story

Wake up to a song. September 21, 2022

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Do you ever wake up to a song running through your mind? And like with a dream, you try to figure out what it means to you.

That was me this morning.

The last few mornings, in fact, it’s been happening. I’d wake up with a song on repeat and it stayed with me most of the day. The first few times the daily songs resonated with me and it seemed like it was something I needed to hear at that moment.

A week or so ago I spent a few hours listening to songs from some of my favorite artists and the recent morning songs were all on that play list. I credited the listening experience as the music source but felt there was added purpose and the lyrics were there as encouragement for the day. I loved it.

This morning I woke up to a song that makes me shake my head and laugh. I have a feeling it was also a product of last week’s playlist but the message? . . . . mystifying.

I felt inspired to examine my emotional condition to see if I could relate to the song and whatever encouraging message it could possibly have for me today. Nope, not seeing it.

What was the song you ask? I’m So Lonesome I could Cry.

Is there a message here for me?

I mean I could be lonely, I do live like a hermit most of the time, but if it’s true I’m not feeling it.

I smile thinking about it, and that has to mean something good, right?

I’ll share this week’s version.

Hank Williams made it popular back in 1949 and it has been a classic forever. You probably know the one I mean. The version I heard the other week was not quite as plaintive as the early Hank Williams but still.

Happy listening (big smile)

This and that September 18, 2022

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A beautiful day for a walk. And I took advantage of it. The best thing about walking, aside from good exercise, is the chance to see things we normally miss in the hurry of driving by. People’s yards and what they have done with them was interesting and inspiring. There are a few possible new ideas for my yard floating around in my mind.

Walking also gives a better glimpse into life in my area. Going past the hospital, which I’ve done fairly often, for the first time I noticed the beautiful park/garden area with benches, trees, and arches, perfect for families visiting their friends or loved ones on a nice day. It could be a new area that I just haven’t noticed before but either way it’s a nice idea.

Next thing on the list after a little cool down time was food. The favorite fast food a few blocks down the road was the target. Usually I do the drive-thru and come home, it’s become a habit over the last two years. Today was the first time for a regular eat-in experience. Anywhere. It was liberating. And maybe even life changing.

The other recent event that will bring a little hope to some of us and may even be life changing, was the election of a new leader for our conservative political party (opposition currently.) Pierre Poilievre won the race by a landslide on the first vote which in itself is unusual. With a large number of candidates running it usually takes multiple votes eliminating lowest names until someone is able to get a majority vote.

Pierre has a good track record in Parliament and is experienced enough to be a credible contender in an election. The characteristic impressing me the most about this man is his high common sense quotient. Common sense if the one major quality seemingly deficient in our lives these days. Ideals are all well and good but they are dangerous without good old fashioned common sense. You know, like driving a fancy pick up truck or expensive snow mobile out onto a frozen lake without checking first for ice thickness. It happens every now and then in this part of the country. Rather embarrassing if it’s your piece of equipment.

Anyway, there are signs popping up all over indicating that cooler heads could be emerging and that is cause for hope in these crazy times of acting without thinking it through first.

Change of subject: it’s time to mention the current read, a much better topic of conversation, I’m sure you would agree.

Come Back to Me (Waters of Time Book #1)

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That’s exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father’s quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He’s left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he’s crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian’s rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

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I’ve just started so it’s hard to say where the story is going but for sure it will be a surprise. This is a combination sci-fi and time travel. There are some interesting main characters to keep us guessing and there is a good selection of bad guys with an unknown motive that, so far, defies logic.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

This book is still a bargain if you are interested.

Have a good day and happy reading.

This and that September 06, 2022

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I’m coming up empty on what to talk about tonight. We have no good book suggestions to get excited about. My head is not settled on subjects I could pursue. It’s probably because I’ve spent the evening listening to YouTube podcasts. There were a bunch of short ones related to the news of the day, not something I really want to talk about. They weren’t of the feel good type, more of a downer, life is like that sometimes.

The last one, though, has given me much to ponder. It was a long interview, 2 and 1/4 hours long, and in my mind it could have been longer. The interview was between two highly successful men. It was very interesting, mostly because they both got to the heart of the matter in a very real and candid way. It was relatable and left me feeling richer for the experience. I’ll be chewing on it for awhile.

The other unique aspect was that it turned into a double interview. Both of these guys have successful podcasts with huge audiences and of course the interviewee had to have a chance to interview his host. They both did an awesome job of switching roles. I will probably watch it again another day. There was so much to unpack that once is not enough.

I will include the link in case you are curious to see what it was all about. The original guest was inducted into a Canadian hall of fame for marketing genius. His name is Tony Chapman. The subject was marketing but they got into personal territory when they talked about their early life, their families, their jobs and how they got their start and how they progressed to where they are now. Fascinating.

The awesome thing was they wanted to be helpful. They left their egos at home and shared real down-to-earth things. I love this type of interview, it draws me in and touches my life in profound ways.

Anyway, that is where my head is tonight.

It was a good night.

Maybe we will have books to share tomorrow.

Happy reading and maybe even listening.

Current read September 03, 2022

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I love it. It’s a mystery with all sorts of skulduggery and tension. There are great characters with deep secrets and broken relationships. Things change as we mature and sometimes childhood friendships have a difficult time surviving adulthood. The story is awesome with many twists and turns but the element that makes it special for me is the author’s sense of humor. Delightful scenarios and dialogue to bring on smiles and even laughter.

It’s still a bargain price, grab it quick. It’s so entertaining you will be glad you did. One of the characters is probably fashioned after the author. Very funny.

To Steal a Heart (The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency Book #1)

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she’d put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend’s innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend–until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he’d be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.   

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Haven’t seen much today in regard to bargain books and certainly nothing I was tempted to read. Tomorrow is another day though.

Right now, I’m headed back to laundry and reading, we are at a good part and I need to know what is going on. A new character has been introduced and it’s unclear how he fits into all of this with a bunch of crazy ladies.

Happy reading y’all.

This and that March 18, 2022

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This is one of those days when I have nothing on my mind to say so I’ll just start talking and see what happens.

I know I mentioned this yesterday but I can’t get over how quickly the snow melts when the temperature rises to zero and the hot sun shines brightly. The sun really is hot here. It’s crazy. It can be freezing and short sleeves still work when you are standing in the sun.

With these bright days the furnace has hardly been on and at one point today the inside temp was 74 F. At the moment (9:45) it is still 71.

Another thing that is crazy? I measure inside temps and fever temps in Fahrenheit and outside temps in Celsius. I measure mileage in kilometers and fuel in litres, fabric and everything else in inches and yards, and food in pounds and ounces – sort of. It seems like I have an identity crisis. I probably do but I’m not planning on resolving it anytime soon. I’m happy just the way I am. Probably because I wasn’t thrilled with the whole change to metric in the first place. This mixed up system is my mini rebellion.

On to another favorite topic – books. I haven’t been doing well with my book a day goal. Two reasons, mainly. I’ve been busier at work as my workload has increased. I’ve very happy about this for multiple reasons. On top of that, I’ve once again been spending time watching live streams of the people’s convoy, this time in Maryland USA.

I’ve been following ZOT You Tube channel, Charlotte is the host and she does an amazing job. Everyone LOVES her. She loves people, and she is fearless. This causes a great deal of anxiety among her viewers, as well as the people she hangs out with on the ground. Everyone is looking out for her and they let her know. They pay attention to where she is, who she’s with, and what she does or doesn’t eat. This probably makes her even safer. Today she streamed for over twelve hours. From the time she left her hotel until she closed her car door to go back.

This beautiful girl is amazing and, she has publicly shared – she is nineteen.

I tune in, leave it on in the back ground all day, and stop by to watch when ever I have a few moments, or hours. They have been doing a peaceful protest for about three weeks. Everyday they drive what is called the beltway, around the capital. That’s it. Drive the route and then back to the speedway in Hagerstown MD. The authorities know the plan every day and they stick to it, no surprises. There are a few counter protesters who try to provoke a fight but it hasn’t worked. Today there were people in a field throwing large bricks of some sort on the road, One of the trucks was hit and suffered radiator damage. The big trucks with him all stopped for support. Live streamers caught it all on video and they were able to identify the perpetrators. These guys couldn’t have gone far (which doesn’t seem all that smart) because the police were able to arrest them easily. Charlotte was in one of the lead trucks so we got to see this happening.

It was a long day.

They arrived back to a noisy speedway. There were time trials going on for the big race coming up next weekend. The guys in her chat were urging her to go see the cars, her welfare in mind-caregivers were saying go eat first. She opted for food first but it was challenging because there are always people at every turn waiting to talk to her. It’s a bad thing and a good thing. She is very gracious to everyone.

Charlotte was a newbie at live streaming when she started taking daily shifts with the convoy in Ottawa Her progress has been amazing. She has a gift for relating to people and drawing out their stories. I can see a future for her in journalism if she ever decides to go that route.

The protests have been peaceful in both places and the amazing thing out of it is – love wins. A soft answer turns away wrath is really true. Hatred is confused by love. We watched this happen in both places and it was encouraging.

The other awesome thing coming out of this is the changing relationship between the US and Canada. On a grass roots level.

On a personal/individual level we’ve had good relationships across the border. As a body/country, in general, we were neighbors with a passing acquaintance. With all of the events over the last four months we are becoming neighbors with a strong friendship. It’s amazing to watch it unfold. To hear people expressing such love and appreciation is a very emotional experience. Watching ZOT for hours we get to see these expressions over and over.

How can you tell I am just a little bit wound up by all of this.

I watched the goings-on in Ottawa til the end (hoping there will be more) and I will watch Hagerstown to the end too. It gives me, and others, hope in this crazy time.

Well, it seems I could go on and on but…

I’ll save some for next time.

There are many live streamers out there, start with ZOT and you will see others pop up too. Check them all out.

Happy reading, and viewing.

“Sunday Scriblings” Prompt – Strawberries

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Each week Sunday Scribblings issues a prompt looking to inspire submissions, it has been awhile since inspiration last hit me. Today the prompt is strawberries and I have a TON of strong memories for these little balls of deliciousness.

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Earliest memories have me in a large field picking for a farmer who needed help getting his crop in. The plants grow close to the ground and it’s not the easiest job n the world but it was good experience for a young kid. My first official job, other than in the field picking, was on the belt in a processing plant picking the unacceptable berries off the line before they were washed and frozen. At least there we were standing, much better in so many ways.

Over the years I’d still visit farmer’s field but to pick for myself this time. We’d freeze them for winter. Some whole, some sliced ready for strawberry shortcake or ice cream with strawberries. So good. They didn’t all make it to the freezer though, they were wonderful fresh and we couldn’t resist eating our fill. The best of the berries went in the freezer but the rest went into jam jars. There is nothing like homemade jam.

I did a lot of canning and freezing over the years but life moves on. Now it’s easier to pick them up at the grocery store with seasonal availability no longer an issue.

Raspberries were a big part of my life too, for all the same reasons, but I liked strawberries so much better. Still do. Probably because raspberries were so much easier to grow and the abundance was a burden sometimes. And they aren’t as sweet.

So many good memories. I could go for some right about now. All this talk is making me hungry for sweet strawberries.

Free book February 17, 2022

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The first and only suggestion is from BookBub, an author we have seen a few times. It is FREE.

Roping the Wrangler: Wyoming Legacy (Wind River Hearts Book 6)

The spinster schoolmarm makes a match...

Teacher Sarah Hansen has always wanted a family of her own. But a cowboy is the last man she’d consider—especially one who humiliated her in their childhood schoolroom. Oscar White is back in her life, and all grown up. He’s different than she remembers but that doesn’t mean she can trust him.

When three motherless girls are shunned by the community, Sarah and Oscar are the ones who step up to take on their care. As they work together, Sarah discovers that Oscar isn’t afraid of hardship—and that he makes quite a family man. Can the soft heart Sarah has been hiding tame the wrangler?

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I’ve been spending a lot of time keeping up with what’s happening in Ottawa Canada and the Trucker’s Freedom Convoy, and abandoning books.

Here is the current live stream I’m watching. Ottawalks on You Tube. They are having quite the snowstorm. It is wet compare to our dry snow. It accumulates so much faster than ours here in the center of Canada.

These videos have disabused us of a few false rumors too so it all good.

Happy reading, and maybe viewing too

Found it, February 15, 2022

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One of the videos I wanted to share earlier but couldn’t find showed up on a popular followed site. Dr. Steve Turley is another well known American figure supporting the tyranny fight wherever it shows up in the world.

This video is this morning’s Trucker news conference with an update and encouragement for the troops. Reassuring and informative. The convoy is highly organized and committees have been appointed for every aspect of daily life. This group is one of them.

In an official two language country we hear everything in both English and French. Just sayin’.

I haven’t checked for new book suggestions yet today but I will. You will hear from me if anything interesting shows up.

I’m currently watching Ottawalks live stream. It’s a beautiful day.

No political commentary, he just walks and does an excellent job at filming.

Later guys.

Dreams and all that December 18, 2021

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I’m writing this in an effort to work my way out of this morning’s brain fog. There are many things on my mind these days but nothing coherent. Not clear enough to write a decent post anyway and I’m in a fix.

Some of this extra brain activity was showing up in crazy dreams this morning. But what do they mean? That’s the mystery. I was sitting here at the dinning room table looking out the narrow window by the front door when a delivery man from the country of residence for my son walked up, turned the knob and entered. I had no idea who he was, why he was here, or if I should be afraid. I screamed anyway and woke up.

Two nights ago I decided it was time to change sides of the bed. I have been sleeping on the same side for decades and was rather attached. I’ve entertained the thought of moving many times over the years but it was never an attractive idea. This time I made the decision and suddenly it has become a life changing moment. I have no idea why. I feel like I’m taking off on a new adventure.

The reason for the change was nothing earth shattering, it was simply to make use of the unused quarters of the mattress that were still like new.

I’m enjoying this sense of a new chapter in my life. I have no idea what it means or what it will look like but that doesn’t dampen the sense of anticipation.

So back to the dreams.

When overnight visitors come to my house and are shown to their room they automatically turn left to mine, which is kind of funny because they can’t see in the room yet. So, my door is closed, I open it to go in and someone has taken over my room, sleeping in my spot. What am I supposed to do now? Rather than try to boot them out I closed the door and left. I need to work on that.

Then, a recurring dream popped up.

I’m living in a big house. The main floor is large but the downstairs is larger. It has six or eight bedrooms, the floor plan is divided up into three main areas, each distinct from the other. All of them interesting and unique. I’ve dreamed about this house many times. No idea why.

Maybe all this dream activity is related to my son, his wife and daughter. They are planning a trip home for an extended visit after a number of years away. Their boys arrived in September and are living with their aunt, uncle, and cousins. Usually the family settles on the west coast using it as home base. Maybe this time they will settle here in the middle of the country. Maybe it will be my turn to host them.

We will likely find out tonight on our regular zoom call.

Instead of falling back to sleep I should have stayed up this morning after turning up the heat.

But then I would have missed out on all the fun dreams.

There were more but I’m sparing you the details.

OK, I’m awake now, the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day. I should get ready to see what else the day can hold.

We will talk books in the next post.

An aerial view of the flooding in my home town

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The area is south western British Columbia, Canada. They had unprecedented rainfall last week and the damage is crazy. The number of people stranded is staggering too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the helicopter ride. Maybe you will too. The first town is Abbotsford, I’ve lived there twice. East of the flooding is Chilliwack. I was born and raised there. Further east is a small town of Hope. It is the junction town between three highways. One travels east and two travel north. I’ve spent many hours driving all of them. I love the mountains. That’s what I miss the most where I live now. On the prairies of southern Manitoba province. Flat, flat, flat.

I’m happy to be living anywhere. And I have family here. I do love seeing home though, I have to say.

There is a second video of other parts of BC, I haven’t watched it yet but if it’s as good as the first one it will be well worth the watch.

Enjoy.

They will travel where there is snow on the mountains. It will be beautiful.

I hope you love this a much as I do.