Winter Duldrum

Who said winter is beautiful? Oh yes, the young ones who love
winter sports and can never have enough of it.

There comes a time when winter can be trying, dull and depressing .
Right now, I will liquidate everything I own in a heartbeat- of course
at the right price. Keep thinking this way till one day- it will be
my reality.

It's a big , wide world. No one needs to feel stuck in one place. New
connections and friendships can be had. In this stressful and busy world,
friends are family... make no mistake. Distance does distance families;
in good times and bad. Friends learn to reach out to one another and
develop strong bonds and appreciate the importance of sharing time
with one another. Must be the new norm.

Dust the Cobwebs Off

Another new year. Old resolutions collecting cobwebs in the brain.

Take one step at a time. What is the most important issue that has
been nagging at you for a long time? Perhaps this is the one thing to
work on this year.

It is not a matter of making resolutions at the start of every New Year. It is
about evaluating what worked and what did not. And try to move forward.

I know I need to work on procrastination. I tried and tried. But , a more
concerted effort is what I need. Each day, I will do one thing and one thing only-
be it filing, or doing the dishes, or any mundane chore that has been waiting
to be done. I'll take it from this point.

Happy New Year to all.

Worldwide Debts. Debts and More Debts

Who would ever imagine Dubai is in debt by billions of dollars.
They were swimming in cash, spends fortunes on real estate
developments, hire someone else to do their chores while they
merrily frolick in the sun.

Their debt situation has repercussions in the world economy.
As if the economy is not bad enough.

Is the world economy really on the road to recovery?

Who knows the truth?

Everyone suffers, one way or another. This drives up the cost of living.
And who is looking out for the guys the the bottom of the totem pole?

Simple Gestures Warm the Heart the Most

It is not the expensive gifts that matter when one is so sick.

A friend down the road came for a brief visit with some home- baked cookies
and marshmallow squares. She knew I was sick, lost my appetite and can
hardly keep anything down. She asked if I needed her to keep me company
overnight. Her husband just passed away - and still deep in her grieving.
She is such a gentle soul. Very kind of her to come and sit with me for an afternoon.

The day before, my winter wood supply was delivered. I told him I was too sick to pile up the wood. Would he be kind enough to do it for me? I was willing to pay him extra. Not only did he stack up all three face cords of wood, at no extra charge, he brought me a Tim Horton soup.

Another friend lent me an air purifier to make my breathing easier. They even
offered to vacuum my house. I am too sick to call my cleaning lady.

Even a simple telephone call is so heartwarming when one is confined
and house-bound.

Feeling much better, I can not help but feel so blessed and ever so grateful that
there are caring people in this world of ours that many deem to be cruel.

H1N1 - Swine Flu

The panic button is pressed.
Young , healthy 13-year old boy is the latest victim of H1N1 in
Toronto, Canada. He was in a hockey team- three others of his
team are now under treatment and seem to be on the mend as
of this post.

There is a rush to get the vaccine-the public is advised to observe
certain sanitary and hygiene practices to minimize the possibility
of getting infected or spread of the flu.

It seems that susceptibility to H1N1, Swine flu, is no longer confined
to certain age groups, not if it extends its deathly reach to young
healthy kids.

Take care- all of you. Get the vaccine as a precaution. Life is too precious.

Greet Each Day with an Attitude of Gratitude

Those of us who live in a country free from the ravages of war, spared
from natural disasters like typhoon earthquakes, tsunami or flooding-
we have so much to be thankful for. The economic downturn presents
obstacles of a different nature.

It is difficult to imagine what it's like to see your world turned upside
down, inside out from disasters. I lived through the Icestorm of 1998,
I know the devastation flood can do first hand, grieve through the loss
of l0ved ones, see a business endeavour almost drive me to bankruptcy,
but here I am .

Pain and sorrow touch everyone who passes through this Earth.
Disappointment and regrets visit us now and then. We stumble and
fall. This spares no one, money can not buy happiness. I suppose by
now, more people accept that this is really a fact of life.

Start and end your day with gratitude- the sun does not always shine, but
sooner or later, it will. Life presents us with nuggets of wisdom, if we stop
long enough to pay attention.

Count your blessings each day- surely there is something to be thankful for.

Time Flies

Mid- October 2009. Halloween is not far away. Soon it will
be Christmas season. Many of us will be wondering where
did the time go?

Looking back, I had a productive year. Considering that I
am still mourning my husband's death, I was able to crawl
back to reality. Crawl because that's what it seemed like.

It was a struggle to finish projects- gardening was good
therapy for me. However, after 2-3 hours working in the
garden, I feel like it has been an 8-hour day.

Then there is house chores, other yardwork to occupy the day.
This summer was socially active. I feel good being able to open
my place to friends. It is good to share the sights and things to
do here at the lake.

So- whatever it is anyone does, time marches on. When Christmas
comes, we are at year's end, ready to welcome the New Year.

Ahhh... how time flies.