Tag Archives: reading

Half-way through the February blues

16 Sunday Feb 2020

Posted by in community, education, Health, pets, philosophy, reading, therapy, Warm fuzzy, writing

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It has been four months since my previous post. Life has been busy but not eventful enough to warrant the pixels and time.

Recent world news and national events could encourage one to curl up and hide in a hole until spring.

  • COVID-19
  • Forest fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes
  • Railway blockades, fossil fuel pipeline disputes, indigenous rights
  • Political circus and acquitted clown in the USA
  • Shitty public transit service in our nation’s capital

My Saturday routines include picking up a couple of newspapers so I can disconnect from social media for a few hours over the weekend and read content that I trust has gone through the process of professional journalistic editing and publishing.

I still practice gratitude as I go about the daily mundaneness, working for a living, surviving the winter, and being strategic with workday bus commutes.

This cute little book brought me comfort and advice to get through winter in the northern hemisphere. It’s the perfect size for bus reading. You might like it too.

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30045683-the-little-book-of-hygge

book page pronounce hygge as hooGa

Hygge – pronounced Hoo Ga

I find comfort and pleasure in sharing meals and conversation with family and friends. I find purpose in volunteering, caring for the elderly diabetic cat and recently, one injured offspring who came home for a few days of nursing and Motherly love.

I find joy as I correspond with my offspring and offshoots. I find hope as I continue my part-time college education where I learn new things, make new friends and prepare for Career 2.0.

Although I haven’t written much of substance lately, I still engage with friends and followers through social media posts, comments and shares. You can follow some of my creative writing and doodling posts over at the blog where the Tabby Cat rules.

In the meantime, you might enjoy some Little Blonde Jots. I bought these cute little key ring tabs (plus a few other items) from a friend to support his downsizing efforts a few years ago. They prove handy to carry around, where I can jot down thoughts while waiting for buses, people watching or contemplating life.

Little Blonde Jots

Little Blonde Jots, words of wisdom and observations

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you are enjoying and appreciating what rays of sunshine and hope you encounter in your corner of the world.

See you in the spring.

T

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Artful winter survival

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Art, community, Health, pets, philosophy, photography, reading, therapy, writing

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Canadian winters…  You adapt to the season or you escape to warmer climates.

For those of us who are not beach lovers or sun worshipers, we choose to stay and make the best of it. Sometime after January 31st, we start complaining.

bus shelter surrounded by snow

Public Transportation experience

We pop our Vitamin C, D and Omega-3 and absorb the glow from the DayLight lamp while we curse the inconveniences of the season. We get in gentle exercise, cautious walks outdoors, small social gatherings then retreat indoors for quiet activities.

As someone who appreciates the quiet and calm of my humble abode, I make efforts to refresh my living space and head space by performing winter housecleaning and preparation for the Lunar New Year. It’s a valid excuse to add ceremony to housework, to make it fun and hopeful.

Of course, when you share living space with cats, you adjust the placement of items to maintain harmony in your home.

cats hiding in play structure

Cats avoiding the cleaning staff

One way I refresh my head space is learning new things, doodling, listening to uplifting music and reading. When you’re a bus mouse, you can get in some good reading time – if you can find a good seat for the long workday commutes.

Photo of I Ching Handbook

I Ching Handbook

So as we navigate through and negotiate with Winter, we can remind ourselves that it will soon lead to Spring.

There is hope.

Photo of life cycles banner

Thanks for reading along! How do you survive Winter in your neck of the worldly woods?

T

 

Why are you here?

20 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by in community, libraries, philosophy, writing

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That question was recently asked by what could have been a younger, curious version of myself.

A few times each month, I spend three hours of bliss volunteering in a small bookshop.

I get to meet interesting people, stroke and skim through the latest items placed on the shelves. Not a month goes by without me purchasing something of interest to me or someone I love. I like the fact that sales revenues go towards purchasing new books and supporting programs for our local libraries. Being in that book shop is the closest I can get to working in a library – for now  🙂

My recent volunteer shift was graced by the usual lingering regulars and families attending events nearby. It warms my heart when children express delight as they find a book or two that they want their parents to buy.

One particular tot caught my attention while exploring books with her older sister, parents and grandmother. She approached the front desk, her blonde head barely above the counter, her blue eyes peering at me.

“What’s your name?” she asked in a sweet and barely audible voice.

I responded with a smile and asked about hers. Her Mother responded on her behalf due to the child’s limited conversation skills.

Then the child asked, “Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? Well… I like books, I like meeting new people and selling them books.”

Then she skittered away to explore the shelves with her family.

Soon she returned to ask again “Why are you here?”.

After I repeated my previous response I wanted to ask the wee thing if she was being philosophical about the big picture but I decided it would just confuse matters.

It was cute. It was thought-provoking in a naive kind of way.

I think that was a helpful experience for those basic queries we should ask ourselves often, like “Why am I here?”.

If we cannot answer the why, we could at least ask, “What am I doing during my time here?”.

T