Cattitude and Gratitude

I really like Laurel Reagan's idea of the weekly gratitude list and am trying to participate regularly. http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-no-36/ When you have gratitude, it's hard to be negative. Remembering all the good things beats the heck out of dwelling on the bad, getting down on yourself and having regrets. I've been that route and it's a big waste of time and energy. I am grateful for:      the beautiful summer weather that we Canadians wait for so long all year. We must appreciate it while it’s here. As my dad says, “It’s a longgggggg winter.” the screened-in porch where I can listen to the birds and look at the beauty of nature all around me. We only use the porch a few months of the year so I am grateful for this room where I can write, read, daydream, scrapbook and share meals with the family.   supportive inlaws who just celebrated their 60 th anniversary this week. Bravo to them. Hope hubby and I make it to 60 yea

Here is another photo I took the other evening as it was approaching sunset on the St. Lawrence River. There is something so magical about the lighting at that time of day. I like the way the grass is silhouetted against the sky and looks like an ink brush painting. This quote reminds us that there is no such thing as true reality. Everything passes through our mind’s filter, a combination of our thoughts, mood, personality and past experiences. Our thoughts are so powerful and dictate how we experience our world while creating our own unique reality. Here is a poem I wrote on the subject of thoughts: Thoughts of fear and thoughts of hate Can put our minds in an awful state, Self doubt and self loathing cause such pain Pelting down like a constant rain, You can change the way you think Like stagnant water in the sink, Flush those bad thoughts down the drain Turn on the tap and start again, Positive thoughts, all clean and new Are waiting to be c

I found this four leaf clover the other day. This is very rare as I never find four leaf clovers. I put it down on this piece of fabric that the hubby put on my worktable. I liked the way the stripes framed the little four leaf clover and made it stand out against the pink. Another poster was born! Okay, luck, come get me, I'm waiting for you! *Sits and waits clutching four leaf clover in sweaty hand* Maybe that's the wrong approach. Maybe I do have to go out and make my own luck as Thomas Jefferson's quote states. He says that hard work and preparation go much further than sitting around waiting for luck to fall from the sky. I have mixed feelings about that. Sure, hard work and preparation are important, but sometimes amazing things do happen and it's good to be open to them. I've always envied people who seem lucky. Everything goes their way and their lives look so perfect. If only I could be so lucky. What do you think? Is it just a case of the per

I really like Laurel Reagan's idea of a weekly gratitude list http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-no-35/  and am trying to incorporate that into my blog posts. I try hard to live each day with gratitude and not fall into a negative or apathetic type mindset which can sometimes happen if I don't fight against it. This week I'm grateful for: This beautiful summer weather we've been having with the perfect temperature, lots of sunshine and no humidity. We get some pretty awful weather in Canada, especially in our harsh winters so anytime it's as nice as this, we're grateful! I had a delicious grilled dinner of lamb and vegetables cooked by my sister in law's lovely friend, Rosie out at the river yesterday. What a treat! My two sons are the best guys and are growing into the kindest, most caring and thoughful of young men. I'm grateful for them every day. My cats, Kobie and Daisy keep me laughing and love me unconditionally no

I really like this quote by Mary Anne Radmacher and it inspired this poster. I took this photo yesterday on the shore of the St. Lawrence River. I thought the evening light made these stalks of grass look so lovely and delicate, like a Japanese brush painting. Everyone has problems and challenges in their lives. How they face them determines whether they just crawl under a rock and give up, or persevere and overcome. In the past I've often given up after a failure, thinking that it was too hard and why bother continuing to try? I don't take failure very well and have often taken it personally. Instead I should view failure as a chance to grow, a chance to try again and a chance to do even better this time. I'm getting better with age. It does hurt to fail, but it shouldn't be an excuse to quit. Instead we need to reassure ourselve that we're still good people, still valuable and worthy of love and respect. Then when we're ready, we should try again.

Earlier this week, I watched fellow Canadian, Jim Carrey's commencement address to the graduating students at Maharashi University. Even though I find him a bit of a crazed nut as an actor, I couldn't help but be captivated by his words. I made a poster about one of his quotes as I was so inspired by his wise words that came at a good time. I was worrying about money and feeling guilty about my choices. I was feeling judged by others, defeated and not good enough. This morning I was reading the artists' Robert and Sara Genn's newsletter   http://clicks.robertgenn.com/jim-carrey.php which commented on that video and brought up another one of Jim Carrey's wise quotes which inspired me to create another poster this morning. Who knew such a crazy actor could be so inspiring? What a good way to look at it!  Sharing our talents and skills with others is being of service even if no money is involved. I never thought of it that way. I am trying to do that.

I love Jonathan Lockwood Huie's daily newsletter full of positive quotes and affirmations. I always find them uplifting and inspiring. http://www.jonathanlockwoodhuie.com/ His quotes get me in the right mindset to face the day with a positive attitude. I have made a poster of a cloud over the St. Lawrence River with one of Jonathan's quotes. Happy Thursday, everyone!

I love this quote from Maya Angelou. Her quotes are so soothing and reassuring. She makes us feel that we are special and important just as we are. Good to be reminded of this. We can easily fall into that mindset of feeling we're not good enough and that we have to constantly prove ourselves to others. When we do that, we become miserable and feel so inadequate as it is impossible to please everyone and live up to their expectations.  Remember, you are good enough and great the way you are! 

I am joining in with Laurel Reagan's Gratitude List Linkup.  http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-no-33/ What's on your gratitude list? Here's mine for today. I’m grateful to see nature blooming and giving birth all around me like those sweet little baby robins above whose nest is on one of our garage lights. I am grateful for this lovely spring weather and appreciate the different seasons, each one so distinctive. Winter is beautiful to look at but sure is long to endure. It sure makes you appreciate spring that much more. It really is my favourite season before the oppressive summer humidity arrives. I’m grateful to live out in the country near farms and forests where we can walk the dogs and I can ride my bike freely. Well, fairly freely. We do have a busy highway that goes right through the centre of the town but I am grateful for it as it takes me to the city! I’m grateful that the city is only half an hour away for when I want

I am so lucky to have received the Liebster Award from three wonderful bloggers,  Carol Graham, Debbie Doglady and Shailaja  Vishwanath . All three of these great ladies write terrific blogs, each so different and compelling. Carol Graham  http://batteredhope.blogspot.com   Carol has a real knack for making an emotional connection with the reader. In the A-Z blogging challenge, we were all captivated with her heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking stories about her dogs. You can’t read Carol’s posts without feeling strong emotional reaction. You just can’t. Debbie Doglady  http://thedogladysden.com   Debbie is such a fun lady and a fellow Canadian gal. I just know I’d enjoy hanging out with her!  For the A-Z blogging challenge, she wrote about her world travels with such vivid and fun details that you felt like you were right there with her. Always enjoyable to read her posts. Shailaja Vishwanath   www.momdiary.blogspot.in Shailaja tries to come across as bossy but it