I am going to have 55th birthdays from now on! I had an amazing birthday on Saturday – and it even got extended into Sunday by some friends…

I had an all-day drop-in birthday party on Saturday, from 7 am to 7 pm (well, some folks stayed a couple hours later, lol)…

35 friends dropped . . . → Read More: Happy birthday!]]> July 26, 2010

I am going to have 55th birthdays from now on! I had an amazing birthday on Saturday – and it even got extended into Sunday by some friends…

I had an all-day drop-in birthday party on Saturday, from 7 am to 7 pm (well, some folks stayed a couple hours later, lol)…

35 friends dropped by, 70 friends sent greetings on facebook, I got at least a half dozen phone calls, and more greetings by email.

We had blueberry crepes for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and chili for supper, along with various snacks along the way. My wonderful friend Debbie brought a big birthday cake and lots of helium balloons (the first time I’ve had helium balloons for my birthday! I was as excited as a little kid).

I received a dozen birthday cards, 2 beautiful bouquets of flowers, 2 boxes of chocolates, 2 Starbucks cards, a wally-world gift card, and a wonderful assortment of other surprises.

On Sunday morning, I went to street church, and they had another big birthday cake for me. I took along the Saturday leftovers, so I ended up having a two-day birthday party. Awesome!

Many thanks to all my wonderful friends for spoiling me – and to my Father who has given me so many friends and family, because He LOVES me!!! And He loves you, too!

On July 12 it was a bit cooler, and I took advantage of the weather to take a long walk along the highway to Green Road, cross the highway and the river channel, and then walk along the east side of the channel till I reached the bridge . . . → Read More: walkabout, yard work, reading, e-groups and newsletters, grandchildren]]> July 20 (looking back to July 12 to 19)

On July 12 it was a bit cooler, and I took advantage of the weather to take a long walk along the highway to Green Road, cross the highway and the river channel, and then walk along the east side of the channel till I reached the bridge at the golf course, and crossed back to the west side. Walked to the mouth of the river, and met a couple friends. We walked along the lakeshore until we reached the Copper Mug cafe, where I enjoyed a lime Italian soda; they had coffee. Then we walked back. Wonderful to be out and about.

I have been reading (again, after a number of years), Philip Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” It really has got me thinking about not only God’s grace to me – but how I in turn can extend His grace and love to others. And how I view others – from my “natural” viewpoint – or from His?

I’ve also been busy nearly every day picking up bags of dead leaves and seed pods and flowers from the neighbor’s huge dying tree that hangs over the fence and is dropping all its dying foliage into our yard. One day alone I picked up 4 very full bags!

Hubby and I went to City Hall to sign the Homeowner Grant form. It’s been a lot of years since we owned a house and had to take care of land taxes. Still it is worth it! For as long as Father has us here, anyway

I also spent many hours putting together an email newsletter for our local writer’s club. I haven’t created a newsletter for a long time, and we had a lot of submissions, and I had to do quite a lot of editing, not to mention the design of the newsletter. Now the club president tells me she wants the next one to be more “printable” so I’ll have to work on that! Doing the newsletter has been a fun challenge, but I am glad it is only quarterly. I also moderate their e-group, which keeps me occupied on a much more regular basis. The majority of the club members are older than I am, and for a lot of them, on-line interaction is pretty scary. Only about 1/4 of the club has joined our on-line activities so far, but I am trying to encourage them to give it a shot, at least at the simple level of e-groups and email newsletter. The publishing industry is rapidly moving into digital production, and we need to be aware and prepare to be involved.

Related to that, I have attended some workshops and have been listening to podcasts and reading on-line blogs about the new publishing. Of course I have been taking notes, and posting them up on the e-group and in the newsletter, hoping that the club members will be encouraged to explore the very near (okay, already arrived) future of writing and publishing. I actually have had a couple members ask me if I can show them how to comment on blogs, post to on-line groups, and so forth. Perhaps I need to start offering workshops to gently introduce older people to this on-line world. Some of them have asked their grandchildren to teach them – but the young folks get impatient; it is so natural to them, and they can’t understand how the older folks approach it with some trepidation.

Oh yes! It was my daughter’s birthday the other day, and we had an excellent time celebrating with a barbeque out in our back yard – and enjoying the shade under our new gazebo. Excellent! I am so glad we got the gazebo. And then a couple days later, my wonderful little grandson (22 months old) had a sleep-over with nonnie (grandma!). We had a lot of fun, going walkabout in the mall, playing in the park, and so on. Grandchildren are amazing!

How do you keep your house cool on these hot summer days, apart from using air conditioners? We don’t have a cool basement, but we have found ways to beat the heat.

In the evening, as soon as the outdoor temperature is as low as the indoor temperature (or vice versa, of course), we . . . → Read More: keep the house cool on hot days]]> July 8, 2010

How do you keep your house cool on these hot summer days, apart from using air conditioners? We don’t have a cool basement, but we have found ways to beat the heat.

In the evening, as soon as the outdoor temperature is as low as the indoor temperature (or vice versa, of course), we open all our doors and windows, and let the evening air go through. If there is no breeze, we place a fan in the window, to blow the cooling night air in, and another fan in an opposite window, to blow the hot inside air out.

We keep the windows open all night, and the doors, too, if necessary. Keeping the doors open means we sleep near the doors, and we set up “alarms, for example, bells or other noisemakers attached to fish line, in case anyone tries to enter. This is actually kind of fun, being creative! Of course, it doesn’t hurt to keep a lamp light on, and some music or TV sound, if you can sleep with it.

Come morning, we close and cover all windows and doors that have the sun pouring on to them, and then close the others on the shady sides of the place when in and out temperatures match (yes, we have both inside and outside thermometers). Then we keep all the doors and windows closed and covered. For windows that get direct sunlight, we cover with white curtains facing outward to reflect the sun, and often put a blanket over as well for insulation. On really hot days, we hang those metallic “emergency blankets” (you can get them at camping supply places, sometimes even at dollar stores) next to the windows; they really reflect the light.

We also keep as many electronics as possible (lights, TVs, computers etc,) turned off. We use the washer and dryer as little as possible, only do cold water washes, and like to hang-dry clothes. (Hang-dry inside if the weather is very dry; it increases the humidity a bit and makes the air feel cooler. If already humid, hang-dry outdoors.) We even avoid using fans too much in the daytime. And take short, cool showers. We keep a collection of old-fashioned hand fans (accordian style ones) for when we are really uncomfortable. And of course drink lots of water.

If we know hot weather is coming, we try to stock up on foods that require little cooking, and eat veggies raw. Also, on cool days, cook extra and freeze for use on hot days. And of course, use the barbeque or campstove or other outdoor cooking methods.

It takes a bit of effort, but it’s possible to keep the indoor temperatures in the low 20s C (70s F) when outdoor temperatures go well into the 30s+ C (90s+ F).

What tricks do you use?

Some guy in shorts and t-shirt who must have been on his lunch break, was standing outside the back door of a business. He had his shoes and socks off, and was vigorously walking on the spot; meanwhile, he was also wringing out a soaked towel, apparently exercising his arms and cooling off . . . → Read More: walkabout sights]]> June 26, 2010

Some guy in shorts and t-shirt who must have been on his lunch break, was standing outside the back door of a business. He had his shoes and socks off, and was vigorously walking on the spot; meanwhile, he was also wringing out a soaked towel, apparently exercising his arms and cooling off his feet! Oddly entertaining for passersby!

Met 3 of the street church guys in a back alley. We walked along for a few blocks, chatting together. They told me about how they are fixing a house for a lady whose son recently passed away. She wants her house to be a good place for people to stay as they leave the street and clean up their lives. Cool!

There were literally thousands of people out to the Farmers Market and the Artisans Market; the Classic Car Peach Cruise (about 800 cars and quite a lot of motorbikes as well!); and the annual Elvis Festival, with close to 30 Elvis impersonators! All on a beautiful hot sunny day in the beautiful parks by the beach.

An RCMP officer in red serge (dress uniform) was opening the Beach Cruise entertainment (a Johnny Cash impersonator!) by singing the US national anthem and then the Canadian anthem. People commenting that he did a better job of the US anthem. Hmmmm… People inside the fence at the park stood to attention, mostly (except those in the beer garden); people outside the fence happily ignored the whole thing. Hmmm again.

Sailboats, speed boats, seadoos, kayaks, canoes on the lake. Parasailing too. Perfect day!

A guy came along while I was sitting in the shade on some rocks by the beach. We started talking. Turns out he grew up in the same town as I did, but because he went to a different school, we never met. However, I had known the girl he married; she was one grade behind me in my high school. Our short chat turned into 2 1/2 hours… computers, electronics, home school, house churches, miracles, Christian TV, satellites, sailing/ canoeing/ kayaking, places we’ve both been, Bill Gates and other famous people he has met… Yo! It’s a small world!

Walking home it was hot (at least 30 C). I ended up phoning hubby when I was about 3/4 of the way home and begging for a ride, lol.

After I got home, I did a quick fb check… and was invited to chat with a guy who had been 2 or 3 grades ahead of me in my school – and who, as it turns out, wrote the curriculum for the program my daughter took at BCIT. Small world again!

Oh, and both those guys are believers! Cool!

Getting behind in my blogging and posting again! Well,of course, I did quite a bit of blogging over at the My Church Journey” blog, the past few days.

I spent most of today having an absolutely wonderful time with my 1 1/2 year old grandson and 1 1/2 month old granddaughter, as . . . → Read More: grandmothering, personal letter writing, aboriginal day]]> June 22, 2010

Getting behind in my blogging and posting again! Well,of course, I did quite a bit of blogging over at the My Church Journey” blog, the past few days.

I spent most of today having an absolutely wonderful time with my 1 1/2 year old grandson and 1 1/2 month old granddaughter, as mommy was sick. It is so cool being a naanii (grandmother)!

I also came up with an idea for a “personal letter writing” business. Something like “Ye Olde Fine Art of Letter Writing Shoppe” (lol). Doing invitations, thank-yous, get-wells, Christmas letters (both handwritten on cards, and in newsletter form), personal letters, even family newsletters for people. I first thought of it because there are so many seniors around here, and I know that they value “old-fashioned” letter writing, but it becomes difficult for many of them in old age. And of course many people are busy, busy, busy, but would still like to send out personal notes and letters.

If you missed my article on earning money from your writing skills, I’ll repeat a bit of it here.

The fine old art of friendly/personal letter writing seems to be evaporating, and yet so many people are delighted to receive a handwritten letter. As one who has attractive handwriting, skill in writing personal letters, and some graphic design skills, it has occurred to me there are all kinds of people who might be happy to hire me to do some of this kind of writing for them.

It might seem as though hiring someone else to do one’s “personal writing” is a bit oxymoronic, but of course businessmen have been having their secretaries do it for them for years, movie stars hire personal assistants to answer fan-mail, the Queen has her ladies-in-waiting, and so forth. And of course there are plenty of ordinary people who are very busy or have valid reasons for being unable to do their own writing, who would love to have someone help them send out personalized cards, letters, and messages.

So…. anyone want to hire me?

Yesterday was Aboriginal Day in Canada, and we would have loved to have been “home” in Old Massett for the raising of SIX new totem poles, as well as the Jasper Raven pole being repatriated and raised! You can see a few details here. Well, we have enjoyed looking at all the photos posted on facebook by people who did attend all the events (it was a very exciting week, with the Haida-Gwaii renaming ceremony a few days previous and other related events)!

Anyway, we went instead to the local celebrations hosted by the Penticton band of the Okanagan Nation, and spent several hours enjoying singing, dancing and drumming, as well as eating delicious Okanagan fried bread! Thanks for your hospitality!

15 – 16 June 2010

Arrived Penticton on bus 9:35 am. Hubby picked me up. We went home and I unpacked, then I fell into bed and slept till about 2 pm! There is nothing like one’s own comfy bed!

After I got up, I cleaned house. Ha! . . . → Read More: Getting back into my routine – perhaps?]]> GETTING BACK INTO MY ROUTINE – PERHAPS?

15 – 16 June 2010

Arrived Penticton on bus 9:35 am. Hubby picked me up. We went home and I unpacked, then I fell into bed and slept till about 2 pm! There is nothing like one’s own comfy bed!

After I got up, I cleaned house. Ha! Before I left to Alberta, I cleaned it thoroughly. When I got home, it had turned into a bachelor pad!

Hubby had to go to work in the afternoon. I went through my several hundred Alberta-land snapshots and chose 45 to post on Facebook. Then over to Wendy’s to take care of Hayley, while they rushed Marcus to the hospital to have his head repaired after he jumped off the couch, poor little guy! Nasty gash and lots of blood, but all in all, he’s fine! Unlike Humpty-Dumpty, little people are tough, and generally can be “put together again” – in this case with a clump of glue!

I had a wonderful one-on-one with my wee grand-daughter – who in the short week and a half I was gone, seems to have left her wee-status behind! How true that little ditty, “Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow, For children grow up, we’ve learned to our sorrow… So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep; I’m rocking my baby ’cause babies don’t keep!” (lol… I kept quoting that verse to Sarah when she’d start worrying about the house being a mess or whatever).

Lionel and I took a drive down the valley to Oliver to check out the big mud slide. Wow! So many houses smashed and destroyed. A couple were actually pushed right onto the highway. They’ve cleared the highway itself now, but the flow of mud, and destroyed buildings, vehicles, orchards and vineyards stretch far above and below the road. The orchards and vineyards are wiped out, and the soil won’t be usable for agriculture for years to come. Several homes are totally destroyed. A little dam built back in the 1930s to create an irrigation resevoir gave way after recent heavy rains. A hiker had been up there a few days earlier and come back to town and warned officials that problems were developing, but nothing was done about it! Apparently there are dozens of such dams throughout the Okanagan – and as many as 2000, or so I’ve heard, throughout the province. So now the province is scrambling to check them all before another disaster happens. Well, it is a blessing that no one was hurt!

Next day I woke to dozens of comments and “likes” on the Alberta pictures I posted on facebook. Everyone loves a new baby!

I spent a lot of time catching up on facebook, and on my email, both personal and “business” related.

I really do want to get “back to business” – but Your will, Father, not mine. Hubby’s new job has been unexpectedly on-again, off-again, the past couple weeks, and I have been wondering, since my 3 months “separation package” from my last job just ran out yesterday, if maybe I am foolish to try to make a living from writing, and should just “get a real job,” and do writing as “moonlighting” income. My loving and patient husband says I should stick to the writing – but as I pointed out to him, if I do, I really need to focus, with set hours. When I am “working at home,” hubby and son have a hard time imagining why I can’t just drop everything and do whatever they’d like to do at any given moment! It does seem “sensible” to me to “set work hours” and stick to them tenaciously – but then I wonder – is that what You want for me? It does seem that so often when I “tenaciously” follow plans that seem sensible to me, they end up getting turned on their heads! Hmmm….

Father, I really do want to WALK WITH YOU!

(If you want to see the conversation I had with Father about this, check out Trust and Obey)

What an adventurous day! First hubby comes home and announces he is leaving his job – and then he gets an interview for another one in just a couple days – and some on-call work tonight with promise of lots more… And so I helped him find his old resumes and update . . . → Read More: a very adventurous day!]]> 19 May 2010

What an adventurous day! First hubby comes home and announces he is leaving his job – and then he gets an interview for another one in just a couple days – and some on-call work tonight with promise of lots more… And so I helped him find his old resumes and update them and put together a new “package”….

And then the toilet upstairs plugged and flooded, both upstairs and down, and we had to use pretty much every towel and sheet in the house to sop it all up – and then of course I had to do loads and loads of laundry, and turn the thermostat way up to dry things out – right when I need to save money, not burn it up with high energy bills!

And I had to pile everything in the back yard into a pile because the pressure-cleaner guys are coming in the morning to clean all the walls in the complex…

Still, amazingly, I got a lot of “work” stuff accomplished! Lots of journaling, including an amazing word from Jesus, when I went to him after all that unexpected adventure …

and I got a couple awesome blog comments, which really confirmed that You are in control, Father!….

And I updated a writers’ email group which I moderate…

and wrote on a forum I am part of…

and practiced using Posterous…

and went through the notes (related to all the business stuff) that I’ve been jotting down and sorted them into topics and typed them up…

and got several new Twitter followers (and asked to follow some of them: I’m kind of particular, preferring to follow a few who twitter on topics I’m really interested in, rather than follow lots of folks just for the big numbers…

and got rid of a bunch of excess fb pages and groups that I rarely or never look at any more…

and closed accounts on a number of social networking sites I haven’t used in a long time (or that have succumbed to a lot of spamming and porn – sure don’t need that!)…

And finally got lulled to sleep with the unusual-for-here sound of steady rain coming down! Sweet!

As anyone who has been following this blog will have noticed, I am “taking the plunge” and trying to write seriously – become a real writer instead of a dabbler! So I’ve been reading, studying, conversing with other writers – and doing a LOT of writing.

Anyway, I’ve been collecting incredible INSPIRATION on the . . . → Read More: key notes: inspiration!]]> 12 May 2010

As anyone who has been following this blog will have noticed, I am “taking the plunge” and trying to write seriously – become a real writer instead of a dabbler! So I’ve been reading, studying, conversing with other writers – and doing a LOT of writing.

Anyway, I’ve been collecting incredible INSPIRATION on the art of writing itself, lifestyles, entrepreneurship (yes, I’d like to make some money out of this writing thing…), and so forth. And from my many notes, I’ve been making a list of KEY notes. Because this is MY list, these keys inevitably, of course, reflect me – who I am, what I believe and value, my hopes and dreams, and the core of my life, my relationship with God. Some of my KEY notes are things I learned from others. And some of them are from me.

Wherever you are in YOUR LIFE, I hope you’ll too be inspired by some of these keys. And I encourage you to add KEYs that are especially yours!

INSPIRATION…. (alphabetically… in no particular order! Lol…)

Analyze your emotions responses to things. Learn about yourself. Change negatives in your life that bind you and hold you back, to positives that propel you forward. Focus on things that elicit positive emotions (love, joy, peace, contentment) rather than negative ones (see the negative ones in new ways: let them become eliciters of positive emotions).
Be inspiring yourself. Encourage others to be inspiring and amazing too! Empower them to step out as well.
Be the voice for those without one.
Be yourself – the you Creator God created you to be. Revel in it. Enjoy. Dance with Him – He is the Lord of the Dance, after all
Become a fast friend. To someone who really needs a friend. And find ways to become a better friend to your already-friends. Who are your friends anyway? Try that question out for size!
Blog every day.
Childlike simplicity: avoid complications of rules and regulations. Fun, humility, good character. Living a minimal lifestyle in an often very complicated world.
Clear your mind from being clouded by unnecessary things.
Close ties with family and true friends.
Create new out of old.
Dare to be different. Brave. Bold. Honest. Surprising. Even “wrong” (by some folks’ estimation! But cling always to Papa).
Defeat the resistance. Find something so important that it is worth overcoming all kinds of resistance, all the things that create friction in your life and slow or stop you.
Do routine things differently.
Don’t compare yourself to others; be inspired by them.
Don’t get complacent. Keep growing, learning, improving, building, exploring, taking on new challenges.
Emulate the greats. And especially the Greatest.
Find focus in an unfocused world. And share it. Share myself. And yes, share YOU, my focus… The Focus! (thank You!)
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Follow your heart.
Gratefulness: for life, gifts, other people, God’s love.
Great work: meaningful, challenging, makes a difference to you and to the world, matters to you, lights you up, is inspired by and integrates your passions.
Healthy lifestyle: eat healthy, walkabout frequently, write, journal with Papa, open door hospitality.
Integrate truth into all of life.
Interview. Observe.
Keep practicing. Keep doing.
Learn. Do. Teach. (And keep the cycle going!)
Limit distractions to just the essentials.
Live as frictionless as possible. Simplify your life. Clear it of non-essential tasks (and be surprised by how many of those there really are). Focus on what you love. Change your current conditions to eliminate “necessary” tasks that you wish weren’t necessary!
Live in adventure with Jesus: know Him more, love Him more … and share His love, expressed through me.
Love!!!!
Make major life decisions in alignment with what – Who! – you truly believe in and value.
Meet others’ needs.
Never stop learning. Never stop failing. Learn from your failures: and so make them successes.
Observe! Everything is a potential source of inspiration. See from different perspectives.
Reach out to the sad and hurting. Care for the uncared-for, the “unwanted” ones.
Relationship with people who think, live simply, love freedom, see alternatively, and with those who love Jesus.
Remember: all my friends, relatives, business and education contacts – everyone I know and encounter – are support and resources in my life.
Say “yes” slowly: question why? what? when? who? where? how?
Serve. Minister. Care. Shepherd. Walk alongside. Guide. Mentor. (But don’t forget Who really leads).
Share with the world – in many small practical ways. Sharing yourself: what and who you are.
Shoot for the one great thing. Avoid frivolous extras. KISS: Keep it simple, sweetheart!
Simplify life: Less stuff. Contentedness: count your blessings. Enjoy simple, free things.
Small initial scope: better one thing done well than many things never really accomplished. What “one thing” do you want to focus on? What’s your passion? Your gifting? Your core?
Smile. And let your joy put a smile on others’ faces. Bring them to You, the Source of joy Start a wiki-type site for those who write to/about Father but fear to or don’t know how to publish their writing.
Start new things: lean, small, focused, simple, nimble, flexible, low-cost. Start now, with what you already have, what you already know and love.
Start NOW.
Start with “good enough.” Get it out there. Then improve.
Stay agile. Remain curious. Keep your eyes and heart wide open. See opportunities.
Take lots of pictures. Or better yet, sketch them yourself. In graphics. Or words. Or both.
To become “great” at something: learn from others. But mostly: do, and keep doing. For years. As long as it takes. Teaching others, too. Desire, drive, doing, daring.
Union with our Creator and God: eternal significance.
Volunteer … street ministry, home-school granny…
Walking with God: joy, contentment, unconditional love.
What is most important to you? Focus on that.
Whatever you dream, you can pursue. What do you dream? Is it worth pursuing? Does it line up with who you are and what you believe and value? How can you pursue it?
Work harder than you ever have before, on what you love and are passionate about. Pour in your heart and soul.
Write!!!! Every day!

And yes, of course this list is uncopywrited! So add to it, change it around, delete what doesn’t speak to you, improve on it, reorganize it – make it your own, and then share your list too! And post it up! And DO IT! (And remind me to keep doing mine!)

Being a mommy of 5 kids (and all their friends, many of whom practically lived at our house) and now 5 + 2 grandkids (2 due soon!), I’ve always tended to “cheap” when buying myself things – especially shoes.

In the past year or two, as I’ve taken up trying to get out and . . . → Read More: new shoes!]]> 4 May 2010

Being a mommy of 5 kids (and all their friends, many of whom practically lived at our house) and now 5 + 2 grandkids (2 due soon!), I’ve always tended to “cheap” when buying myself things – especially shoes.

In the past year or two, as I’ve taken up trying to get out and briskly walk at least an hour to an hour-and-a-half a day, I’ve been going through those el-cheapo runners every 3 or 4 months (actually they wear out pretty much in a month or two, but you know, I keep trying to squeeze out a bit more use). This last pair have gotten so bad, that even walking for 15 or 20 minutes, my ankles hurt, I got cramps in my arches, my back hurt, my lower leg bones felt like they were splintering – and none of that is good news for a person with early osteoporosis!

So I decided I have to get decent shoes. I really wanted “really good” ones, which unfortunately run around $150 … but was of course looking at the $75 range (shoes here cost more than in the US – even though our money is now at par…). But both son and hubby said I must get the good ones. So hubby took me shopping and got them for me (early Happy Mother’s Day!) – more than twice what I have ever paid before for shoes for myself (usually I pay $30 or as low as $10, on sale). But as hubby and son pointed out – 1. It’s for the good of my body. 2. These will last me a LONG time – probably just as long as 5 pairs of el-cheapos (which adds up to the same amount anyway).

So I got the latest and greatest thing (which is something I don’t normally do). Hubby works 12 hour shifts as a care-aide, on his feet all the time, and many of the nurses and care aides he works with are now using these shoes, and saying they are the best they have ever had! So he insisted that’s what I need -

Sketcher’s Shape-Ups! Which according to the advertising are specially designed to “promote weight loss, tone muscles, improve posture, strengthen the back, reduce cellulite and tone thighs, firm calm muscles, improve blood circulation, tighten abdominal muscles.” (Oh and they come with their own exercise DVD!) (though all those benefits are supposed to accrue without special exercises – walking itself is supposed to do it). (So… do you think including that link might benefit me too, lol?)

I was pretty skeptical of the advertising – but it’s hard to argue with people you know who wear them all the time, under strenuous, non-stop conditions, and have found all the advertising to be true!

Anyway, they recommended that I just wear them for a half hour or so the first few times, as I would feel my muscles working immediately. And let me tell you, I really could feel it! So I’m glad I took their advice. When I was wearing them, just walking around, I felt like dancing! It was great, after those uncomfortable el-cheapos!

I really dislike indoor exercise – I love to be outside. So these are perfect for me. Can’t wait to get out there today! I’ll let you know how they go in the longer term, in case you’re thinking about them.

…. later …So, yes, I’ve been doing lots of walking and also exercises these days, in my new shoes – and I feel like dancing all the time! The new shoes are awesome! Even when I was just standing in line at the store or whatever, I was rocking my feet back and forth on them – and my 18 mo old grandson and I had so much fun dancing together (him in my arms, Sketchers on my feet). They really do make me stand tall! My daughter told me I look a lot taller when I wear them. I can feel them toning my mid-section/core, my thighs and hips … and my feet aren’t cramping now either. And they feel like walking on moss, so springy. (Thanks to my hubby!)

I guess this is another example of making choices. I’ve always liked the small ones, but for me this was definitely a “risk-taker” in view of the question of price and value. It seems like a peculiar connection: but I really am feeling more energetic, and getting outside more does inspire my creativity and my observational skills – all of which really does get me writing. So I’m not going to feel guilty! (LOL … See, Chris, I am listening! Thanks to you, too.)

I read this in the April 26 entry in the 2010 Bible League of Canada planner:

“Today you will probably have opportunities to get more than you actually need. Why hurt yourself? Take only what you need. Hint: What you need is probably less than what you could get. Why . . . → Read More: world-changing choices using small pebbles]]> May 3, 2010

I read this in the April 26 entry in the 2010 Bible League of Canada planner:

“Today you will probably have opportunities to get more than you actually need. Why hurt yourself? Take only what you need. Hint: What you need is probably less than what you could get. Why is it so hard to set limits? Why is less sometimes more?”

Great questions, eh! I really am trying to learn to live that way! Important choices to make… even the little ones! Speaking of choices – another great quote I came across today:

“How will your choices change the world today?” (Chris Guillebeau).

A small pebble dropped into a pond starts a ever-widening series of ripples reaching wayyyyy out! I’m thinking that every choice I make – every choice you make, too – is a potential world-changer in ways we can’t begin to imagine!

Still doing lots of research … and note-taking … two pens have died today! Now I’m using a pencil … I need to get a GOOD pen instead of all these cheap ones! I do have a fountain pen … which I can refill with ink (assuming I can find places to buy ink, lol). I love the idea of that. But then I have to use better quality paper… Choices… I wonder, would recycled paper work better, not to mention its other environmental benefits? Should I just go to “thinking” on the computer, rather than on paper? I suppose it would save time, as I wouldn’t have to transcribe from paper to computer. But I really am a “pen and paper mama!” I do seem to think better in the old-fashioned ways. (Though this particular paragraph just came directly from my fingers to the computer, without paper in-between!)

As I’ve been doing my note-taking (for my “research”), I’ve also been stopping now and then to “take action.” So, for example, I just now stopped to send out welcome emails to my new followers, and to respond to new comments. I know that when I write comments or ask questions, I certainly look forward to some response. And yet, I find myself not passing on that courtesy to others. Hmmm… “Do unto others…”

I am typing this sitting outside. It’s lovely – except that I can barely see the screen in all this beautiful natural light. I do seem to be more “creative” out in the fresh air. Maybe when I go for that good pen and/or recycled quality paper, I ought to check out ways to solve my screen problem, too? Or better yet, experiment with creative ways to shade my screen – hmmm… my big umbrella?