EASTER- TIME FOR REFLECTION AND RENEWAL

 

Appetizers are always a must for easter.

Easter lillies.

Lamb chops with rosemary and garlic potatoes.

Preparing a wonderful Easter feast for the family is always enjoyable.

How about your Easter? What are your traditions?

#easter#easterdinner#lambforeaster#appetizersforeaster#aneasterfeast#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

EASTER HAS MANY CELEBRATIONS-OUR FAMILY LIKES THE CANASCIONE ONE

 Adolph loved Canascione. It is an Easter dish from the Ciociaria region of Italy where he was born.

On the Granpalovestocook blog we created his recipe for Canascione from April 2012 still gets page views weekly.

Sonya tried Adolph's recipe for Easter 202o. He approved.

A memory of Grandpa Adolph with his Canascione.

#canascione#adolphlovedcanascione#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

DISPLAYING FAMILY PHOTOS FOR GOOD FOR MENTAL WELL BEING.

 It came across my social feeds that displaying family photographs are good for well being.

I have always displayed many photos in my home. On tables. On the wall. Collages.

And have several albums full of photos.

As you know I love to take photos so love to display.

Now psychologists are telling us for a child to see family photos with her/him in them is a good thing.

It is good for self esteem.

There are several sites that will give reports and studies on this fact.

What I really enjoy is when the grandchildren come to the house and see the photos on the fridge of themselves and laugh at how they look. Every time. The same comments about the same photos.

Makes me smile.

So I guess I am helping their mental well being. But I really think it is helping my well being more.

What do you think? Do you display photos in your home?

#displayingfamilyphotosisgoodforyou#childrendobetterwhentheyhavephotosofthemselvesdisplayed#photographsgiveusafamilyhistory#familyphotos#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

REMEMBERING THE THINGS HE WANTED TO DO

 Dance lessons.

Buy into a business.

Build a house.

Go on a cruise

Support my decision to get a Masters Degree

Trips to Italy

Going with Sonya to Milan to help her settle.

Take care of Fia during Kindgergarten two days a week.

Great card player.

Avid reader.

Large boulders to make the back garden.

Smarter than he let on.

Cooking our meals. Being creative with cooking.

There were many other goals and dreams. 

But many were fulfilled.

Our life.

#thingshewantedtodo#rememberingalife#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE

 Each morning when I wake up I think about my goals for the day.

Simple tasks. Simple ways to get going and make meaning.

So each day is the first day of the rest of my life.

Be present. Be real. 

No matter how I am feeling to get going and to use the day to live a life.

Sometimes the memories creep in. I miss my old life. I miss my guy.

I always will.

But when I live I keep his memory alive. 

I say his name.

Adolph.

#firstdayoftheestofmylife#livinganddoing#beingpresent#livingalife#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

POEMS BY BARBARA- THE SCHOOL BUS

 I am one of those people that likes to look out the window at the world around. Early morning in my pink bathroom that faces the east. The back sliding doors that let's me see the Esso Station and Yonge Street.

The front window that faces my street Addison Street. So one morning these thoughts came to me.

THE SCHOOL BUS

The orange school bus turns the corner.

On route to pick up kids

Heading to class on this cloudy day

Memories of grade school images return

Waiting on Bathurst by the Tyndale Farm

Field and land at my back

The sound of nature

Now on my urban street

Thinking of young minds

Chatting, on their phones as the head to their day

Hoping their efforts will make this part of the world a better place

January 20, 2024

#poemsaboutabus#reflectivethoughtsinthemorning#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#presentandpastinmypoems#poemsbybarbara#tryingtoseelifethroughapoeticlens

NANA SAYS WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE TO YOUR GRANDCHILDREN

 I have mentioned it previously that I have an ongoing project of working on the memory boxes for my grandchildren.

Currently I am organizing the coin collection I have into 6 lots. It is not a big collection but there are some interesting coins. Old lira and old pesos and some earlier Canadian coins. Are they worth money, probably not!

I decided that doing this makes sure some special items to me will have a home with grandchildren.

What they chose to do with the items is up to them!

My stamp collection is another area I am making into 6 smaller ones of the duplicate stamps etc. The larger collection will stay intact. Doing this has helped me organize the collection better.

So whatever the grandchildren chose to do with it again is up to them.

I do not expect them to be collectors or enjoy my interests. I just want them to have a part of something that had meaning to me.

But other than things I want me to be a memory with them. So spending time and often not a lot of time to keep the relationships alive is good enough. Little moments.

Eating a meal together. Going to a hockey game. Giving a ride home to a grandson. 

Precious moments of just being together. 

And of course take lots of photos!

#nanasays#nanasaysspendtimetogether#notbeingalone#lovingyourgrandchildren#eatingamealtogether#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

WHAT IS CLASS AND DO YOU HAVE IT

 Class is often thought as being the upper class and the lower class.

Money and status and rich things like cars, clothes and houses.

For me class often means having manners and a way of being good.

Not judging by how much money one has but by the way a life is conducted.

Not malicious or gossipy or mean.

Being able to be assertive without being aggressive.

Caring about others and being good.

A classy woman. A classy man.

So what image comes to your mind. Do you have your own mental image of what class is?

I think of some celebrities who have class and others who do not.

I think of people in my life who exhibit it.

I like to think that I have class in many situations. 

For example times I wanted to put someone down and bit my tongue and took the higher road.

Times I acted excited for someone else when inside I felt a little jealous but again took the high road and quelled that feeling. Felt it is not about me but about them. So be gracious.

So is class being gracious. Honouring others when the feeling is tough.

I need to think about this very human trait.

So do you have class? Do you know classless people? Do you try to work on your ability to show class?

#havingclass#doyouhaveclass#dopeoplewithoutclassbotheryou#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

VULNERABILITY AND HOW TO FACE IT

 Sometimes life creates moments where vulnerability rears its ugly head.

A new job.

A moment in a travel destination where you feel like a fish out of water.

The Oxford Dictionary says vulnerable has several meanings. The meaning I am searching-exposed to damage by a weapon, criticism etc.

Comes from the Latin word- vulnus- wound as found on the Internet under definitions.

It is like standing and giving a speech where you are concerned no one will like it.

Being physically or emotionally wounded.

I often think of it as being naked in a crowd. Remember those dreams writing an exam naked and not knowing how to find clothes.

Sadness. Grief. Rejection. They often make us feel vulnerable. 

That feeling of being alone. Vulnerable.

Alone in a crowd.

To the elements. So cold. Could I freeze to death!

Vulnerable.

So facing it and moving on and just doing.

Face that vulnerability. Will it kill me?

Probably not!

Can I live to see another day that is better. Not so vulnerable.

Usually facing vulnerability means putting two feet on the floor and taking a step forward then another.

Or asking for help when needed. Having the courage to admit help is needed.

So when do you feel vulnerable? What are your worst moments? What have you done to get through the moments?

#vulnerability#facingvulnerability#whatmakesyoufeelvulnerable#whatareyourworstmomentsofbeingvulnerable#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

MARCH-SO FAR IN LIKE A LAMB

 March is here.

It does not seems so bad.

Our winter has been milder than normal. So even if we have a massive snowstorm or two, well it's March and winter will not last so long.

More indoor projects before the yard work begins in April.

Spring is the time of renewal

Is it time for me to renew?

#march#marchinlikealamb#renewal#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro