Christmas Flower Show

Have heard on the radio this morning that the Allan Gardens Conservatory in Toronto has a Christmas flower display....  Apparently, they're open all year....  Their link is very long to type in but if people Google "Allan Gardens Conservatory" they'll find it easily....

Happy Holidays, or not?

Some people feel down during the holidays.  I suppose there are different reasons why.... In the past, before I got therapy for some mental health issues, I had a caring Christian family doctor who used to encourage me. She always said, "Do something for someone who's worse off than you are!" I did that and it made a difference to my life! These days, it's not hard to find charities or people who need help....

[The above photos were taken at the home of a family member several years ago.]

Nature Art--26

These photos were taken from the frozen Lake Nipissing in North Bay, Ontario at dawn.  In the lower photo, you can see tracks from the snowmobiles. There were a lot of snowmobile trails in the area, and there were also fishing huts on the lake, although they're not visible here.

Violence Against Women

Did I hear correctly, in passing, on the radio news that Christmas is the time of greatest violence against women in domestic situations? When I was with my husband, I had to leave our home once or twice because of violence or a verbal threat of violence.... I don't believe it serves a purpose for a woman to allow herself to be beaten.... Sometimes counselling is able to help the situation but often it's not.... Will write more about this subject later.

Nature Art--25

There was a light coating of hoar frost on these trees in the Sturgeon Falls area.

Spirituality

There are different definitions of spirituality that people use but to me it means belief in and respect for a Higher Power. In this blog, I haven't wanted to be overly religious; and even religious people can need practical encouragement with their lives, at times. But I believe spirituality can be a help in coping with our lives.... It gives an added dimension.

Our Christmas season is based on both religious and pagan traditions. It's not necessary to celebrate the religious side in order to enjoy Christmas.... In the western world, there are people belonging to many religions which are quite different from Christianity.... Myself, I like to acknowledge the Christian views and traditions at Christmastime but I also respect other religions, and people with no religion at all....

Meditation

The Greek philosopher Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."  I think it's healthy and desirable to take some time occasionally and look at our lives....  Are we really doing what we want to do; and living up to our values and priorities, etc...?

The Dalai Lama said he practises something he calls "analytical meditation" [in his book, "The Dalai Lama's Big Book of Happiness"].   www.dalailama.com  And there's something called "Christian meditation."  A newer type of meditation is called "mindfulness meditation."  If we sit quietly with our thoughts sometimes, I think it's helpful in this busy world....  And science has been able to show that meditation has a beneficial effect on the body....  [Am not exactly sure which type of meditation they were studying but I think it has to be good to take time out from our busyness and stress....]

[As for the Dalai Lama, I don't agree 100% with all his beliefs but I've seen that he has some very practical and sensible advice to offer to the western world....]