THE NEW YEAR BRINGS CHANGE

Bringing in the New Year quietly. A movie with one daughter, husband and grandkids then home to watch the fun from New York City. Actually stayed up until midnight. Kissed the hubbie then off to bed.
Having read my daughter Sonya's blog post today, I was inspired. If you have not read House of Kerrs I would suggest a quick read sometimes. Her blog post today was very reflective.
She thought of one word for 2018 and went on to use in many ways. Her word was trust.
What comes to my mind is change!
A new year always brings a birthday so there will be a change in the number- almost 68. Hard to believe I am pushing 70.
But my life will undergo change. Change is challenging! Some is positive and some not so positive.
Thinking about a change in the job. No matter when I retire, I can still do some work from home.
Change in the home. When to downsize is becoming more prevalent.
Change in health and dealing with the challenges it brings.
Change in my attitude to lots of areas of my life. I hate crap. I am less tolerant of pricky people. I just want positive people in my life. I don't want to waste my niceness- is it a word on everyone.
Change in the layers of work I want to do. Some things are just boring. I hate boring. I usually want to love everything but I feel with change I can honestly say I hate some things.
Change in the blog. I want to revitalize some of my themes and be more creative. I want to take some risks in what I write.
Change is not always for the better. It can be painful. It can be full of grief. It forces the raw emotions to surface. It makes it harder to put up walls and keep life compartmentalized. Keeping work and home has always been important for me. So letting go at home is my comfort zone. Not letting go at work is a must.
Change can be scary. Not knowing what is around the corner is bad enough but knowing some things are coming is too frightening at times to comprehend. There is no place to hide.
So my one word for 2018 is change. The good, the bad and the ugly!
Do you have one word for the new year? What would it be?
#change#houseofkerrs#oneword#2018#life'schallenges#birthday#health#blogger#newyear#howtodealwithchange#positivepeople#nice

NANA SAYS CHILDREN STILL USE OLD THINGS FOR THEIR CREATIVITY

An old box has been a play thing for many generations of children. Remember the fridge box would become a playhouse. Lately my grandchildren have been using boxes to make a robot. It is wonderful to see that children with all the modern gadgets will see a new use of a simple item and make an object. When playing in the backyard a stick is still a wonderful object used to play. The problem is that the kids will fight over the same stick when there are 50 more to use!! My granddaughter uses a spot behind some bushes as her fort!! When left to use their imagination, children like children of other generations use the resources at hand. I recall as a child using my brother's wagon first as a wagon for our "wagon train" going west  and later as the "trailer" to go camping. A wheelbarrow filled with water offered lots of water play. Even today kids old and young still like to run through the sprinkler. Oh yes the beach! Playing in the sand can entertain generations of families! So put the gadgets away and collect pine cones or go for a walk gathering items for a craft. My grandchildren have had some amazing experiences at camp where the counsellors have nurtured their imaginations. Get involved in the creative play! I love that school use play based learning in the younger grades. If you are lucky, you can have just as much fun with the little ones recapturing your own imagination.
#childrenandcreativity#usingoldthings#playisimportantforchildren#astickasatoy#imaginaryplayisgoodforeveryone#rememberingplayasachild#letchildrenusetheirimagination

IS VANITY A SIN?

Or just human nature? Do we care more about our looks than our health? With critical health decisions such as breast cancer, some women opt for the saving of the breast with a lumpectomy or minimal surgery rather than a full mastectomy that may save problems down the road. Not everyone thinks Angeline Jolie did the right thing-she was being preventative, chosing longevity. The new ostomy-- the bag that rests the colon and often gives life is not necessarily welcomed as a life saver. Yes critical health issues can be devastating but the surgical interventions give life! For some it is not good enough as the appearance has changed. The elderly person refusing to wear a hearing aid as it would make him/her look old!! Consider the number of very young women using botox and getting their lids done- cosmetic surgery has skyrocketed. In some cultures, a nose job is a must- heaven forbid anyone has a natural nose. Vanity- where does it come from and where does it start! So I have wrinkles and my hands look like hands of an aging person. Yes I like to dress nicely but life brings changes and one of these changes is the body! Would I be so vane to change looks over a life saving procedure? Would you? Would your life be over if you had to face such a decision? Who is really looking at you? If a man whistles at a woman, he has probably whistled at several others during the day. Your loved one should love you for more than your looks. If you are just a trophy wife or a trophy husband than it is just vanity. Has vanity caused more problems than it is worth? Can we be a little vane and still be sane? For some like I feel, vanity is put aside for other factors such as good health, feeling loved, creativity, and just the joy of having an ordinary life! However, it can be difficult to be around vane people day in and day out. Is it fair for me to label them vane? It helps as it allows me to distance myself from those qualities. I can accept the person as he/she is without needing to judge. I make the decision to feel good about myself even with gravity affecting my parts. Otherwise, I can be the wise woman- knowing aging is better than the alternative! There is still so much to do and to love in life! Vanity-an interesting word and concept! But is it a sin or just human nature- look at Helen of Troy or Cleopatra!

FINDING WAYS TO HAVE FUN-GOOD TO HAVE A SPOUSE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH

There are so many things we need to do every day. Most of them are not fun. Being organized, keeping a tidy work area and being available to others may give meaning to life. But are they fun! Probably not! Do you try to find ways in a day to laugh? Do you smile at positive items on the news? Do you ever try to make sure there is a fun item in family events? For example, the big balloon for Adolph's birthday tied on the bannister is still there. Why? So when the grandkiddies come they can bang it, grab it and have some fun. It makes me smile. I want Nana and Granpa's house to be a place where yes there are rules and discipline but lots of fun! Does fun take planning? Of course, it does! Not malicious practical jokes fun but just an opportunity to laugh, relax and enjoy! Do you ever stop and listen to the mood at family and social functions? Do you hear laughter? Do you see smiles? If not, why not? Children find simple, creative ways to have some fun. I watched my grandchildren on a recent sleepover drag a branch around the garden using it in their play. They were laughing and playing- falling in the snow. Okay, if I dragged that branch it would not be the same fun and might look silly for an old lady to be doing it but there is a point. Sometimes by just stopping and looking for ways to have fun in our daily routines brings some joy to our soul. Some of my readers of this blog often find something funny to say in the comments. Does it make me smile-you bet! Do you know people in your life who are just fun to be around but you can not pinpoint why? Happy people are more fun! Positive people are more fun! Dead beats, miserable people are not! I have been lucky to have some fun people in my life. My husband makes me laugh! There are some family branches like the Ellis clan who have a great sense of humour! Life is really too short not to find fun. The serious stuff will always find us. So maybe it is time for me to seek out more fun themes for my posts periodically! What do you do to have fun? Have you laughed today?

#whatmakesyoulaugh#myspousemakesmelaugh#balloonsarefun#celebratingwithfamily#positivepeoplearemorefun#whatmakesyousmile#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

A CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS A REST!

Time away from any normal routine sheds some light on life. A week's vacation, a weekend, dinner out or going to a new park for a long walk can give a refreshing new outlook on life. Routines are good as they allow us to get many mundane activities accomplished. But being stuck in a routine stifles creativity and can make life boring! Little changes- like rhubarb-ginger ice cream on a recent road trip! Goat cheese appetizer for part of my dinner! Trying a new farmer's market! Babysitting the grandchildren over dinner rather than first thing on a Saturday morning! What changes have you tried lately? Do you own your routines or they own you?

PUT YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER-MAKE A QUILT

Quilts have a way of demonstrating that different ideas and thoughts assembled methodically can make a beautiful thing-in this case a blanket. Look at the picture-the shape of the flowers have been used creatively on each block.
Too often group thinking can succumb to that of one-the boss- or a few individuals because members may be too intimidated to express their own ideas.
Bring a quilt to your meeting, planning session, family get-together. Visually show how differences can make a beautiful whole!
Imagine the quilting bees of olden times. A group of ladies trying to decide the design of their project. Did the lightbulb go off and the suggestion- each block of using an appliqued design to be unique? But assembled with proper technique! Imagination and skill integrated together!
Now consider- the corporate world, the school, the business place- to allow such democratic allowance. Yes, there are rules and boundaries, laws to which we adhere! So ask your group to bring their own quilt block next time for an unresolved problem and see what the result could be!
Are you now busy making your own block? If so, what does it look like?

LOG CABIN QUILT

Design is one of my favourite quilt patterns. I made the quilt wall hanging years ago. Due to many washings it is starting to fade. Taking a creative step can be hard for many people. It is easy to go to a store and buy a factory made product. The art of hand work is very pleasing. Lately my sewing machine has lay dormant due to other projects. There was a time that many small projects such as cushions, doll blankets, christmas decorations could be made using quilt patterns. I feel the urge to create a new quilt project. Beautiful quilts by crafters are such art works. Do you have quilts in your life? Have you ever made one or even a small square with a design? Quilts are part of our culture. The quilters perform a service to the cultural community. There could be a corner of your home that could benefit from a quilted article. If you do not want to make one then maybe buy something and keep the tradition alive!