Only in Florida...

Watching the news yesterday morning, it reminded me of an unusual site I saw back in November.

As we travelled south, I had a notebook at hand in the glovebox of the car to remember little things that we saw along the way. This was my favourite.

As we turned off of the freeway and down into our familiar neighbourhood with just one km left in our 2200 km journey, I saw for the very first time a Golf Cart going along the sidewalk. Now in this area, that is not unusual, however what was different about this – the banner across the hood of the cart read UPS.

Yes, the familiar brown shorted clad driver stopping along the way with the back of the cart full of parcels set for delivery. On reflection, I wish we would have stopped on the side of the road to watch for a while.

 

I have not seen the golf cart since and now that same familiar company is  trying out a pilot project to have drones land on top of their trucks. I will need to continue to keep my eyes open for drone landings on the famous brown trucks at the next traffic light along the way.

Marilyn Stubberfield 

 

 

 

 

Reminiscing from a December 2016 dream……..

It is 5:30 a.m.  I am wide awake and I think I know why. I just had the most amazing dream.

Usually I do not remember them. This dream is crystal clear.

Maeve and I walked out to the Point yesterday.  It was a special day. After lunching out for a bit of our favourite Chinese food, we decided to enjoy the rest of the sunny skies at the Point.

It was a special day. You see both Maeve and I are handicapped and not able to walk long distances. We forgot all about that, looking for scenes to paint and write about, chattering about the shape of this branch or that branch, which tree it fell from, how long it had lain there. Where is that bird making that screeching noise?  Shells, tons of shells all shapes and sizes we bent to pick up.

Before we knew it, we were there at the Point, as the gentle lake waters waved up over our shoes.

"We made it", we exclaimed in unison.  If only in our dreams, our day was complete.

The locals here refer to this as ‘the Point’ that tips beautifully out into Lake Erie, however here is a brief description “A lush Carolinian forest oasis at the southern tip of Canada, Point Pelee National Park resounds with migrating song birds in the spring, hums with cicadas in the summer, flutters with Monarch butterflies in the fall and is a peaceful place of reflection in the winter.” Anyone ever visited the park? It is the most southern point in all of Canada.

Reflections of November 2016 continue in my thoughts

Breathe in deeply, breathe out deeply.  My mind is in disarray this morning and I cannot focus.

So I will spend the rest of today watching carefully to my investments. Or will I?

As the shock settles and we talk it out over breakfast, my toast did not quell the nausea present this morning. My challenges for this day must continue. I am jolted back into place quickly as my schedule reminders ding, ding away distracting me from my quiet conversations. How did he become President? My American friends have voted for the message, not the messenger. 

My funk again lifted as I ready for the pretty smiles of my good friend, a special lunch date booked out for 2 full hours of giggles and laughter. My reflections for today……

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything” – George Bernard Shaw

 OK, I wrote most of this blog back in November 2016 and only shared it with my writing coach. Now it is time to share it with all of you, despite I am still breathing in deeply and breathing out deeply. I am still wondering how this happened, voting for a message and not a messenger. I still need to lift my funk.

 So here is my solution for coping in these challenging times in our world to-day. I have taken these words from a recent Facebook post I saw on Joel Olsteen’s ministries and it really helped.

His version of Exodus 14:13-14, wherein Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for the Lord will fight for you if you hold your peace and remain at rest. Notice there’s a condition - if you remain at rest then the creator of the universe will fight for you. If you don’t worry about the medical report, if you don’t get upset over the contract you didn’t get, if you don’t live stressed out over the people that are talking to you, God will fight your battles because you’re at rest.”

Going forward, I will work hard to be “at rest” and besides, I have 2 fun social events planned this week and soon some of my family will be visiting lifting me out of my funk.

January 31, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100 Years old or shall I say 100 Years young.

This past week we will celebrated a birthday here for one of the residents in our village. He has celebrated his birthday 100 times. Yikes, I have never attended a special birthday celebration like this before, nor do I even know anyone that old.

Bill R. is special. Once a month, we have a pot luck dinner on our patio and he rarely misses attending. With a broad smile and arriving right on time, he reaches into his pocket and always has the right amount to pay for his share.

Every day, with a box of his favourite cookies tucked under his arm, he drives over to the clubhouse on his golf cart to meet his buddies for morning coffee. There are only less than a handful left of these buddies who can still get out to shoot the ‘’s…it’’ and solve all of life’s problems from the comfort of the clubhouse dining room for the morning coffee klatch.

In March of last year, we were saddened to learn he had taken a tumble on a scatter mat in his condo and had broken his hip. Off he goes in the ambulance, with his neighbour in tow, all the time brooding with Judy. “This is not going to work out for me. I don’t have time for this, I wonder how long I will have to stay?”

The orthopedic surgeon has arrived to review Bill’s injury. “Well, Mr. R., you may be facing the rest of your life in a wheelchair, as to be frank, I have never operated on anyone this old before.”

And Bill’s reply, “Well Doc, you had better get this fixed as I plan to get back on the golf course in the Fall, my other teammates are counting on me to play with them”. 

And Bill’s second reply, “and Doc, if I may add, the ladies in my golf village are planning my 100^th Birthday party and I want to be there, our village ladies are the best cooks anywhere”.

We have been here now since November and see Bill often riding around on his golf cart, driving his car, yes he still drives to CVS pharmacy just 2 blocks away, all the while sporting his favourite golf hat that says:

 01-01-2017  

I am 100 years old

Oh, how I envy this man,  Bill R.  Happy 100^th Birthday. We are all very proud to know and love you. “Cheers”.   Here’s hoping the ladies of the village lived up to your expectations for your special party.

 

 

Trivia Night Disappointment

Well, it was a sad night at Trivia last week. We got 2 key questions wrong that would have given us the win.  One was the Canadian question, the moderator throws those in just for us fellow Canadians and the other was this bookie question.

What is the name of the novel, a Pulitzer Prize winner, set in the Great Depression and chronicles the live of the Joad family?

The Grapes of Wrath won the prize in 1940. The farmers and land make the plot familiar to so many, however the Joad family are not like the others. They are all brave and kind, never losing hope of a better future as they are forced to migrate to California, soon becoming abused from the established Californians. Steinbeck wrote the book after witnessing much of these atrocities first hand. One of my favourite authors and I was unable to get this trivia question correct for our team.

            What was the name of the city known as the Waterfall capital in Canada?

Oh, bet all 6 points, that is an easy one. Niagara Falls, Ontario right?   Wrong, the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada is home to more than 100 waterfalls and cascades most of which are on or near the Bruce Trail as it winds through the Niagara Escarpment.

On reflection, I learned something new last week. Did you?

Let the Fun begin

I have been challenged and I have accepted the challenge. Thank you Darlene.

Over the last few years, I did some writing in the form of Book Reviews on Good Reads. Oh what fun it was to talk about my latest read and then have people comment.

As a lifelong avid reader, I always knew in the back of my mind I was destined to write and after meeting a very inspirational person back in 2012, local author Maeve Omstead-Johnston, I knew this craft was quickly becoming a passion. My dear friend has sent me on a course that is changing my life.

Just a few short months ago, my thoughts turned to assisting a friend to complete the writing of a book she has been working on for sometime. Turns out  it helped me as well following my dream of writing. Special thanks to my challenger author and teacher Darlene Gudrie Butts. With her talents, she has helped me begin this path to writing and blogging, starting today with my first ever posting on Morning Musings with Marilyn. Hope you all enjoy it and share my musings with your family and friends.