Shadows in the snow,
how sullenly they flow.
In the depth,
of winter blues.
The colours,
varying in hues.
One war
is almost over.
Another one
may soon begin.
The clouds open,
and shadows form.
The forecast,
as unsure.
As the winter
is long.
This old tree.
The forest.
And me.
Following footsteps.
Of those who walked.
These trails.
Before us.
Let your imagination.
Go wild.
And you will see.
Dragon wings.
And other things.
Listen to the wind.
Listen to the trees.
Listen to the sounds.
Floating on the breeze!
My parents and my two sisters, plus four of my mother’s siblings and their families, emigrated to Canada from the Netherlands, in the early 1950’s.
I was born in Canada.
When I was a little girl speaking dutch, an aunt gently said to me, ‘We came to Canada to be Canadian, let’s speak English.’
Aunts and Uncles, from the Netherlands, would visit and very quickly my first language would return. Today, cousins visiting are very fluent in the English language. Practicing Dutch has becoming a rare occurrence.
Gradually, the language of my ancestors became lost to me.
Or so I thought.
My friend, D, has been using this quiet time of Covid19 to study the French language. I am very grateful to her for introducing me to her wonderful little App. Two days ago I started on a journey that, hopefully, will lead me to becoming fluent in the Dutch language.
I am surprised at how easily the words are returning. The written word is a bit challenging, the grammar, the spelling!
But the speaking, and the reading, come back easily!
I realize I am early on in the course, but I feel very confident that I will regain this language that I had believed to be lost.
Feeling the weight
of the world.
Those on the right,
Those on the left.
God, please get us
safely,
Out of this mess.
Being inconvenienced,
is not the same as
Being oppressed.
Instead of purchasing
canteens of gasoline,
Help the world
gain
Access to the vaccine.
Then all the variants
will go away.
And safely,
once again,
We will play!
My first painting of the year. Of eight people who began 2022, together.
A beautiful quote from Elene Barnabe, “Our hands are the antennas of our soul. When you move them by sewing, cooking, painting, touching the earth or sinking it into the earth, they send signals of caring to the deepest part of you and your soul calms down.”
Painting a picture of people you love does not come easily, but it is a very satisfying way to spend a few cold, winter days.
We started the year off together. During this time, we walked, and we talked, and we took photos in the forest. Looked for animal tracks, and listened to the quiet.
Memories flooded in, of long hikes, treasures found, large mud puddles, and a crazy little river.
And always coming home in capable, proficient hands.
The orange/blue sky
of January.
The long, dark nights,
crisp and airy.
Cushioned in snow,
as the cold winds blow.
The winter garden,
waits.
An intricate design,
of shadows, fall.
Softly folded,
amoungst,
Two old stumps.
A chair,
too cold,
For,
our bums.
January, the beginning of a wonderful, New Year!
Standing over 1.6 meters, and probably weighing in at around 800kg, this majestic Clydesdale is eating candy canes from our granddaughter’s mittened hand.
A McMaster University study finds the benefits of spending time in nature as the following.
Coincidentally, being around horses has a lot of the same benefits. Decreased blood pressure, lower stress levels, and reduced feelings of tension, anxiety and anger. In addition, studies show an increase of self- esteem, empowerment, patience, and trust.
After our wagon ride through the forest, we paid a visit to a horse pasture. Our 7 year old granddaughter called out to them, gently explaining to them that we were are a very loving family, and would cause them no harm.
Soon several beautiful horses approached the fence, trusting every word she spoke.
Thank-you so much to Rainbow View Farms for the wonderful outing.
Keep our love in our hearts.
We will never leave until we stop.
We will all be in our hearts together.
If anyone tries to torn us, we will be there.
Everyone's heart has different abilities, and different feelings.
In our hearts we should combine to make a really, really awesome team.
To make it, the world, a better place.
'Come Lord Jesus, be our guest. And let this food to us be blessed. Amen!'
I Know Not Why
by Morris Rosenfeld
I lift my eyes against the sky,
The clouds are weeping, so am I;
I left mine eyes again on high,
The sun is smiling, so am I.
Why do I smile? Why do I weep?
I do not know; it lies too deep.
I hear the winds of autumn sigh,
They break my heart,
they make me cry;
I hear the birds of lovely spring,
My hopes revive, I help them sing.
Why do I sing? Why do I cry?
The Gospel of Matthew chapter 1, verses 16 to 25.
The Birth of Jesus
This is how the birth of Jesus came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel ” which means, “God with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Groovy Tales of a Well Adult 