Life is precious

 My Fall writing not Forgotten....

This morning, my husband and I attended the Celebration of Life of a good friend from our church family.  We joined this church some 40 years ago and CB and his family joined some 30 years ago. We listened with tears in our eyes as our minister spoke of the recollection of meeting CB on the first day of his arrival to lead the parish some 15 years ago. You see, this was a tough service for our minister as he and CB had become really good friends ever since that first day. CB was friends with everyone. His beautiful daughters recalled their father as the best example in the world of how to lead your life, just go out and enjoy and love every day and take good care of everyone around you.

For the past 1 ½ years CB battled that dreaded ‘C’ disease with grace, dignity and a love of life second to none. As a strong tenor in our choir, now his voice silent, we were uplifted this morning by singing all his favourite hymns and reciting all his favourite bible readings.

I leave my writings now remembering these words from the refrain of one of my favourite hymns. Turns out we sang this hymn that morning, because it too was CB’s favourite hymn.

 

“Lord of the Dance”

Dance then wherever you may be:

I am the Lord of the Dance said he:

I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,

I will lead you all in the Dance said he.

 

There is a new leader in heaven this week.

 Marilyn Stubberfield

November 3^rd, 2016

PS: Sunday June 4, 2017 after church, marks the dedication day of one of CB's proudest project's, our extra parking lot. We will be there.

 

Udderly Beautiful

 

This is a fun story I am about to share. This past winter our friends Ed and Rose came to the sunny south and spent Christmas with us. A treat, because Rose and I had a good chance to catch up on all the things that spark our interests. I casually remarked to her, your complexion is beautiful. What on earth are you putting on your face? Eager to share her success, “ Udderly” she exclaims.  It is a cream they developed from having much success over the years caring for the udders of cows. Really! That sounds good enough for me.

As I begin my search of this product to replace the jar left behind for me from my generous friend, and after reading lots of reviews etc., I decide I must have some of my own.  My Amazon order arrives in this huge box, I immediately tuck it away in the closet to open when Bill is gone golfing all the time pondering the size of the box. On-line shoppers can relate to that.

A few short weeks later, over morning coffee, Rose and I are discussing our beloved networking group LINK. She shares with me her plans for a door prize for the next evening’s meeting. At this point, I scramble into my office to get her replacement cream out of the big box long forgotten in the closet.

"Yikes", I exclaim, "I think I have door prize material too". If not, I will have a life time supply of Udderly Smooth, you see the big box carried 6 jars, each 12 oz.  

Some lucky LINK ladies will be looking "Udderly Beautiful" in the coming months.

Maybe “Haste did not make Waste” this time.

 

A Little Story gives a Gift to reflect on

As my guest blogger Sandra mentioned recently “…..remember to slow down and not let a moment pass without considering its gifts”. Lots of stories are twirling around in my mind these days however as I reflected on my writings I have stored in my journal, I wanted to share this one from heading south last Fall…….

“It is little things that can tell a story.” Our first morning stop of the day happened through the acrid smoke of the wild fires and the red ball of the sun that peeks out as we pull into the parking lot.

Upon entering the restaurant, my eyes are jetted to the corner. There sitting in 2 tables put together are 6 senior men, coffees in hand, solving all the problems of the world. Voices by some are elevated, hearing the occasional word “Hillary” and “Trump”. I can just imagine what they are saying.

Whoa, all of a sudden, one fellow pops up from his seat and all attention turns to the car that just pulled into the gas station out front. “What year is it?” “Where is it going?” “I did not know there was a car show in town.”

I am pleased their attention has turned from politics so as I head to the ladies room, I stop and say “Good morning fellows, glad to see you gentlemen are enjoying some fellowship together.” And just when I thought they were focused on politics and old cars, the leader from the coffee klatch remarks, “We have been coming here every day since the day we retired, it keeps us healthy and oh, by the way, tell your husband it is a bit chilly for shorts this morning.”

Little do they know, Bill has worn shorts most days since retiring, it just seems like the right thing to do as we head to our winter home.

My gift of the moment.

Marilyn Stubberfield

Written November 21, 2016, gifted to readers May, 2017

A tough read but I learned so much

In reviewing a list of my recent reads, I wanted to start my book reviews with this non-fiction book

 

Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China   Author Jung Chang

This book review is hard. This book is sad, there are no other words. However, I was completely captivated by her story as she chronicles the life of her grandmother, her mother and herself. 

This family is strong, dedicated, and resilient, determined to make a life of lemons into lemonade.

Personally, I had no idea that sort of life existed in China and believe me, I do not live under a rock. So much to learn about other cultures and this one is no exception.

These are the stats, “estimates say that Mao was responsible for 40 to 70 million deaths through starvation, prison, labour and executions, ranking his tenure as the top incidence of excess mortality in human history”, and all along the way destroying much of the country’s cultural heritage.

Mao Tse-tung died in September of 1976. At last, Jung Chang was able to fulfill her wish of seeing the western world.

If anyone would like to read it, I have the book and would be pleased to pass it on for your reading and learning enjoyment. If you have read this book, a discussion with you is always welcomed.

This is my favorite library

In reviewing my writings in what to share next with you, I came across this musing that I wrote back in February of 2017.

 

I so enjoyed today. I made another trip to a library. You see, this is a special library, it is the most wonderful collection of books one could ask for right in my neighbourhood.

Joan has an extensive collection of every genre imaginable. I am free to come any time and just browse shelves and shelves of books. Oh, did I mention each shelf is 2 books deep. All alphabetised by author and genre, one bookcase for fiction, one bookcase for non-fiction, memoirs, autobiographies, political.

And then the classics, my favourite. As I penciled her name in the front of each of my 10 selections, I savoured reading the covers and acknowledgments trying to decide what to begin with.

It is the best library, no deadlines to return, just whenever I am done reading them. I will have reading material for life. Thanks Joan for sharing. I will be back this Fall.

Deny the Connection

Marilyn has spoken here of our shared humanity and of regret for not taking action, for not slowing down to let a moment pass without considering its gifts.  As a guest on her blog, I wanted to continue to honor her exploration, so I offer my own example of wishing I had taken action before it was too late. 

 

In the last vestige of daylight I dodge aggressive cars as I hustle toward the market entrance.  The automatic lights twitch on and I notice a woman I’ll have to pass on the bench up ahead.

Her dusty brown hair is matted like the fur of an abandoned dog.  The layers of clothes she’s wearing look like the rags you keep for unpleasant wipe-up jobs after which you discard them.  These rags hang down her form and stop short of the ground revealing grossly oversized ankles connected to canvas shoes so infused with grime that their color is indistinguishable.  A cart with items in it not normally associated with the use of a grocery buggy is parked a stretched arm’s length away.  Her hands lay in the area of her lap, fingernails uneven and discolored, arms puffy and taut like overstuffed ground meat casings.

As I approach the automatic doors her cloudy eyes lock with mine for just an instant.  I quickened my pace, avert my glance and steel myself for the anticipated assault of words or gestures requesting money.  But I make it into the store unassaulted.

A few minutes later I come back out with a bag of groceries.  But the scene is now punctuated with ambulance lights.  People are mulling about talking in hushed tones in a loose semi-circle around the woman on the bench.  The fluorescent lights from the store give her skin a grayish translucent tone like that of an onion as its freshness is cooked away.  Her pale and peeling lips are relaxed and parted.  Her head is slightly tilted down to her right shoulder and a bit forward as if asleep, with eyelids half closed.  I think about how earlier I couldn’t move past her fast enough.  And as I did, life was drifting from her body.

At first glance I labeled her Homeless, Alcoholic, Drug Addicted, Beggar, Hopelessly Mentally Ill, a Low Human Being, Worthless, Beneath Me; Unworthy Of My Attention, A Bother.

 I didn’t label her Dying.

 I didn’t consider that once she was a little girl, someone’s daughter; or a mother or someone’s lover.  I can’t let go of the stare. 

 Do you have a “on being human” moment that you wished you’d done something but didn’t?

By Sandra Wilson

March 2017

 

"Come From Away" has uplifted me

As I began my day in the chill of our condo, yes the cold air is down south too this a.m., I read with interest a favourite blog of mine written by one of my beloved writing coaches Anne Day. Her most recent post today started my thoughts running and I too ran to the computer to put my thoughts into words this morning.

 As Anne writes, “….take away the cloud of hesitancy and fear”, my morning thoughts turn then to the news today that our own Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the New York Broadway Play “Come from Away” the heartwarming story, turned musical of the outpouring of love from my fellow Canadians to all those from across the world who spent some time in Gander, Newfoundland post 9/11. This story made my cloud lift.

Other words Anne quotes from Jini Reddy, " The world can feel very divided at the moment which is all the more reason to celebrate our shared humanity" Wow, this play is just that, a wonderful celebration of our shared humanity.

Maybe these goosebumps I have this morning are more about the news from New York’s Broadway and not about the cold weather.