Anything

[mum as guest]

GFN: re: the teacher thing:
THANKS! So we can't "pray" with kids, but let me tell you WE certainly pray!!!!(you should hear us...usually along the lines of "please let this day be over")
Another side of this:
As an art teacher, it's hard to avoid spirituality and religion, especially if you want art to have ANY context at all.... I've been challenged for discussing Renaissance, Medieval, Native American, African and other cultures and time periods and art movements....why? Because religion and spiritual beliefs are PART of the deal......cannot be avoided!!! Good news, I can usually explain respectfully, and people come around... or a kid can "opt out" (they never do).

[Anonymous]

Glad to see some fun spots in between the seriousness!!

Glad you like it Guest.  Welcome!
 

See, Canada does produce more than just beer and moose.  /quote]
 
Oh yes Mud!  And we eat more than back bacon and doughnuts too eh?

I have made great attempts to see a moose.  Lived here all of my life.  Trecked through Crown Land (bush) and driven up highways to nowhere and still haven't spotted one! (frustration icon).

My cousin, who I used to go on cannoe trips with, once saw 72 moose on one trip!!!     He's the winner at moose spotting!!

OMG...thanks for triggering a great memory. My sister and I watched Strange Brew when we were teenagers and walked around saying "eh?" after every sentence for months.

Hey Learning!  Good to hear from ya again!

Ya.  That movie was pretty funny eh?  I was a teenager too and I remember a whole group of us went to see it.   What a joke!  

Another movie I thought was halarious but cannot, for the life of me, find anywhere is:

"The Nude Bomb"

With Get Smart and Chaos and the gang!  Chaos had this bomb and if they dropped it, the whole world would suddenly be nude!  Agent 86 had a desk from h*ll (it turned into just about every gadget imaginable).  I was a big "Get Smart" fan!!!

I also enjoyed the teacher piece. H is a HS teacher and I shared it with him. He could relate!

Glad to hear it!  All the best to you Learning!

I've been challenged for discussing Renaissance, Medieval, Native American, African and other cultures and time periods and art movements....why? Because religion and spiritual beliefs are PART of the deal......cannot be avoided!!! Good news, I can usually explain respectfully, and people come around... or a kid can "opt out" (they never do).

Isn't this world getting crazy??  You can't discuss religion but you can talk all you want about safe sex etc. (maybe that's an exageration but not far off).

I went to Canada once, I couldn't get "eh" outta my mind for months! It really amused me. Thanks for the memory-it was a happy time.

Hiya Sunshine!

Ya...you really hear that a lot up north.

Reminds me of when I visited small town Iowa once, and noticed so many people said:

"Uh huh" instead of yes, yep, or ya and "Youuuuu bet!" was another, often combined.  I found it a very warm and inviting way of speaking.  Kept it up quite awhile after I got back and still do it once in awhile.    

GFN

[Brigid]

Mum, GFN,

As an art teacher, it's hard to avoid spirituality and religion, especially if you want art to have ANY context at all.... I've been challenged for discussing Renaissance, Medieval, Native American, African and other cultures and time periods and art movements....why? Because religion and spiritual beliefs are PART of the deal......cannot be avoided!!!

My son was very active in chorus during all four years of high school (still sings in a choir in college).  Every year the choir teacher would have to send out a disclaimer to all parents explaining that some of the music they would be singing would have a religious component because in order to study the masters, it was just a necessity.  It is so pathetic that it is necessary to explain that to people to avoid the possible complaints that someone's child might have to sing the word God or Heaven or whatever.  I guess it goes back to my ridiculous reasons to be offended thread.

Brigid

[Anonymous]

For sure Brigid!!

Speaking of which, mentioning God, I think I will.   To those who do not believe in God, I think this might still be of some value to you, if you substitute the name God/Christ etc with some other positive force of your choosing.  I found it some where on this board and copied and saved without taking note of where (sorry).  

It was posted by someone named Sadgirl, who wrote that she found it in a book called:    "The power of a praying woman" by Stormie Omartian.

"Choose your thoughts carefully

You have a choice about what you will accept into your mind and what
you won't. You can choose to take every thought captive and "let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5), or
you can allow the devil to feed you lies and manipulate your life.

Every sin begins as a thought in the mind. "For from within, out of
the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornicators,
murderers, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an
evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness" (Mark 7:21-22).

If you don't take control of your mind, the devil will. That's why you must be diligent to monitor what you allow into your mind. What TV shows,
magazines, and books do you look at? What music, radio programs, or
CDs do you listen to?

Do they fill your mind with godly thoughts and feed your spirit so you feel enriched, clear-minded, peaceful, and blessed or do they deplete you and leave you feeling empty, confused,anxious, and fearful?   "God is not the author of confusion but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). When we fill our minds with God's Word and godly books and magazines written by people in whom God's Spirit resides, and we listen to music that praises and glorifies Him, we leave no room for the enemy's propaganda."

Maybe that could be extended to include....all kinds of positive books, movies, music, people etc?  Those things bring me comfort and joy.

Have a peaceful week end everyone.  I'm off to the greater white north before the black flies descend upon me!!

GFN

[mudpuppy]

Thanks for the post GFN.
My wife has that book. I love the author's name, 'Stormie O'Martian'.
Brings up a lot of visualizations for me.

mudpup

[Anonymous]

Which reminds me......My favorite martian!!

(Not the movie......the show).

Anybody watch it!!  I loved that show!!!

That's where the great gazooo, on The Flintstones, was patterened after.

Thanks Mud.  Yes.  Visualizations.  Powerful stuff eh?

Have a great one!

GFN

[Brigid]

GFN,
Gosh it is so difficult to type around this big orange cat!!

Thank you for sharing that poem.  I'm hoping I can figure out how to copy and paste it for future reference.  I think my therapist, who is an Episcopal priest, would enjoy it, if he doesn't already own the book.

I loved "My Favorite Martian."  What the heck is the Great Gazoo?  Must be a Canadian thing. (along with the moose, backbacon, and the McKenzie Bros., eh?)  

Have fun in The Great White North.

Brigid

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone:

Hey Brigid!  Why not teach your cat to type?   (     )

I loved "My Favorite Martian." What the heck is the Great Gazoo? Must be a Canadian thing.

The Great Gazoo is a little martian that used to pop into Fred and Barney's lives, sometimes, on the show:  "The Flintstones".  He called them "Dum Dums" but always ended up helping them out of whatever jam they got themselves into (out of pity??) .

I don't know if that only happened in Canada or not but I do know Red Rose Tea bags do!! ("Only in Canada eh?  "Pity").

GFN

[Portia]

GFN, this is the ‘anything’ thread? Sooooooo, can I ask anything?

Re: your moose-spotting trials, have you ever looked for mooses/mice/moosi on – and this is going to seem a crazy question maybe – on highway 144?  I ask because of someone I used to know online and to be honest, I have wondered if you were the same online person! Sorry it’s cryptic but I'd like to know but also not say any more.
 

Brigid:

Highlight or select text and then hold down Ctrl and hit C (that copies to your clipboard).

Then position where you want the text to go and hold down Ctrl and hit V (that pastes it into your word processing program). I hope....

[Anonymous]

Erma Bombeck, who lost her fight with cancer, gave me joy through her writings.  


  IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck


  (written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

 I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the
earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it
melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was
stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried
much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the
fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

 I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

  I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer
day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and
more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical,
wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished
every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was
the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later.
Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love
you's." More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every
minute...look at it and really see it .. live it and never give it
back.


GFN


PS:  That's a trecherous road, P.  Lot's of twists and turns, and loaded with gorgeous, awesome rock cuts, and littered with moose.  They say it's dangerous to drive it, especially between 7 pm and sunset because pretty well everyone who does, takes a chance on hitting a moose.  They walk out from behind rocks and just stand there, in the middle of the highway.  "Be careful...slow down on the bends!"  They say.  "You'll wreck your car!"  All the people I know, who've driven that road, have seen at least one moose.  All except me.

[P]

Good post GFN, thanks. I bet if you do ever see a moose, as you almost wipe it off the highway, it will turn and smile at you. I imagine they're pretty tolerant and calm animals. I've not seen a moose either (no surprises there) but I have seen a small wild brown bear in Greece. Fantastic! And it was far enough away so that I didn't turn into a jelly-kneed idiot. That came later when we were chased down the village street by some very aggresive cows. Yes really. Now that was scary. Never underestimate cows! bye for now, Portia

[Anonymous]

Hiya Portia:

Reminds me of a book I read by the wife of the first govener around here, waaaaaaay back in the pioneer days.   She came straight from a wealthy brit household to the Canadian backwoods, having to tolerate severe discomforts afforded such times, with her husband, to start a new life, in a new land, on their own bush property.  She put up with everything from bears in her garden to the threat of being scalped by Natives with such bravery... but the one thing she was terrified of......was the cow!  Absolutely petrified of the cow.  Wouldn't go near it!  Shook like heck when forced to.

I guess she had good reason.

GFN

[P]

GFN, I know you like animals so here are pics of the aforementioned aggressive cows at:  http://creating-love.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk (I have way too much time on my hands.)  Click on pages 1, 2 and 3 for Greek ‘wild’ life. They may look small, but they’re nifty on their feet. Best, Portia

[Brigid]

Portia,
I appreciate the suggestion on copy and paste, but I can't get it to work.  I'm probably doing something wrong, but I don't know what.  

GFN,
I've always loved that piece by Erma Bombeck.  It has been sent to me by friends many times and I never get tired of reading and reflecting on it.

I actually saw a moose when we vacationed in Jackson, Wyo. several years ago.  He was feeding next to a stream a short distance off a main highway.  I have his/her? picture on my bedroom wall as part of a montage from the trip.  We also saw grizzly cubs on that trip--fortunately, not the mom, tho.

I hope your weekend up north was good.  

Brigid

[Anonymous]

Hi Portia and GFN,
I've been several miles from any other human, alone in my tent and heard some blood curdling noises that I couldn't explain. I've been close to a mountain lion and a few bears. And I've nearly sat on or stepped on several rattlesnakes, but the most scared I've ever been of an animal was when I got between momma cow and newborn baby cow.
Angry momma cows are really, really fast. Fortunately the fence was just close enough to sail over.
Never underestimate cows is right.  

mudpup