Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

As far as I can tell, these are some crab apples which I photographed near my home last September.

Talking and Thinking Positive

A number of years ago when I was attending a particular 12-Step program, my young son's imaginary description of it was, "A bunch of old ladies sitting around talking about their problems!"  He had never attended, himself, of course.  And he wasn't exactly correct, but he wasn't completely incorrect either.... 

These days, there are many kinds of support groups and self-help groups, and they're promoted on the Internet.  And they can have some value.  But when speaker and writer, Louise Hay, whom I've written about in a few posts below, was asked in the 1980's to host a group for men with AIDS she first told them, "We're not going to sit here and play 'Ain't it awful!'"  She had positive and constructive things to talk about and the group was very successful!  Some of the men eventually died but others were able to heal and they lived a long time.  She told about this in her book "Life Loves You," 2015, written with Robert Holden.

In my opinion, it's preferable to keep the "Ain't it awful" comments to a minimum...!  Some people wanted me to increase my contact with support groups but I don't know if it's what I need, at this time...?  I've used support groups in the past and they've helped.  Right now, I'm reading some of their literature and it makes a difference....  [And if I can find a suitable group, I don't mind going.]

Guest Nature Art--3

Thanks to my brother for sharing these photos which he took in the USA.

Forgiveness

If it's possible to get justice for a wrong in a reasonable manner and without undue hardship, then I think it's desirable to do so....  But sometimes it's very difficult or impossible to get justice.  We can let God or fate deal with the wrongdoer!

In some situations that I've been pondering, I'm freeing myself from unrealistic expectations of justice....  I'm noticing that.  In the post below, I mentioned Louise Hay; and she said in her book that she got free from her past experiences of abuse by forgiving!  [She had quite a difficult childhood.]  That's quite powerful, I think.  And she had help from counsellors along the way.

In May 2017, I wrote a post called "Forgiving Others," if anybody would like to read more.

Some Work For Me

A little while ago, I bought an encouraging book called "Life Loves You" by Louise Hay and Dr. Robert Holden, Ph.D.  (Copyright 2015, published by Hay House, Inc.)  Ms. Hay passed away recently at over 90 years of age.  She had previously written many books, including "Heal Your Body" and "You Can Heal Your Life."  She had also gotten cured of cancer in the past, mostly by changing her thinking....  Dr. Holden is a younger person and he has written other books as well....

Ms. Hay's books have been popular worldwide and she was a metaphysical lecturer and teacher....  I can't say I understand or agree with all the ideas in "Life Loves You" but there's a lot that I can reconcile with my own religion....  For example, one theory is that a spirit of unforgiveness can be a cause of disease....  And I certainly agree that negative emotions can cause health problems and unforgiveness is a bad thing....

Another concept in the above book is to imagine a "Forgiveness Scale" and to consider HOW MUCH you've forgiven a person who caused offense...?  Sometimes we may forgive 20% or even 60%, but the ideal is to forgive totally and completely...!  [My religion requires me to forgive others but the book has given me some new insight and awareness about the topic....]  So, I've realized I have some work to do in this area, for more than one person....  Sometimes life can be very complicated...!  Maybe the forgiveness work will help my health and maybe not?, but I'm willing to make an effort....

For more information about the authors above, people can go to www.LouiseHay.com or to www.robertholden.org.   

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving Day will be on next Monday, October 9.

Nature Art--55

Organic Gardening

If organic gardening is done properly, no chemicals are used and the nutritional content is higher than in regular produce....

The season is pretty much over for this year but the fall or winter is actually a good time to start planning a garden for the following spring....  There are many books available at libraries to help a person get started....  Some government offices may have free literature, as well....  Even a small space like a window sill or a balcony can be used productively.

In between my university years when I was young, I had a privilege of spending a week on a large, organic farm in the south of France.  It was an amazing experience and it gave me a lifelong interest in gardening, whenever I had the chance to do something.

Nature Art--54

Battling Health Challenges

These photos were taken at a new, family cottage where I had a chance to visit.  I used a disposable camera and the colours in the entire roll of film were a little washed out, which was disappointing....  But at least something is visible....

Approximately from the beginning of this year I've been getting lab tests and battling health challenges. Some problems have been temporary and respond to treatment and/or lifestyle changes....  [Even small changes can make a big difference, at times.]  One problem which is more serious is "macular degeneration" in an eye....

This problem is expected to cause significant vision loss at some time....  The eye specialist said she can't predict what will happen with my sight and the potential treatment only has a 50/50 chance of helping....  The treatment can also cause serious side effects...so it's like "six of one, and half a dozen of the other"...and I've decided to decline the treatment....

Have been trying to take good care of my eyes and health; and from April to August of this year, there was a slight improvement in my eye....

At the back of my mind, I've had a nagging worry about my health...and I decided to re-connect with a self-help group I used to go to....  Getting support can certainly be helpful!  Of course, the worry itself isn't healthy and can bring on more problems.  Sometimes it takes a while to make a decision to take action, but when we do there's usually help available.

Interpreting Nature

People can interpret nature in different ways and get different things out of it.... But overall, I believe it's beneficial to study nature....  One of my favourite topics is organic gardening, and I'll save that for another time....

Quotation--10

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."    Albert Einstein

Quotation--9

"Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue."    Confucius

Nature Art--53

Happy Birthday Canada, 150th Year!

July 1st marks our 150th birthday...!

This photo is of a maple tree, if you look closely....  We have a maple leaf on our flag, as most people know....

My parents came to Canada from Europe many years ago.... When I was around 10 years old, my father had a setback in his business and wanted to take the family back to Europe....  But my mother talked him out of it....  My life probably would've been quite different if we'd left...but Canada has been a good place to live....

Happy Birthday!

Nature Art--52

These scenes are from a walking trail in the North Bay area of Ontario....  There were minnows and things in the creek, and my son had fun catching some of them when he was young....

Children's Summer Camps

Was reviewing my charitable donations over the past year and found I have room to do a little more....  Also, the Scott Mission in Toronto was advertising for donations to their children's camp programs....  My own church also runs a summer camp for various age groups and for the blind.... I decided it'd be very nice to contribute towards underprivileged, city children being able to spend time in nature...!  I know I've had a lot of time to enjoy nature in my lifetime; and I'd like to share with the children....  [Have made a donation.]  Would like to encourage other people to do the same, if they possibly can....  [There are various organizations which run camps....  And there are also some day camp programs in the cities, which can be good....  Will include the link addresses for the programs above:  www.scottmission.com     and     www.campfrenda.com  .]

Have been learning that in life we really need to reach out to other people....  It makes us feel better and feel good....

There was a parable told by Rabbi Haim Romshishok, according to Wikipedia, where people were seated around a banquet table....  They all had extra-long utensils and found it difficult to eat....  In the hell version of the story, the people kept trying to feed themselves and were doing a poor job and feeling miserable....  But in the heaven version, the people started feeding each other and were successful.  They felt satisfied and happy....  And it seems that's how it is in life...!  We can't manage on our own....

Nature Art--51

These are more photos from the Lake Ontario area....  There was an out-of-the-way beach but am not sure it's as accessible any longer...? [We have to enjoy places while we can, right?]

Nature Art--50

These were some grasses and bulrushes along the roadside...near Lake Ontario.

Nature Art--49

These flowers are the common Queen Anne's lace flower.  I'd never seen pink ones before I was out with my camera on this day...?

When I was a young child in school, I think these were the flowers we picked and then placed into containers of water with food colouring...?  The colour went into the flowers.... The pink flowers above remind me of that day....

Nature Art--48

This photo was taken along part of the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Quotation--8

"Man plans, God laughs."
        Yiddish Proverb


Yiddish is a language spoken by some of the Jewish people.

The saying doesn't literally mean that God laughs at us....  But I believe God is a lot bigger than we are and some humility on our parts doesn't hurt...!

If you want to Google this saying, you can find some interesting articles about it.

Guest Nature Art--2

This poster is posted with permission from the Nature Conservancy of Canada and from the photographer, Aaron McKenzie Fraser.

Have mentioned this organization in February of this year and I wish to promote them....  They're doing a good work preserving nature areas across Canada....

This blog post may be shared on social media, as all the posts in this blog can be...but if anyone wishes to share the poster by itself, please give credit to the photographer....  Thank you.

Quotation--7

"He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever."
Chinese Proverb

If some people aren't clear on what this proverb means, I believe it means that sometimes people are afraid of asking a question because they don't want to feel or look foolish...but after they ask and get an answer, they're wiser than they were before....  If they never ask the question, they may never become wiser and therefore will actually be "foolish!"

The photo in this post was taken at a city park in Kingston, Ontario many years ago.  For the official Kingston website, go to:   www.cityofkingston.ca.  

Toronto Nature Areas

A photographer named Robert Burley has released a new book this month and is also having an exhibition in Toronto this month....  The name of the book and show is "Enduring Wilderness" and the photos are from nature areas in Toronto....  I think this is an exciting project!  For more information, people can go to:   www.enduringwilderness.robertburley.com   or www.robertburley.com.  

Quotation--6

"A cheerful heart is a good medicine but a downcast spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22


This verse was taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.  --Please see the Notice of Copyright which was posted on April 3, 2017.

Quotation--5

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."  Proverbs 16:24

This verse was taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Updated Categories

Would like to invite people to look over my entire blog....  There's a list of Labels in the side-bar with different sections, which I've updated....  People can choose any and all categories that appeal to them....  Myself, I find the fall photos to be the most special and unique but I like the other photos, too.

Since I'm not posting photos or comments on a regular, daily or weekly basis I encourage people to visit my blog any time; and they can use the Labels to navigate their way.  Ideally, people would start by reading the Introduction or at least include it in their browsing, if possible....

Nature Art--47

Forgiving Others

No matter what our families or anybody have done to us, we still need to have a forgiving attitude towards them, in my opinion....  It doesn't mean we have to continue letting them do harm to us, if we can help it....  But holding onto an angry attitude is poisonous toward our own well-being.... People recovering from addictions, especially, need to let go of grudges or it threatens their recovery....

In the civil courts, they don't want people being "vexatious" and making angry accusations.... And the philosopher Aristotle said, "The law is reason, free from passion."  I think we need to be that way in our daily lives, as well, although it can certainly be a challenge....

Boundaries

Sometimes when parents or other people are a pain, we can set out boundaries to keep some space between us and them....  In the case of our parents, we can still show them some respect, for example by acknowledging them at certain, traditional times--like Christmas, birthdays, Mothers/Fathers Day, etc.  I think we owe our parents some respect.  But we don't have to put up with harmful or difficult behaviour....

Many years ago, I heard "Dr. Laura" Schlessinger on the radio and got some ideas from her.... www.drlaura.com  At this point, I don't remember exactly what she said or what was my own idea...?  But she gave some helpful input into my life....  [My son used to listen to her sometimes, too.]

Nature Art--46

Am not sure exactly which kinds of trees these are...?  I believe crabapple trees have pink blooms, but I can't say for sure....

Getting Along With My Mother--Part 2

Note:  This post is continued from a post on April 20.

After I was grown up, my mother happened to mention to me one day that she suspected her grandfather had been an alcoholic and she thought she, herself, might have an "alcoholic personality."  I thought this was a very honest and open-minded comment.  My mother didn't drink for religious reasons but she was like an alcoholic, in different ways, in my opinion....  They say that children of alcoholics can abuse alcohol or the grandchildren can be affected also....  [And there are other addictions besides alcohol.]  I studied about alcoholism because my husband had been an alcoholic....

In my opinion, my mother may have also had Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/ADHD a little; and I think I have it somewhat, also...?  I've learned to overcome part of it; and I make an effort to control it by eating regular meals....  I've never had treatment for it, specifically, so far, and am not sure if I need it?  [And I'm not sure if many treatments are available...?]  I may just have bad nerves sometimes, after all I've been through with my family and with life, and my nerves are being treated....

Nature Art--45

I believe these are forsythia bushes blooming in the spring.

Family Relationships

When I was young, I read in a health book my parents had that if a person will improve their family relationships, their mental health will improve....  I was able to make improvements in my communication skills, at the time; and I read some magazine articles about communication. When my son was small, I was able to access a family life library at an early childhood centre; and I learned to speak in a positive way to my son about his father, even though he wasn't in our lives much, at the time....

Nature Art--44

These are some lilac bushes in the spring.

Quotation--4

Spring is a season of hope, in my opinion....  Nature bursts into bloom after being mostly dormant in the winter, in places where there are four seasons....  Many of the flowers, on trees and plants, are a promise of a harvest in the fall....

An Irish politician named Edmund Burke, who lived in the 1700s said, "Never despair, but if you do continue on in despair."  We can put one foot in front of the other and keep on going.... Things may get better.

Nature Art--43

This was a family kitten which was playing with a neighbour's dog, in the back yard...!

A Non-Threatening Environment

The nature photos in this blog are very non-threatening to people with PTSD, like first-responders and military people, in my opinion.  When I have time, I intend to promote my blog more.... Perhaps some sexual abuse or assault and sexual harassment survivors would like it, also...if they're not intimidated by discussions about anger issues...?  [Have heard that sometimes they can be....  But people can choose what they wish to look at in the blog....]

Nature Art--42

The trillium is Ontario's official flower....  In this area, they usually come out just in time for Mother's Day in May. There are white, pink, and red trilliums, as far as I know; and it's illegal to pick them because they grow very slowly. They'd become extinct if everyone started picking them.  So, we can enjoy photos and seeing them directly in nature places!

Getting Along With My Mother

One of the most difficult parts of my relationship with my mother was that my father had been the one who told me about their marital separation--and he told things from his point of view, of course....  It happened just before I turned 14 years of age....  My father left our family home, although he came to visit often, and I became angry towards my mother....

My parents continued to be involved in each other's lives for a number of years with several, attempted reconciliation periods....  Sometimes I felt better than other times but my underlying anger was never addressed, at the time.  At school and church, I functioned fairly well on the outside....  Family counselling would've been helpful to me but it was't available, that I knew of.... And my mother probably wasn't as guilty as I'd thought she was....  But when I tried to talk to her about it later in life, she couldn't handle it and the conversation always broke down....

Dealing with my feelings has been an issue in handling my eating disorder and I've still been making growth within the past few years....  But when I was caring for my mother, I found a book called "Mindfulness for Teen Anger," by Mark Purcell and Jason Murphy, at the library; and I found it very helpful....  It was the beginning of my awareness of "mindfulness meditation" and I learned to recognize physical signals in my body that I was becoming angry; and I was able to trace the thoughts and feelings that were heading for an outburst....  [If people will Google the book's title--at Google.ca, they can easily find it available; and there are other helpful entries, also.]

Of course I had pity on my mother for being old and sick, and our relationship wasn't all bad but we did have some tensions between us--not the least of which were my legal matters....  She tried to be helpful up to a point [and she was extremely helpful, especially at the beginning] but beyond that place she was quite negative....  And we more or less decided to "agree to disagree" on this issue....  [I may write a little more about my mother later on....]

Nature Art--41

This is a red trillium flower and I was actually out walking with my mother when I took the picture....

Caring For My Elderly Mother With Cancer

For about four years, I was a part-time, paid caregiver for my mother when she was very elderly.... She was in remission from cancer for over half that time before the cancer returned but she needed assistance with her living....

My mother and I hadn't always had a good relationship but we were both making an effort to be kind to each other in her later years....  Not to say that it took an effort, but sometimes it did....  And we were both at peace with each other when she died; and I was happy about that....  It's possible to get through difficult problems and I'll write more about this separately....

It was too late to help my mother but I read a book called "Radical Remission," which was promoted through the cancer support centre.  The author Dr. Kelly Turner, Ph.D.--at www.DrKellyTurner.com--interviewed and studied over a thousand people who got over their cancer....  The project took around ten years....  Dr. Turner found some common characteristics between the survivors and she explains them in her book....  Myself, I found it very positive and encouraging that there are answers for cancer--either along with conventional cancer treatment or sometimes without it....

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone!

These photos were taken some years back at the Centennial Botanical Conservatory in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The website for Thunder Bay is:  www.thunderbay.ca.

Nature Art--40

Tulips aren't blooming yet this year, in this area, but some early ones will be before too long!