Tag Archives: special

banyan…

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

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a photo of the banyan tree in Lahaina came up in my Facebook feed this morning so I pulled out a few more…

I’ve been thinking of this particular tree for quite a while… it is the largest banyan tree in Hawaii, and covers an entire block… the aerial roots are astonishing… it is stunning, and also one of the most peaceful places I have been…

the area is filled with visitors, many, like we were, there from out of the country, but lots of regulars as well… a gathering place for lunch and work breaks, there were many of the town’s workforce in the space… it is also clearly a place where those who have very little spend their time… what was also obvious was how they cared for the place and treated it, and everyone there, with respect and kindness…

we visited it a few times while we stayed in Lahaina and it provided a wonderful break… the weather was very hot and it always provided shade and a slightly cooler place to be… each day as the sun goes down the tree is filled with the sound of hundreds of birds gathering there for the night…

before we left the town, it was the last place we stopped, to soak up the amazing feeling…

I took this panorama of a corner of the block…

this beauty of nature reminded me of Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, another breathtaking place which I will never forget…

I hope you have memories of a special tree…

gentle…

09 Saturday Nov 2019

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been thinking of my dad a lot recently… his birthday was in November and he spent time overseas as a soldier, so during these days of remembrance it just seems right to look back at some lovely memories…

this photo is from Then to Now, the history of La Salle, Manitoba…

a gentle man, in all ways… he spoke quietly but if you were in trouble you knew it… not that you’d be in trouble very often…

he always saw the best in people, which made him particularly suited for his work with Canada Manpower where he helped individuals figure out what type of work they were best suited for, and then found them an appropriate position… in those days you might only have one or two jobs in your career…

at home, he took in strays… not animals, lol, people… we would often have someone staying with us who needed a safe place to regroup for a while…

he was wise and generous… one of those people who always had a thoughtful opinion when you needed it, although, only when asked… and would give you the shirt off his back, or anything else he had, if he felt it would help…

he has been gone for over thirty years but I can still hear his wisdom…

I miss you dad…

Cinderella…

14 Wednesday Aug 2019

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last night my BS buddies and I went to see Cinderella at Rainbow Stage…

they are the most wonderful group of women and anytime we have a chance to get together and take a field trip fun will be had;-)… they picked me up at work and off we went…

had supper at Prairie’s Edge in Kildonan Park before the performance…

we walked over to the theatre and found our seats just in time for the dress rehearsal…

thanks to our driver and selfie taker for this picture before the show;-)…

it was a great performance and we all enjoyed it… they did a splendid job considering this was the first night… the 15 person orchestra was excellent… also appreciated the updated storyline…

even exiting the Park went smoothly… was impressed with the cooperation of all the vehicles as they used the zipper technique…

I really enjoyed it… must be thirty years since I was last there, lol…

end…

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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since 1993 I’ve been meeting with a group of women regularly (nearly monthly) to discuss all kinds of things from religion, to spirituality, to politics, to healthcare, to family life… we’d have supper, check-in with one another, and then spend some time focussed on a topic of interest…

the size and membership of the group has changed over the years but there are a few who were there from the very beginning…

today we met to possibly end our gatherings… we had a wonderful lunch of chicken souvlaki, lemon potatoes, Greek salad and fresh buns… one of the meals we have enjoyed many times over the years…

we’ve met in one another’s homes, made food from scratch, brought food in from fancy shops, and ordered meals… it has always been about being together, more than what we were eating, lol… although we do love to eat;-)…

it was lovely to have the conversation about how important the group has been to everyone…

we’ve decided to continue to meet on a less regular basis, either around the equinox/solstice or a few times a year…

happy to know we will still gather as these are very special people to me… you don’t find women like this just anywhere…

parcel…

24 Saturday Nov 2018

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a parcel arrived for me at the office on Wednesday…

my daughter had advised that she had ordered a Chocolate Lab Advent calendar for me but I wasn’t sure when it would arrive…

opened it up and discovered inside the lovely box filled with beautiful chocolate bonbons…

because I was planning to stop for a haircut on my way home that night, I decided not to take it home with me, as I didn’t want the chocolates to freeze…

one thing I’ve learned from my daughter is that you have to be careful of chocolate, not let it get too hot or too cold so that it’s at its best… left it on my desk all day Thursday but brought it home that night… put it on top of the fish tank where it looks quite lovely…

looking forward to opening it on December 1 and checking out the first drawer to taste the delicious bonbon inside… I sure am lucky…

hopefulness…

15 Friday Jun 2018

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always amazes me how some of the best photos happen…

I’ve been trying to get a great shot of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights for ages… when I am near it, I am either driving, in a car and going too quickly, or else something just isn’t right when I am walking in the area…

I have taken many photos of the building but nothing particularly good…

last night I was the passenger in a car as we went past and took a number of shots… cars and people kept interrupting a good shot, but when I checked my photos I found this great one…

I think the threatening sky had something to do with it…

the lighting in the Museum helped too…

earlier I had taken a very quick shot of an orchid that I walked past…

it came out nicely as well…

I often see a dove in close ups of orchids and they always remind me of hopefulness and my beloved…

kind of fun to have good shots of CMHR and an orchid taken so close together… both of which are such signs of hope…

a memorable photo day;-)…

purple…

23 Saturday Sep 2017

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purple was top of mind all day yesterday…

spotted a number of purple things during my walk in the Gardens… as well as my little buddy, who had a lovely purple top and socks, lol…

after lunch with my friend and her sweetie I headed out to get my hair purpled… I noticed there is a lot of purple in my hairdresser’s studio as I took a last shot of the before, lol…

it hasn’t had any purple in it since before I went away, and a number of people have pointed it out, so I am very happy to have it done…

then it was off to watch some volleyball… apparently last year at the same time I was at the same tournament… the school has lots of purple in the halls, which is fun…

the boys played well and my grandson did a particularly great job with his serves… he is graduating this year, so likely we won’t be attending this tournament again… and I finally figured out how to get there, lol…

happy to be able to participate in special times, whether with friends or family…

seeing…

25 Friday Aug 2017

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started my day with flowers in the garden…

very few purple morning glories today… for whatever reason the flowers are much more pastel these days…

I ended the day with this shot of my bouquet in the bedroom…

the sun was coming through the window and highlighting some of the daisies and the hydrangeas from the garden…

so happy when I get to spend a few moments seeing the beauty around me…

hope your day had a special moment or two…

lunch…

11 Tuesday Jul 2017

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took a drive outside the city for lunch today…

landed at the Summit Cafe in Stony Mountain…

cute little place with a penny covered floor…

we were the first to arrive and they had set up a table for 12… gave us a bit of extra time with the menu…

I chose the Spicy Shrimp Grilled Cheese…

oh my, it was delicious… had half of it and brought the remainder home for dinner tomorrow…

got a  great shot of the group…

wonderful day with some really special people…

dad…

11 Sunday Jun 2017

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been thinking of my dad a lot lately…

he died nearly thirty years ago… he lived with emphysema from the time I was a teenager…

he did as much as he could, but spent the weekends recovering from the week and trying to build up the energy to make it through the next week…

when I turned sixteen, he and I bought a new car together and I began driving him to and from work every day… which also meant that I got to drive to school each day;-)…

he loved sports and we often attended athletic events at the arena and watched whatever sport might be on tv… 

he was the person who taught me to appreciate each person or team’s efforts and applaud everyone’s performance, whether they were the one you were rooting for or not…

to this day I do the same…

he started me on my love of office supplies… when I was young I would occasionally spend a weekend morning with him at work and organize his desk, lol… 

he spent a good portion of his working life helping people figure out what type of work they would be best at, and he was very good at it…

when my beloved and I were first married, he would go grocery shopping with me and add a roast or some other treat to my bag… at first I felt bad that he did this, until I realized it was something he could still do for us… by that time he couldn’t manage physical things like home repairs any longer… buying us a treat was his way of supporting us…

he was a very special man… my girls were not yet teenagers when he died, much like my grandsons who were so young when my beloved left us… maybe this is why I try to keep memories of George alive so that the boys remember him…

a very rare professionally taken picture of mom and dad…