NANA SAYS WE CAN'T KEEP CHILDREN IN A BUBBLE

No matter how patient or relaxed as a parent, everyone worries about their children. Near the road with bikes, little one learning to climb or a teenager driving off in the family car for the first time, we worry as parents. When little scrapes and bruises occur or broken limbs or trips to the Emergency room, well we worry. Sometimes we may have a thought to put our children in a protective bubble, but we can't. Not because we don't want to do it, it is because there is no such thing! Worry also alerts us to the potential dangers. Life jackets in boats or for little ones playing on docks at the cottage. Locked gates on backyards! But life happens and children need to find their protective instincts to survive! It's a good thing we all have "Mommy" messages in our heads. Perhaps there are some imaginary bubbles then! Helping children to learn about the dangers and to be alert. Remember most accidents happen in the home! So start at home with the little things and the big things will take care of themselves! Oh the joys of parenting and grandparenting, we just want our little ones to have a life!

WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE

If at first we try to deceive! The sayings goes something like that.

Unlike the Disney Princess in Tangled, deception always has its dark side! Her witch "stepmother" was a master of deception! Being honest does not mean we share all our secrets or thoughts with the world. We just do not lie. If we do not want to share some information, we just tell whoever is interested that we do not want to talk " about it".
Tangled is such a good word. Our hair gets tangled. While knitting or crocheting, our wool can get tangled. Our bills can be in a " tangled" mess. Our lives can seem tangled at times. Too many events all wrapped up into one! It takes patience and time to unravel "the tangles" in our lives.
So was Tangled a good name for the movie! Of course, it was about the ultimate deception of keeping a young girl captive from her real parents. Although it was a film for children, there are many universal themes. Looking to the light- the lit lanterns the princess would see! How deception can destroy people!
Do you feel your life seems a little tangled at times? Have you ever caught someone in a tangled lie? What have you done to untangle events?

THE JUNE PEONIE

The Peonie is one of the beautiful flowers I love to see each year as it blossoms in June. It has its own fragrance. In appearance, it grows on a bush like foilage a welcome addition to any Canadian Spring garden or is it a summer garden since it grows so close to the summer solistice?

In order to grow, it needs a little help from a few ants. But no uncles! Do you have peonies in your garden?

A POSTCARD FROM EDMONTON ALBERTA CANADA

When I was a young girl I used to visit my Mom's sister- Auntie Bernice and family. My cousin Linda was my age and we were great friends. They lived in Edmonton Alberta. I bought postcards from that time- 1960s.

What a time capsule, eh? The card on a slant is the proposed Civic Centre- 1966 and 1967.  The International Airport sure has grown since then! Don't you love the Macdonald Hotel on the hill! The Canada Goose Fountain in front of City Hall! The capital of Alberta- much to Calgary's woe as there is such a rivalry between the two cities!

Have to enjoy those Klondike Days! Edmonton has football and hockey and of course- The Edmonton Mall- the largest mall in Canada. It is a fine place to live and to visit!
If you want a postcard featured here, email me at abdm@rogers.com and I will send you my address so you can send me a postcard.

REACHING THE DISTANT SHORE

Do you ever look across the water and think how you would get to the other side? Swim? A rowboat? A canoe? A speed boat? Sometimes it much farther than  imagined! Like our dreams and goals in life! Do we stop or try to reach the distant shore! Sometimes we could go around by land and still reach the other side! It has been said "many roads lead to Rome"! Well more than one solution helps us reach the other side! Just don't let a barrier hold us back!

GRIEF IS A TEDIOUS JOURNEY

Losing someone, a job, becoming an empty nest, a change in health can take a few minutes to occur and months and sometimes years to process. Grief is painful and tedious. Everyone else feels "you should be over it" but you are not. Anniversaries, birthdays, social events are always reminders life has changed. Being able to normalize the feelings of irritability, poor sleep, an underactive or overactive appetite, disinterest in personal activities and waiting for " the other shoe to drop" can be some of the symptoms. If something bad has happened, well it could happen again. Anger at ourselves for taking so long to process. It seems everyone you know is enjoying life and you are not! Grief, a huge, painful emotion! Talking! Doing! Carrying on! Recognizing it has consumed your life helps with the coping. Making small manageable daily goals or tasks to work through the muddled thoughts and the overwhelming feeling of it! We must understand it does change a life and sometimes unfortunately some people do not recover! Others do and go on to a new life! Are you coping today with a grief situation? If you need help there are counsellors or therapist. Are you someone who likes to read? There are many fine books or even websites with help for you. Talk to your family and friends! Grief really is a tedious journey!

THE CHANGING JUNE GARDEN

Poppies make a colourful addition to any garden. The contrast with the garden can be breathtaking.

As it tries to open after a little rain, quite a picture unfolds. Too bad it can not hang around for Canada Day with its full red glory. Do you have poppies in your garden beds? It is a such a beautiful flower!