REACHING FOR JOY

Mondays can be tough on the joy scale.  It is not always easy to reach for it first thing Monday morning. What with  a new work week lying ahead,  five days till Friday,  lots of commuting time, and prep time, not to mention the hours of work waiting for one.


However, Mondays offers a new start, a clean slate, a fresh week ahead, anticipation at what  serendipitously might transpire each day. On Mondays, one sometimes has to go on a joy expedition. It is somewhere waiting for you!   Happy hunting, and  finding.

ON AGING GRACEFULY

"Nothing is ever lost or forgotten. old age is still a time of great possibility.. The passionate heart never ages"."one of the greatest sins is the unlived life"."There is nothing to fear - you would want to be preparing for a great fiesta time, up ahead".  

  John O' Donohue

Since being widowed eight years ago, I pulled deeply inward, not realizing the richness hidden in the desert in which I chose to live. It was not as empty and barren as I  believed. Rather is has been a place to rest, contemplate, and find my way once again.    I thought I was lost, I thought life was over, but someone has been whispering in my ear, for this past long, lonely time.  Finally, I hear them clearly.  

As O'Donohue said: "There is nothing to fear - you would want to be preparing for a great fiesta time, up ahead".    There IS nothing to fear........

 

DEAR FRANKIE

The other morning whilst preparing for work I caught the end of the movie "Dear Frankie". 

My how it pulled at my memories;  the close with the beautiful "wallie tiles",  the Glasgow rose stained glass window in the flat, the "watter", the rock "skliffing".   

 Fond, fond memories,  and wee Gerry Butler from Paisley, was the cherry on top.   A lovely wee movie.    Magic...............

YOUR ARE WHAT YOU EAT

I found this information fascinating, hope you do too.

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WALLOWING BE GONE....

" Mud, mud glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So, follow me follow, down to the hollow
And there we will wallow in glorious mud."........

I've been in a hollow of sorts for way too long, wallowing and enjoying the mud.  Been contemplating my navel a tad to long, which is a bad habit I have when I want to opt out of life.  A messenger was sent to me yesterday in the body of a store owner, exchanging pleasantries. I  sympathized with the fact that his business was up for sale, his response was "We have to remember to be grateful,  by the time we get to "our age",  we have accomplished our purpose in life. Not to say", he continued,  "that we should not remain engaged in life and looking forward to the future, but we look forward without worry, or fear, for we have survived the best and worst of times."

"And that fact alone invites us to continue our journey in a state of gratitude",  I replied to him, smiling at the thought.

"Exactly", he replied.   "Keep that beautiful smile on your face and life will be good to you."

Sometimes, we need a little help from a stranger,  when we wallow a little too long.......

Pandas in kilts......

The Chinese tartan

The colours chosen for the Chinese Scottish tartan represent the bond between the two countries, the design includes the blue and white of the Saltire combined with the red and yellow of the Chinese flag, green was also included in the design as it is a traditional colour in tartans and references the links between the botanical communities of both China and Edinburgh - indeed the botanic gardens in Edinburgh holds the largest number of Chinese plants outside of China.
China’s association with Scotland goes back 1000’s of years when explorers in China found a burial place of Caucasian travellers wearing perfectly preserved tartans.  The Chinese Scottish tartan was unveiled on the 6^th of April which is National Tartan Day and it was designed jointly by the Scottish Tartan’s Authority and the Strathmore Woollen Company.

How dandy the pandas will look, but then black and white goes with everything right? 

Kudos to the Edinburgh Zoo, spent many happy childhood hours there.

PROBLEM SOLVED?

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes .. Pass a law that says that if the deficit is more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."

-- Warren Buffett