A POSTCARD FROM TOBERMORY ONTARIO

 Although many people do not send postcards anymore, some do. Like I do.

So on my first vacay in years with family to Tobermory OntarioI bought a bunch of postcards for my collection. I sent a few to family and friends in Canada and Italy.

Situated on the beautiful Bruce Pennisula, on Lake Huron it is an affordable and fun place to visit.

All the postcards featured are photographed by Jack Salen- photographer.

Flowerpot Island needed a boat to reach.

Aerial views of the Bruce Pennisula.

Rocky beach on Flowerpot Island where swimming is good

The Grotto in Bruce Peninsula National Park is such an important landmark to see.

Did not visit so a must see next time we go to Tobermory.

Blue Heron Cruises took us to the Island. Great fresh air still wearing our masks for Covid protocols.

Lovely view of the Niagara Escarpment. Tobermory is the end point from the Niagara area.

A travel blogger suggested to send a postcard to yourself when travelling. Have your own little message. A stamp from the area or country. So I did. It will be a new tradition for me. If I do not receive from others I will have my own record of travels from me.

You can still send me a postcard anytime as I love receiving them.

#jacksalen#photographedbyJackSalen#tobermoryontario#flowerpotisland#grotto#brucepennisulanationalpark#trekkingonflowerpotisland#blueheroncruises#coveislandlighthousegeorgianbayontario#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A WIDOW- 5 MAIN COMMENTS

Being married and loving your spouse is a wonderful life gift. Losing your spouse permanently is a major life adjustment.

Although some people mean well or not, there can be many insensitive comments made to the new widow. They resonate long after they are said or written. 

1. Received in a Christmas card message. Sorry about the loss of your husband. But you have your children and grandchildren. The relationship with a spouse is so different than the relationships with other family members. They do not replace the spouse. The intimacy. The sex. The couple jokes.

2. One friend told me many people told her you will find another man in a year or two. So don't worry. She still has not found a man because she has not been looking.

3. Some widows are pressured to sell their house and move smaller. Even the suggestion of a retirement home. Why is it anyone's business what you want to do with your home?

4. It is for the best. You can get on with your life. What if the love and care for your spouse was her life? What if it was not a burden? Wouldn't it be better actually to ask the widow how she feels about it all? 

5. Get out and volunteer. There are lots of other widows' groups you can join. However what if you did not want to join the widows club. What if you wanted to maintain your normal social relationships? What if you want to find your way through your grief your own way?

Widows have to be prepared to be ghosted. Excluded by couples. It is important for other married women to know their husbands are not being eyed. But many feel insecure and think the widow is free and single.

So generalizing that the person would not want to come alone. 

Even for me, I have had a couple of occasions where the wife grabs on to her husband's arm in a social conversation. Body language speaks beyond words. 

Don't worry ladies! Most other husbands do not stand up to the man she lost. If you feel that way, she will chose to stay away from you anyway. The old adage to have few meaningful relationships than a lot of acquaintance ones.

Watch in society! Many other women rush to help the grieving widower but avoid the widow.

As a retired Social Worker, I was prepared for the insensitivities that could occur. When they actually occurred, it was surprising who they came from! 

However, there have been many people in my life that have been great. They are the people that will stay in my life.

Finally being a widow sucks!!

#whatnottosaytoawidow#beingawidowsucks#itisnotforthebest#don'tghostawidow#thewidowsclubisnotforeveryone#maybeyoudonotwantanewman#shewillsellherhousewhenshewantstosellit#otherfamilydonotreplaceaspouse#sexandintimacy##reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#yesawidowissingleandfreebutshedoesnotwantyourman#missingyourspouse

THE LANGUAGE OF LEAVES

Trees, bushes and plants have leaves.
 

Needles are like pine tree leaves.

A spring tree with budding leaves.

Leaves in vegetable gardens.

Leaves take us to all seasons. The crunch of leaves as we walk in the Fall. The first green leaves in the Spring.

#thelanguageofleaves#leavesofallseasons#fallleaves#springleaves#green#red#yellow#orange#allcoloursinthefall#refectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

THE COLOURS OF FALL-NATURE AT ITS BEST

 

Colour can be in your own backyard.

On the street.

Or a country drive!!

Taking a camera and finding photo opps!

A lovely lonely Fall leaf.

Red/orange stunning near the Library.

Rows of trees with colour. Nature gives us a pretty picture.

Seeing locations close to home like the Cheltenham Badlands!

And one of my favourites from our trips to the Port Perry area.

Makes me want to do some more country jaunts in a couple of weeks when the colours are in full bloom again.

Oh Fall with its cooler temperatures and fall harvest and lots of colour!

What do you like about the Fall? Do you like country drives? Ventures into the city? Farmers Markets for pumpkins or squash!!

#fall#fallandcolour#beautifulfalltrees#locationsclosetohome#cheltenhambadlands#farmersmarkets#fallveggies#drivesinthecountry#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#takinglotsofpictures#fallphotoopps

OCTOBER - A MONTH OF THANKSGIVING AND CELEBRATION

 I love Thanksgiving because it is basically a dinner.

Time with family and lots to eat.

October ends with Halloween. A time to celebrate and have fun with costumes and lots of candies.

It is also a good month for fall cleaning, garden cleanup and cleaning the garage.

So eating then cleaning then more eating. 

Depends on the weather whether the day will bring indoor work or outdoor work.

I am going to tackle the front garden. Some of the back garden has been chopped down and path sprayed with weed killer.

If I start at the curb and work my way backwards the front will get done.

The problem with cleaning and cleanup is the boredom factor. So I try to convince myself to make 100 chops of plants and no more. Then chop by chop the work will get done. But did I tell you it is rather boring.

Once that work is done I can get back to writing and finishing some stories.

Of course my love of research.

So October bring it on- cleaning and eating!

How about you? What do you do in October?

#cleaning#fallcleaning#gardencleanup#thanksgiving#halloween#gettingthehousecleaned#cleaningupthegarden#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro