Hello and Thanks for your visit. I have some news today that after my (February 28 post) I'll be taking a break for awhile. After 13 years, 2 Books and over 750 posts I want to Thank Everyone for your visits & shares that helped us send Wellness around the World. You can still view all past posts in the archives and I'll pop in occasionally to say Hi. Have a great Spring & Summer ahead and keep Moving Forward with kindness, compassion and Peace. Thank you and Take Care.
Just in time for sitting in that cozy chair with my old favorite blanket...
Dona Anderson
I hope you love Andrés concerts too.
This is a special time of year when we're indoors, seeing the snow fall, watching those old Christmas movies or listening to your favorite songs again and getting together with family.
The concert above is awesome so Enjoy and share with your family and friends as well. We all need some good entertainment to help us relax and feel like normal life has returned again.
It just might be one that becomes your every year treat.
PS. I got to go to the movie theater several months ago for a new concert the orchestra performed that absolutely filled me with joy. The audience in the movie didn't want it to end and neither did us watching.
Honestly I don't think the musicians wanted to leave either but they must have been exhausted.
Have you felt like we have too many decisions to make these days.
Dona Anderson
Back in the Summer I took on the task of reducing some of the old Christmas Cards in the cabinet.
I was surprised that they went back over 20 years. The Box was full.
Each one was opened and read and 2 piles were made - one for keeping and the others were for leaving, though it was hard to make that second pile.
It was nice to see some family names of ones no longer here and pictures given out for children that are now adults. I loved the art and drawings of the grandchildren along with the big letters when they were just learning to make the words.
I also loved how beautiful many of the cards were and from the pile I only had 2 that were the same.
Christmas cards have greatly reduced over the years due to the newer ways to communicate and each year we get fewer in our mailbox. But I still do love to get a few and think that we're remembered by others after many years apart.
This is my Card box.
yes it's a special box I've kept that had tea in it from Oprah for attending her live event in Seattle years ago.
The Tea was Great and so was the event!
So when I was doing this post I thought of the one I wrote last spring -
Our Westie Girl Kelsie has many beds and she loves this spare one for some reason so every once in a while if the door is open she'll go and snuggle with the pillow and at Christmas I put out these teddies for fun.
In the photo below that's her hiding with the Christmas Teddies.
It was so cute how she played innocent and looked the other way.
Thankfully she stayed there long enough for me to get the camera.
Must Love Dogs in this house.!
That's it for today.
New posts every Tuesday so please visit again and check out the Archives for over 700 past posts you to view, save & share - more decisions. 😊
Wellness resources at the link above.
Have a great day and stay well and safe over the holidays.
By now You know I often share a music video I find that'sAmazing.
This one has it all.
Spectacular Performance
Beautiful location
Incredible Musicians
From start to finish
It wasn't only my eyes that shed a tear - check out the reviews from others over the years.
Their stories of watching the movie and listening to the music many times years ago, and the love they had and shared that is still felt.
Music sure can connect us to our inner heart where stories and many memories rest, and it can instantly fill our soul bringing us tears and other emotions.
It's been a few years of tears, loss, sadness, stress and more.
Our minds and hearts are full, tired but we have to keep going.
These reviews showed me that their losses were for someone or a time remembered that was deeply felt, loved, missed and it helps us all when the stories are both shared and heard.
We have to keep going.
PS. Often when I write a review it usually seems to be an immediate response, coming from the heart or somewhere else.
This makes me think it is something that has been there a long time and no thought was needed to write it.
I guess it was just sticking around, waiting to get out.
Thanks for your visit and love when you share with others so these posts posts get to travel the World. Links below.
Write out some of Mom's recipes before You left Home?
Dona Anderson
I sure did, and it was over 50 years ago.
I started with a lined notebook and filled it with those ones from everyday things to special occasions and Sunday suppers.
Later on of course the book was full of flour, butter and other things from being well used so about 25 years ago I decided I had to do it over again.
the title -
It's about Time
Moms' Best.
A collection of recipes then came from mothers on both sides, grandmothers, friends and of course ones I made up.
The title was prefect for several reasons.
*The history of the old recipes
*The years of memories attached
*The task of finally starting over
*The change from at home moms to working
moms with less time
*We couldn't read a lot of the pages anymore
* Recipes needed updates for less fat & sugar
* Some not wanted anymore
* Kids leaving home and wanting those basic
instructions added in like temp & time
*My sisters also wanted a copy
As I was taking too long to get it done with other things to do, my Husband took over the typing task to get it finished. (such a good helper he is)
Wow, I never counted it before and was surprised that there were 120 pages with 388 recipes.
Even though I changed many recipes before, others now need to be deleted or updated again.
And now again much later we have more books of recipes from ones online and my husband loves to make soups and other things to share.
It's a time now when stores are normally full of things we didn't know what they were or are, lots more spices, vegetables, boxes and cartons of ?? fill the shelves.
I often wonder about who buys all the other stuff that we never do.
PS. This salad I made in the Spring from a mix of stuff in the fridge and it was fun to put together and made with Fruit, Vegetables and the lettuce growing in the window.
To my surprise it was quite good and a way to use up things in the fridge/freezer.
A little Balsamic vinegar, Olive oil, the strawberry juice and a few spices made the dressing.
I forgot the lemon on this one and I wasn't sure of what spices to use so that's for next time.
It's fun to get those few day old goodies and create something different, tasty & healthy!
Now it's that time of year for markets to be selling those big bags of potatoes, onions apples and other things to store for the winter.
And lots of pies, jams, and goodies being made now to fill up the freezer and cold rooms. (Well maybe not here, freezer is full and I have to have room for my fruit cake.
And, it's that time of year when I'm complaining
we have to go back to store bought tomatoes.
Take care and have a wonderful day.
Thanks for sharing with others at the links below.
And, No, I won't be redoing the recipes again
so that task is crossed off the list.
I like to visit the book sales to find recipe books that have a beautiful cover that then becomes my Kitchen Art.
Take Care and let's get together again next Tuesday
It's getting to be that time of year as the leaves started changing colors and we started to hear the geese gathering and flying over head a few weeks ago.
Fall used to be my favorite season but Spring took over after we moved to where we live now.
Both are special and colorful.
I found this music version of Autumn Leaves for us to enjoy today and sing along if we can remember the words.
Yes, I had to ask google as I could only remember the first few words.
The words feel sad but this interpretation feels fun and lively.
PS. After the heat of summer the cooler breeze's of Fall start to feel good and I'm waiting for more leaves to change color.
It's starting to feel like fall though when I get out to walk in the shaded forest. It feels nice to see space starting to open up again and later will be the softness of the leaves as I walk.
The leaves above I picked up last year and brought home. I had enough for a couple of vases for the house - I may do it again this year.
I hope you enjoyed the video too, the violin player is great!
That's it for today.
Take Care and have a great day.
(Both pictures in this post are from last year.)
PSS. We never know how a day or week will change the world.
We got to experience that this last week with the death of Queen Elizabeth. I got to see her years ago when I was little and she visited my city and we got to wave at her in the car. I'm sure their are millions of us with a similar memory and I loved seeing the changing of the guard in London years ago.
But Time changes everything.
It reminds us to enjoy and celebrate life, help others, be kind and help the planet - the only home to all of us.
I've always liked the Celtic Thunder group, their voices are all different but meld together so beautifully.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement,
of a very popular song.
PS. In one of my posts from last year I wrote about all our time growing up we were told we were Irish and then an ancestry test result said I was 75% Scottish.
Well that was sure a surprise that took awhile to sink in.
It really doesn't matter but it would sure have had our parents looking for answers.
I wonder what many conversations would have been like if more of us had DNA Ancestry information years ago.
I don't know if the disagreements would have been more or less (?)
Anyway enjoy this great song with a long history.
It was written by John Newton in the 1770's.
Have a great week ahead and Thank You for your visit.
Links for sharing below.
Take Care.
Comox Harbour 2021.
As I was working on this post I learned that George Donaldson had passed back in 2014. A terrible loss for his family and all those who loved him and were involved in this music group and others.
I always loved it when he appeared on stage for a song.
So much to love about June. What are some of the ones on your list.
I thought of a few that may be or were in the
past to help get us started.
*June is often a month of many Weddings * There's Fathers Day * The Summer Solstice makes it the first month of summer
* School Finishes * Many Graduations from kindergarten to Universities * Summer Holidays - Yes! it's about time
* Going to the lake/cabin, don't forget your bug spray * Birthdays in June have 3 birthstones to choose from and 2 different Zodiac signs depending on your date of birth
* Flowers & Gardens are growing while we wait for that first pick * Birds were singing and busy making nests * Sitting outside in the Sun and not realizing the time
* A summer rain to freshen the air * Watching the clouds, sunsets, moon and stars
* A walk in your neighborhood, forest or walking trail
I hope You connected to some of these ...
Relax, be gentle with yourself & feel connected to the words Earth & heart -
they both have the same letters just in different places. 😀
PS. Take Care and I hope Your June has been full of many beautiful days.
Let me sit for
awhile in
this place where
the sun is warm
and
roses bloom ...
~ Dona Anderson ~
from Garden in your dreams -
Moving Forward from the heart
I Love taking the photo's to share with You.
As always, thanks for your visit today.
New posts every Tuesday.
Links for sharing below to help spread Wellness out into the world.
Past posts are in the Archives to view save and share anytime.
It's not often I find a talk that I felt was meant for me.
This one quickly brought up a lot of memories from years past.
I had an idea to write about some of this later but this Ted Talk became the perfect introduction to revisit some old memories and let me reminisce of growing up in different times way back when ...
I quickly had a list of examples to go back to and now with covid some seemed again relatable.
My first memory
My first memory took me way back to when I was a kid when it seemed most adults smoked.
Mom had this set of 3 ashtrays in the living room. They were a very pretty orange/red set.
The 2 smaller ones were on the end tables and the bigger one had a special place on the coffee table.
No one was allowed to use the bigger one because it was only for decoration. One day a child was visiting and a few minutes into the visit the big ashtray was on the floor, broken.
Years ago we all seemed to have those unlit unused candles that were for decoration & not used.
We had one that was unlit but the babysitter lit it for some reason one day.
We didn't have much back then so I was kind of mad. Anyway it was a couple months later that we had the house fire and no more candle or other things.
Yes, growing up my Mom had those special occasion and for special guest dishes and silverware. that took years to accumulate - one piece at a time yearly gift.
The jewelry was in the box for special times and the good clothes and shoes in the closet getting dusty.
Confession for me now and the Jewelry.
I usually have the same necklace & earrings on everyday. Yes I have others and the special occasion ones but I'm not interested in changing them very often.
And with staying home more now lots of the clothes haven't been worn in 3 years so I don't need much jewelry with my yoga pants for dog walks.
I grew up in a family of 5 with one bathroom that didn't seem a problem back then, now we have 4 bathrooms for the 2 of us.
And Yes, no vehicles will fit in the garage.
Not my mess → husbands.
Even though every year we've been making boxes for the thrift stores there's still some things in the kitchen and closets that follow us from house to house.
Yes there're lots of the good dishes in the buffet and the crystal glasses aren't used in case one gets broken.
What do we do with it all?
Perhaps this year I'll get out my
2 summer dresses.
Years ago we used to wear dresses
all the time, what happened...
Thank You for sharing with others at the links below.
PS. I have a few things still of my Mom's from years ago.
I use her vase lots every summer and I think of her as I'm filling it up with flowers from the garden. (She's been gone now 41 years)
I finally used the tea pot & cups for the first time a while back just for fun - the cups are so small I had 2 refills.
Moms silverware is used every Christmas. I have my own set but I like to use hers on that special day. My set is pretty lonely these days.
Have a great Day!
I guess a lot of those things in the closet that I think are too nice for everyday will start to be worn or get donated to someone who will.
Isn't that what clothes are for ... to be worn.
A lot of used clothing is being sold in discount stores now which really helps the budget and cuts down on all the resources in the manufacturing process.
One pair of jeans takes over 1,800 gallons of water.
I think I'll put a dress on and have a cup of
tea outside on the front porch later.
New post every Tuesday - Please visit again.
Over 700 posts in the Archives for you to
view, save and share.
Last week's quiz - the letters from the word Limes is Smile.
Bye for now.
I hope You found some things to think about or change for the future. Some things may become more important and some less.
Finding what your real treasures are is important. it may not be what you first thought of.
Are they kept hidden or out for you and others to see.
Often a lot of our treasures are kept hidden in a box and double that when in a drawer, safe, top shelf ... or in your heart.
Is it time to revisit some of them again?
Take them out dust them off and,
Have a look to remember why they mean so much.
Why is it special?
Is it the box or what's inside?
Is it a box made in school shop class, an old music box, cigar or card box, a cedar chest, unused jewelry or silverware chest.
What's it made of?
Is it a box from a parent or grandparent?
Wherever it came from, it slowly over time becomes a special place for ... things dear to your heart.
I went around the house to check where my boxes were and what was in them and took these pictures of a few.
Lucky for You I left the drawers and closet out.
The box I use for my jewelry is mostly full of things I never wear. I don't know where it came from but it was too nice to get rid of.
In others I found buttons, charms, dog tags, cards, ribbons, souvenirs, concert tickets and other odd things years old that somehow still get left behind when it's clean up time.
I keep some cards in the dresser drawers to remind myself of loved ones and this set of boxes on the side was made by a wonderful friend and it's seen by anyone passing by.
It's mostly empty except for some sewing supplies from years ago.
It's funny how a box saved often seems to find something to put inside even if you didn't know you needed it.
Is it
time to revisit some of them again?
Take
them out, dust them off and,
Have
a look to remember why they mean so much.
Why is
it special?
Is it
the box or what's inside?
Those things dear to your heart.
PS. I hope you're having a great day and now wondering what's in the boxes around your house.
If the boxes have been there for a long time there's no rush to check on them.
Take Care and thanks for your visit today.
Information on Resources link at top of page.
Links to save & share below.
All Posts in the Archives are free to view, save & share.
Here's a One Rose message for you ...
"When you feel settled and comfortable, notice yourself taking a breath in, and then slowly letting it out ..."
I underlined the word notice as that's also an important part.
We're quickly going through this year and it's almost the middle of May.
I hope you're having a wonderful Spring or other season depending on where you live on this beautiful Earth.
Love this Song.
We often keep these kind of songs in the childhood memory box.
But I think they're the ones that offer us many gifts.
Gifts of opening up, letting go, feeling more free and thinking about the rainbows, stars, birds and all there is to appreciate that often we get too busy to notice.
Let's sing along as we are at any age and open the adult memory box and fill it with all kinds of goodies.
Do you need to repeat it a few times ...
PS. Are there any other old songs you'd like to
remember and sing again.
Love to see all these musicians together
performing this song for us.
New posts every Tuesday and over 600
in the archives that you can view and share
at your leisure.
I started this blog back in 2010 and it later became my dream to help spread Wellness around the World.
If you'd like to Help you can share using the links below for
Facebook, Pinterest, Email, Twitter.
Where in the World will we travel to this week.
Thank You.
Email subscribers please see the new page added above for Subscribers. It contains information regarding Changes coming in July.
I hope you'll come back to see what's coming up in the weeks ahead.
It's not the little things like putting something in the wrong cupboard or putting the salt & pepper in the fridge on your way by. (Have You done that too?)
These were all different and important.
My husbands wallet.
You immediately panic and your jaw drops.
My ID, credit cards ...
Where is it?
We searched the house.
He went back to the stores, parking lots ... no where.
Then after 3 days of worry I found it. A black leather wallet upright against the back of the black leather chair.
Just had to be at the right angle to see it.
One of the kitchen sink stoppers.
Not a panic but wondering & scratching your head.
Waiting for it to turn up.
Looking at each other thinking where is it.
Looking all around the kitchen, in the laundry room, under the sink garbage, basement, everywhere.
About 6 months later it was found. Somehow it got into the pail for the compost bin and when emptying the bin for new dirt for the garden it appeared.
The cover for the hand vacuum.
Can't use it now, nothing to hold the stuff picked up.
Ok, just where would that go - it was even placed back into its holder not noticing it was missing that key part.
We ended up buying a new one and months later the part was found under the basement stairs hiding in the dark among the boxes of who knows what.
No idea how it got or was left there.
It's interesting how these things happen and how the loss affects you in different ways from panic to head scratching to being annoyed and thinking Who Did It.
That's my story for this week.
I hope all is well and continue to Take Care.
New post next Tuesday and thanks for sharing with others.
Links below.
PS. One day Years ago at work I looked down at my hand and my engagement ring was missing the diamond.
Instant Panic, Fear then the Tears.
I was searching everywhere I had been, every part of my desk, crawling around on the floor and asking all my co workers to keep their eyes open.
Nothing ... I guessed the nightly cleaners would vacuum it up.
Later in the day I opened one of my drawers and there was something on top of the binders. It turned out to be my diamond but was upside down so no sparkles just looked like some dirt or something. Relief!
Why because I've felt its truth and spoke about this many times.
Our lives are always affected by those around us, who interact with us and who offer their Gifts to us in many ways.
It can be a smile given by a stranger, a few extra minutes to listen, a hand to hold or help.
Perhaps it's a phone call to see if you're OK, a knock at the door, a card in the mail.
A moment shared for a Smile or a Laugh that are gifts to both the giver and the receiver.
It can be a book to borrow, a cup of tea, a few homemade cookies, soup or whatever it is - the lists goes on and on.
Take a look and see yourself
as both the receiver and the giver.
"The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world.
There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor.
But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents.
Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring...”
Leo Buscaglia
Thank You for all that you do.
PS. It's also wonderful that often it's the smallest gifts that can mean the most and let others know they are seen, welcomed, needed and cared about.
%20of%20Front%20Cover.JPG)
