Red and White
The calming feel of red and white
Warmly envelopes the Olympic sites.
Athletes’ faces, strides of pride
Energy, laughter, tears on the side
Years of practice come to this place
We see it all — amazing race after race.
Red and white make spirits feel right
Hearts abeating, eyes shining bright
Whatever happens we all stand tall
For our athletes have given their all.
Harmony, courage and enduring pain
Are the makings of a nation’s name.
𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐃𝐄
When I was on the Westcoast of the province of Newfoundland Labrador in August, I was walking along the one street town of Norris Point and spotted someone behind the tailgate of a truck. He was arranging fishing gear to make room for two buckets of freshly caught mackerel. I stopped, said good morning and asked my curious questions. He proudly held up a sample.
I later learned he lived in the house next to where I was staying. We invited him and his family to dinner one night and it was a wonderful evening of family and Newfoundland stories.
They were all warm and loving, kind and aware, proud and happy, but sadly today I learned 95 year old Clyde passed away.
RIP CLyde … “I am because we were” thank you for enriching and enlightening me about your history, memories and love of being a very proud family man and Newfoundlander.
Bird call
I woke up this morning to the sound of little birds whistling outside my window. They know it is morning. They know mornings are beginnings of new days — new fresh air, new starts, new hopes, new plans. They sing: “get up! Time’s a wasting. We get another chance.”
The feeling is heartwarming and makes me rethink the expression “bird brain” because I think birds might be bright messengers to help earthlings get it right down here on Earth. After all, humans aren’t doing so well.
Every morning birds start their day with a tweeting song of joy and optimism. It wakes me up feeling encouraged and enthusiastic. I perk up, raise my rested legs, swing them over to my awaiting soft, cozy slippers beside my bed. I look out, see those birds and say thanks for making sure I do my bit to make things right in our very troubled world.
Ignoring reality does not help. Pretending does not help. Denying does not help. Let’s face it, when has ignoring, pretending or denying ever really helped anything or anyone?
So then the question is could any one person have talked sense into the likes of hitler, stalin or biblical cain? Absolutely not. But something else, behind those scenes, was happening. It might have been the perpetrators’ eventual fatigue or exhaustion; but, I choose to believe it was the power of human optimism and confidence that positive energy would prevail.
History shows us that wars don’t create peace. Atrocities accomplish nothing. Lying, cheating, and stealing create miserable lifestyles and lonely lives.
I googled “are birds intelligent?” It gave a whole new meaning to the expression “bird brain”. Here’s the answer: Despite having small brains, their dense neuron count and specialized brain structures facilitate high-level cognitive function. They are very aware and very smart.
Those morning birds outside my window are like fresh juice every morning. They fuel human minds with optimism and confidence. No matter how tough yesterday was, they keep coming back for another try. They just don’t give up. They have called it before and they are calling it now. Fuel up with positive energy and pass it on. Don’t give up. Don’t pretend. Don’t ignore. They are Mother Nature’s brightest messengers —Are we all listening?
𝓐 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓝𝓮𝓮𝓭
𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓃 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝓊𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈
𝐵𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓀𝑒𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒶 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈
𝐵𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓃, 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝑜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝒶𝓎
𝐸𝓍𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓅𝑒𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓎.
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝒹 “𝓈𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇” 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝒾𝓂𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈
𝒯𝓊𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓊𝓅𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓅𝓅𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓉𝑒
𝒮𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒶𝒹, 𝓈𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹, 𝓈𝓎𝓂𝒷𝑜𝓁𝒾𝒸 𝓇𝑜𝓉
𝒟𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝓉
𝒲𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝓎 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓍𝑒𝒹-𝒻𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹𝓈
𝐵𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹
𝒜𝓇𝒷𝒾𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝑒𝓋𝒾𝓁, 𝒸𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓁 𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓂𝑜𝒾𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝓈𝑜𝓁𝓊𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎
𝒜𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎.
𝒜 𝓂𝒾𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓃, 𝐻𝒾𝓉𝓁𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝒾𝒷𝓁𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝒞𝒶𝒾𝓃
𝒜𝓉𝓇𝑜𝒸𝒾𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓈, 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑜 𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃
𝒯𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝓌𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒹, 𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑜𝓉
𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝓇𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉.
𝐼𝓉’𝓈 𝓈𝑜 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽
𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽
𝒟𝑒𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝑒 𝒹𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒
𝐼𝓃𝒽𝒶𝓁𝑒 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝒶 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹.
𝒜𝓃𝑜𝓃𝓎𝓂𝑜𝓊𝓈
STARTING OVER 🇻🇪
Recently I dreamt something unusual happened in our southern hemisphere. The United States of America gave the South American country of Venezuela an opportunity for a fresh start. The mission shook the entire world.
Eyes and ears opened. Mouths gasped. Arms raised high up to the sky and feet jumped high. We saw ensembles of pirouettes and long lines of salsa dances. The “us” and “them” became “we”; the “me me me” became “you and me”. Young and old, weak and strong, rich and poor stood side by side, holding hands, standing tall and confident, and ready to start again and determined to get it right.
Venezuela became a glass bowl of excitement, dismay, fear, and anxiety for a moment; then, suddenly, something else happened. The transformation of the economy started out in left field where everything grey turned green, everything black turned to gold and everything rock hard turned into sponges.
A weird sense of calm sprang up everywhere and like confident trees in a healthy forest, beautifully coifed, sturdy and proud, humans clued in to a clear sense of how things can be done differently, cohesively and cooperatively, for a much better outcome.
At some point I woke up, glanced out of the uncurtained bedroom window and saw a sheet of thin fog blanketing my backyard. Off in a distance I could see a dim light, a light of hope that my dream was indeed not a dream, but a sign of what was yet to come — it was the dawn of a new era, an awakening, a new starting point, a new chance to finally get Earthly civilianship, citizenship, stewardship and sustainability, on the same page, to work together in unison for the greater good of all forever more. In fact, it may well be a final opportunity to get it right.
I looked up with both eyes open and said: “Good Morning world. Let that light be a beacon leading to a paragon (an example of excellence) for all uncivil, unpeaceful, struggling nations to emulate.”
As I stepped out of bed, I could hear a clear chorus of Larga vida a Venezuela! Pray let it be so.
🇻🇪 💡 ☮️ ❤️
🎆 🎇 🧨
Thirty Minute 🎆 🎇 🧨 Fireworks!
A friend of mine posted something about fireworks the other day and added a photo of how she helps her dogs cope. A lot of pet owners can relate to her angst, and their angst, but although I don’t have pets, I was curious about the original intention of fireworks.
It actually goes back centuries. In many cultures, especially in Chinese tradition, fireworks and firecrackers are specifically used to scare off evil spirits, ghosts, and demons. The explanation is rooted in ancient folklore, and is a short-term practice that symbolizes driving away negativity and welcoming good fortune for the new year. This tradition also appears in festivals like Diwali, symbolizing the victory of good over evil, and I am sure people from other walks of life can add examples — none of which lasts for more than thirty minutes and certainly not several nights in a row.
So, in other words, the noise of the fireworks scares away the bad things that define the year that was, clearing the air for a refresh for the year to come. Thirty minutes should be enough!
So an interesting question that comes out of all this is: how many onlookers who stand outside to watch fireworks or who stay indoors to “enjoy” the sights and sounds of fireworks, actually know that somewhere along the way, it’s become an expensive form of seemingly endless entertainment that negates the origins all together? Not only that — it’s a long night of ongoing noise that annoys a lot of people and pets, pollutes our atmosphere and, in some areas, leaves behind an enormous amount of debris that others have to clean up!
Fireworks have become one of those human examples of “redefinition with intention” or of turning something sacred into sacrilege ! If it must be, can we agree on thirty minutes?
🎆 🎇 🧨
Happy New Year:
Please Pass The Bread
Is there something you can help me with? No not really. Everything you need is inside of you. What works for me, may not work for you.
Check with your inner self, yourself, when you feel forlorn, alone, lost, wounded, overwhelmed.
Check with your inner self, yourself, when you feel comfortable, at ease, liked, appreciated, loved.
Check in with your inner self, yourself, when you have erred and when you have succeeded.
If you follow my posts on Facebook, I put out a lot of “And the answer is …” followed by quotations that pop up on positivity posts. I call them simple nudges. I feel my inner self say “oh that’s a good one.”
The truth is I really did not need the nudge because the content is so simple and straightforward. My inner self was sitting on the answer all along.
In this very busy, fast paced changing world where so much is possible, so much is leaving our inner self behind.
It’s really only been in the past ten years that I have kind of jumped off the bandwagon of keeping up with looking outward, times of amassing more and more possessions, following trends, constantly seeking artificial stimulation, to actually spending quality time with ME, sitting back and looking inward.
I attribute the transformation to the power of warm, clean ocean water and warm, clean ocean air. I lay back, with my head resting on my little red air-filled pillow, hands clasped behind my neck, legs stretched out as far as I can push them, and I meditate as the warm sun reflects its rays on the water and my body feels at peace. It truly is the most peace I give myself because it’s only me, myself and I going through an experience that is rich in inner energy, rich in calm and rich in personal satisfaction. It has become my gateway to positivity in living.
Something else has supplemented the experience of shutting out noise, confusion, hot heads, greed, avarice, power, abuse, jealousy, envy, pressures and negativity. Thanks to the power of my personal shifu who invited me into the effectiveness of QiGong and TaiChi, and my Aquafit instructors who apply those same exercises in water, I no longer just hear — I listen. I no longer just eat — I taste. I no longer just smell — I breathe. I no longer just look — I see. I no longer just touch — I feel. Listen, taste, breathe, see, feel.
Five senses — we all have them, the key to happiness and inner health is to find them, exercise them and live with all of them as our life force, our energy, our way forward.
So when you ask me if there is something I can help you with, there’s my answer. Walk away from noise, then listen, taste, breathe, see and really feel all of the pluses, embrace all of them, love all of them, live all of them going forward. Your life is in your hands and it is yours to live in peace, or not.
Happy New Year … please pass the bread!🥖
What’s Up With Myrrh?
A couple of days ago the mystery Wordle word was something unique and seasonal. It wasn’t an every day word. It was a five letter word that didn’t hold many vowels. Some would say it had no whole vowels, just a half one. Regardless, the word challenge was tough, very tough. I think it was the toughest Wordle word all year. I also think it was more than just a word and definitely not a random word.
“Myrrh” is a aromatic sap-like product from Arabian trees; it attracts attention, draws you in, and the only time we ever hear the word is in December.
This has caused me to wonder why that word popped up in December? Turns out it is a subliminal nudge sort of like the “earlier than ever” (midNovember) playing of Christmas carols on the radio and in stores. The latter is all about building business and the former is something subtly nonsecular in an effort to draw us in and bring back the story of Christmas.
Over the past few decades I have noticed that many people in my life get all excited about Christmas, but fewer and fewer acknowledge the story of Christmas — the actual story of Christmas. It’s no longer mentioned, depicted or even partially or fully believed. It doesn’t even dawn on more and more younger generation people that something once so rich, has fallen on deaf ears.
The end of the month of December has become a target date for an extra special meal, gift exchanges and unique visits. Some celebrations are full of joy and others full of stress and strain. All of it makes me wonder, in December, what Jesus, Joseph and Mary are thinking?
This brings me back to myrrh. Does anyone even know what myrrh is? Is anyone curious? Has anyone used it in a sentence or given it any thought as to why it pops up in December, or why it got a spot in Wordle ?
I think it was a form of subliminal advertising. A nudge. The word was meant to give our heads a shake.
Myrrh is a precious scented resin used for perfume, incense, anointing oil for priests and kings, and for embalming the dead, symbolizing Jesus's future death and burial. It’s revered in the birth of Jesus part of the Bible and maybe in other holy books too. It’s even in a carol at this time of year, the time of year set aside for believers in the original story of Christmas.
Does anyone else wonder about myrrh or frankincense or even what Mary, Joseph or Jesus are thinking right now as they look down from SkyWorld? I do wonder — whether we myrrh-a-lee ponder about this frank-in-sense parody, or not.
Thank you Wordle people for the challenge, and the nudge.
2025 ENDS AND there it goes! WHOOOOSH!
Every year I sit back around this time and reflect on the year that was; this year is somewhat different as I am ending my 6th decade on this Earth and realizing a lot of time has passed — a real lot of time has passed!
Although the year has truly ‘whoooshed’ by, it really has been a great one — another great one — but, 2025 has been especially great. I think I have said that over the past many years probably because I seem to have branched out a lot, tried new things, made new things, met new people, gone to new places, and journeyed on or further into intriguing experiences, and enjoyed continuing the journey into curiosities. I guess the biggest lesson for me has been learning how to let go and how to hang on. It has become as easy as breathing in deeply through the nose and letting the air out slowly and emphatically through the mouth both literally and symbolically .
Here are some examples:
What’s most important is that we keep living and keep learning; know when to stay and when to walk away; look up instead of down; push away negativity and pull in positivity; inspire ourselves and each other; be a good keynote speaker but also a good audience; and, be just like a seed that starts alone, but depends on others to help it grow proudly and confidently for the greater good of ourselves, each other and the bigger world — and for whomever comes next.
LESSON LEARNED in 2025: For the greater good of ourselves, and all things, all people and all places: plant your most coveted “seed” where one is needed, any one of your best seeds, use your personal magic to help it grow well, then let it grow, watch it grow, and grow and grow! Everything new starts with one seed.
☮︎🇨🇦♥️🎶. ☮️
KRIS KRINGLE ONCE AGAIN
I did a “Kris Kringle” thing yesterday.
A couple of days ago I had to endure the reality of no electricity and therefore no WiFi for SEVERAL hours due to our vigorous wind storm. Trees were down, a power line was dangling on my main road, and many roads around here were blocked off. I was, however, able to walk. In fact I went on three walks that day.
During the last walk I was exiting the school parking lot and a lady of the nearby house was standing outside watching the hydro crews in action. We greeted each other and talked for about an hour. She is originally from Newfoundland. It was a delight to hear her speak with that not so subtle accent; but, it was also great to speak to her about my recent trip to the western side of “her” Island province. I learned that she loves to read. As we parted, we exchanged names.
While meandering my way home, I decided she would be the one to receive my annual Kris Kringle gift — an (s)elf-published collection of short stories. I quietly delivered it yesterday, and placed it in a corner on her front porch. And so this festive week begins …
