Hi Adele

I am sharing some selected pages from one of my all time favourite children's books, a lovely mix of characters, colours and absurdity. I will bring it to tea next time and read the whole thing to you. Perhaps we should search for some cakes like these to have with our tea! In the meantime, here's a taste of a tasty book...

Lotsa love,
Martha

I created a wall of quotes in the middle of the night on Jan 1st. It was meant to help me contemplate, keep perspective, enjoy, be inspired. (On my table, poetry experiments.)

 Some of the quotes...

Leap Year

Leap year,
Leap
    here
        and now
hear,
     hear
Leap into the clear and indistinct
unknown
          disappear
and appear again,
changed
          changing
free of chains
more free of fear
which binds and holds you
back.
        Leap forward, go fearward,
into the forever-shimmering unknown
(the universe is everything we know
              and everything else).
Welcome this leap year,
this new and amazing day, 
leaping greenly
between future and past
celebrate being
here, and near
Spring into action,
enjoy satisfaction
without retraction,
stay whole --
   no factions, or fractions.

Listen!
   The universe is calling --
Hear!
_________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Adele,

these are some spontaneous thoughts on leap year, and the turning from winter to spring -- also inspired by wonderful sound and dub poetry I heard last night at the "Black Words Matter" event in Hamilton, celebrating both the meaning and the music of language.  The quote about the universe is by Erwin Schrodinger, physicist  (1887-1961). "Go Fearward" is advice to writers by Barbara Turner-Vessalago.

Warmest wishes for each amazing, leaping greenly days -- words borrowed from e.e.cummings.
Love,
Ellen

keep the channel open

Hi Adele,
I send you greetings from Santiago Chile. It's plus 31 degrees here in the afternoons. I will soon go trekking in the mountains for a few weeks. I'll send a hello from the route.
For today though I am sharing a quote that has haunted me for my adult life. Sometimes it brings me hope and sometimes it just goads me. But at all times I believe in it and try to let it guide me.

Hugs from Nicole

on being curious

The skies at Six Nations and a quote that I find inspirational. 

I most certainly am not comparing myself to Albert Einstein but I do believe that being passionately curious is the best way to live.

To truly wonder at the smallest and the greatest things that we encounter is a great gift. It is easy for me to be swallowed up by the hurly burly of life and miss the opportunity to pause, to take in the deliciousness of the tiny and expansive moment that is in front of me. Spending time with children is a fine way to keep connected to that sense of wonder in the world. They are wonderfully full of wonder. We have much to learn from them.

Hugs and good wishes Adele,

John

Love Is...

Hi Adele,

In honour of Valentine's Day, Family Day, and the love we all feel for you, here's a poem written by a group of patients with whom I work.  We used as a model the song "Love Is" by Anna and Kate McGarrigle; then the group (4 people) dictated their own images of love to me and I wrote them down.  The group then did collages to depict love.  (I will keep the group and program anonymous on this blog).  All the best, Ellen

LOVE IS....

Love is family

Love is friends

Love is great-grandchildren.

Love is chocolate, and Chinese food,

                        coconut shrimp and other seafood.

Love is family happiness.

Love is pets, and home-made pie

Love is a clear blue sky.

Love is being alive

Love is being able

Love is waiting – and wanting – to go home,

walk in the park and see the stars.

Love is for all seasons, and has many reasons.

Love is physio, and people to help,

Making new friends from different places

                        with smiling faces.

Love is people who care, and want to share.

        LOVE IS!!!