Thursday, June 28, 2018

I Like/Love #17

Another month, and I didn't feel much like writing this post, but I know they are therapeutic and healing, and I do have an endless amount of things to be grateful for, especially living as a privileged white person.

1. I love Lake Erie, as you know, and Seacliff Beach.
This was what greeted me as I got down to the end of the wooden walkway about to step onto the expansive beach, on June 21, the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

A close-up of the waters, so clear.

Lake Erie, well, the Great Lakes in general, have come a long way from the dirty, 'dead' lakes of the 70s and 80s. I want to see them keep being healthy and getting healthier still. I'm so glad Canada sees their value. We've got and are still getting a bumper crop of fish flies, something I do not like. At all. They reek. Very fishy, in a rotting fishy way. However, they mean the lake is healthy. The birds love them. There were many years with virtually no fish flies. Much as we don't like them around here, we are happy to see them back. Kind of like fireflies! Only fireflies don't stink. They wink. LOL

2. I love the abundance of beach glass I can find at Seacliff Beach.

Met another lady out walking at that early hour; I went after I finished teaching my 6-7 am yoga class.

Me: good morning!
Her: Good morning! What are you collecting?
Me: Oh beach glass.
Her: There's nothing much other than the white stuff. Another lady came by with a dog (eye roll) and took all the good stuff.
Me: Oh? Okay...oh well...

Musings: So you see above my 'nothing but white stuff' glass. I get it home, dump it in an empty yogurt container that has warm water and maybe a capful or two of bleach in it. Let it sit. Stir it around a bit. Then I scoop out handfuls and rinse it under running water, and spread it on a cloth or paper towel to dry.

And smile!

I am never disappointed in all the 'just white stuff' I pick up. Just look at all the gorgeous blues, greens, aquas, and roses! A couple that may be more solid white pieces off a bowl perhaps? A couple of bits of shell, because I had an idea.... Maybe a stone, but I always pick them up because they may just prove to be lucky stones (search that on my blog and you'll see what I'm talking about).

These 'just white pieces' have such beauty don't they? Such surprising colours and wonderful shades, and all I did was give them a chance (well a wash ha), but you know what I mean. People are the same. Dogs are the same. Trees are the same! You can give a blanket statement, "just a bunch of trees," or, "there's nothing good there," but look a little closer, give it a chance, and well, wow.

3. I like creating stuff with beach glass. I made another bowl. This is my fourth shape now. seventh bowl. See the little piece of shell?!
It still needs MacGyver's dremel touch.

4. I like this car.

You can see it's parked in a little park. This was in Walkerville, an area of Windsor, where my friend and I went for breakfast at an awesome little restaurant called Carrots n' Dates. Completely vegetarian with almond milk in the coffee! We both had the maple cream pancakes, yum. I'll be going back for lunch or supper; there's a Buddha Bowl with my name on it! We had an enjoyable morning strolling through several boutiques in the area after breakfast. I like friends like this! She's not vegetarian, but had heard, as had I, that this is a great restaurant. And it was.

5. I know it's a catch-phrase of the past few years, but I do love and firmly believe in, shopping and eating local.

A few kilometres from my door are 18 wineries, like Erie Shore Vineyard, freshly-picked-that-day field strawberries, (greenhouse ones year-round now starting this year!), and a few good fabric purchases, $10/metre, from The Sewing Shoppe, in a neighbouring little town. You also see a vegetarian zucchini lasagne recipe I've made many times, that I just love.

6. I love eating outside.
Do not need any bugs sharing my wine!
6B. I like that aqua lantern, solar-powered, you see on the table.

7. I love fireworks. I love sunsets. I like black cats a lot.
We went down to the river (missed last year) again to see them, and it was worth missing a couple hours of sleep (had to teach yoga at 6 am the next morning, ouch!). This adorable so-friendly black cat was a little festive greeter outside his front yard as everyone was walking by his house on the way to the riverfront. I love the Windsor riverfront, miles and miles of paths all along it, parks, flowers, playgrounds, artwork, trees. We sat on the bank as you see in the first photo, Detroit downtown on the opposite side. What a show! 24 minutes of spectacular displays. It used to be on between July 1 Canada Day, and July 4, Independence Day, but things (read some people) were getting a little too crazy, so they've moved it to a few days before July 1 and always now on a Monday night. Windsor/Detroit has always had a special siblings relationship; we often feel closer to the big D than to Toronto four hours northeast of us.

8. Which brings me to my next like: I like being able to feel that I'm helping in some way, doing something. Without getting all political, because, although it isn't my country, (but you now see the proximity, literally across a river) it is my humans. I've felt so terrible profound sadness, and helplessness, and wanting to do something with regard to the separation of immigrant families, and reuniting of them that is so daunting a task...watch a few PBS or NPR reports on their situations that led to where they are and your heart breaks for what they've gone through and then to have this.... Anyhow I found through the power of Instagram, reading one thing that led to another, and another... this incredible organization,  Together Rising, where anyone can help and 100% of your donations if that is how you choose to help, go to the cause. I have put Glennon Doyle's book, Love Warrior, on hold through our library. It is an Oprah's Book Club selection.

9. Which brings me to an Instagram story Dayna sent me, on a young teacher in Ottawa, Melissa. I (obvi) love teachers, love and believe in the power of education, and lifelong learning, and in the giving nature of teachers. This?!! Oh MY. It won't be in Melissa's or Ashley Spivey's stories (you'll see the connection when you watch it) anymore but go to Melissa's page, and you will find it; she must've done some perma-save thing! This started with a teacher, but oh, all the people on both sides of the border here who have helped... Here's the link, and be warned, you will need Kleenex...
Books for Littles

10. "He who plants a tree plants hope." Lucy Larcom. The day of the fireworks night, we planted 25!
This little swamp white oak is native to our area. I was given these extra trees from a friend whose niece was planting  them around the county. We also planted several white cedars. One day, it will be mighty in its own right, much like our English oak that towers probably twice the height of our 1.5 storey house! Look to the far left of the photo and you'll just see the round back of the willow chair we made years ago. It will give you an idea of the enormity of that oak! And then on Tuesday this week I was given a tulip poplar sapling by a neighbour who lives on the road behind us when I was out for a walk, along with a prickly pear cactus, who will eventually have babies and bloom like hers are:


I'm linking up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color where you will find many other people who write these posts. It's a wonderful boost to one's spirits to read these!

12 comments:

  1. If you keep writing beautiful posts like these, you're going to find me living next door to you. Save me some sea glass. wink!

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  2. What she (#1) said! :) Lovely post.

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  3. What a lovely thing to live by water as you and be able to be near it so often! I love all that sea glass, and the bowls you're making from it. They are so neat! Thank you for sharing your generous heart with all kinds of people - I (and so many Americans) always want to apologize to the world for the craziness in our country right now. It's awful, and disheartening, and not the way it should be. ;(

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  4. I love collecting seaglass--we don't get too much around here, but in early Winter when the Summer tanners leave there are more pieces to be found; Mom and i used to go Glass hunting together--nice memories...thanks for sharing--I L O V E your bowl--what do you use for gluing? hugs, Julierose

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  5. typed a big long comment and then it disappeared, time I disappeared to bed I think. But - I feel rather emotional reading this post, not my country, but I feel the pain and concern. Not my president, but i think he needs to revisit both contemporary and older history in europe. My public speaking lecture is over now. Like yourself i love to shop local , both to support local business and be more sustainable, ie use less plastic. Not vegetarian but we do eat several vegetarian meals a week, better for us and the planet. We do have seaglass but not as nice as yours. I love your bowls. Very covetable

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  6. Lovely likes. That water is amazing, and I'm jealous of all the beach glass. Good stuff!

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  7. Thank you for your post of 'likes'. There are so many 'dislikes' these days, that it's really good to be reminded that the likes are still there and available for all of us.

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  8. I like the likes from tree planting for the future to buying local. I still haven't found any beach glass but I will.

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  9. Hi Sandra,
    I always look forward to the week when you join in the love/like club. Sea glass!! Love, love, LOVE your sea glass bowls - so very, very cool. Disheartening is just the tip of the iceberg as far as what's happening in the USA lately, and there are at least three more years to live through. I cannot imagine what else may happen as I never imagined we'd be here. Happy Friday! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  10. This really resonated with me: "...look a little closer, give it a chance, and well, wow." There is so much beauty and goodness in the world, and sometimes it hides in the smallest things. A subtle green piece of glass, a scrap of fabric, a seedling, or a single act of kindness toward a stranger. I'm grateful for them all!

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  11. That's a lot of likes. Love your story on the sea glass, sometimes you just have to look beyond the surface. Hope you had a wonderful Canada Day.

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  12. I keep missing these and one day I will write one.

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