as I was going through my pictures I came across this one that I took just a couple of days ago and I realized that every season seems to bring it's very own beauty.  I never really think that it is beautiful out when I am walking in the rain, but when I look back over some of my pictures I realize just how gorgeous even the drizzle can be when mother nature creates it.

Today as I run off to give a workshop I am wishing I had more time today to walk in the drizzle with Lucy and just enjoy the beauty. Where ever you are today I hope that you can get out and enjoy the beauty of the day.

Mellow Yellow Monday

Mellow Yellow Monday

Filling the Pages

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Painting Blank Pages - Deborah DeWit

The last decade brought great challenges to my life. There were pages written about the loss of loved ones and the sadness this brought my life. There were physical challenges, family challenges and financial challenges. Many pages were written with tears this past decade.  However there were also  pages of travel to new places and new friends and new career paths. Many exciting opportunities came my way and many happy memories were made

Now a whole new year and  a new decade begins.   I like imagining this as blank pages to be filled with  new adventures, new ideas, new friends and maybe even new family members. I dream of new pictures just waiting to be taken. I see the book filling up.We can never be sure of what will be written in our books from month to month or year to year.  However, one thing the last decade has taught me is that I can choose how I respond to the various chapters in my life. I can decide if I am going to let the bad times destroy the good times. I can not control the pages in the book, but I can decide how I will let them affect the rest of my life.

What will your book be filled with this coming year? Will you set out to create new pages or will you let life fill them in for you?

Have a wonderful adventure filled New Year and a decade filled with great chapters.

Happy New Year