this morning I spent time reading on the deck, in the sunshine… had a blanket and jacket on, but didn’t need gloves…
then a gathering with my cronies… even got a photo of the group with all the snacks… besides the mini eggs, pistachios, almonds, candy hearts, and chocolate mango pieces, hot cross buns and chocolate vanilla pinwheel cookies arrived with the crew;-)…
after everyone left, I enjoyed more time in the sunshine reading in the living room…
sunlight and warm temperatures… and it is supposed to be warm and sunny all week;-)… woohoo…
this month commemorated the twelfth anniversary of my beloved’s passing…
it is always a reminder of how one’s life can change in the blink of an eye… mine certainly did at that time and again when I was diagnosed with cancer, and later diabetes…
the thing I have learned is that we can pivot and move forward, even if in a slightly different direction…
I have spent time remembering what a wonderful life we had together and how blessed I have been been and continue to be…
thinking of those who are at that pivot point in their journey…
often, as I sit in the sunlight here in the living room, I take a moment to celebrate how blessed I am…
a comfortable home, food to eat, family and friends to spend time with, plants and flowers to enjoy, birds and fish to watch, books to read, and good health…
my entire being is replete with gratitude for my life…
then I take a few moments to send thoughts and prayers to so many who are currently not so lucky…
went with a friend to see Flora of the Philippines…
we couldn’t figure out the new markers on many of the plants in the Tropical Biome, but eventually realized they represented the flag of the Philippines and demonstrated how many of the plants in the biomes originated there…
besides seeing where so many plants came from, there were hundreds of orchids… heaven for me…
what a treat…
after our wander through the biomes, we had lunch at Gather…
first thing I did on Thursday was put the heart wreath on the front door…
a little later, I brought down the rest of the love items and set them around the house…
that was fun;-)…
February is Heart and Stroke month and a time when I make a donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation in memory of my beloved and those who have been touched by heart disease…
for Christmas I gave friends a visit to The Leaf to see Voyage by Fleurs de Villes… it was fun because they got the card at Christmas, and then we got to spend time and have fun together during some very cold days in the city…
I was so excited when I saw that it was coming as I had gone to a similar show with my daughter in a mall in Ottawa and had been blown away with the amazing creations the florists had produced…
this was my favourite, but all the florists did a wonderful job…
I attended three times over the last week and every time I was there it was filled with many people (although I didn’t feel stressed) and the place was bustling… besides being a great exhibition, it looks as though it brought many new people to visit the space…
I had conversations with folk who had never been to The Leaf, members who had been many times, and others who had heard from friends and family about the show and decided to come for this special event…
seeing it in the biomes was much lovelier than in the centre of a mall, lol…
spending time in this wonderful oasis is like a little vacation in southern climes… well, for an hour or so, lol…
my membership, to both The Leaf and the Zoo, has been worth every penny and the cost of a membership for a senior is very reasonable and means I can visit as often as I wish all year round…
it was a wonderful treat and I enjoyed each visit… I had considered going for one last time this evening as I hadn’t been at night, but the tickets were sold out…
way to go Winnipeg… hope we get more shows like this;-)…
herbiggirlpants 