Gratitude and Glimmers #88

Welcome to my post for October where I share things that have given me a glimmer of joy over the past month. You can find links to more posts like this one at LeeAnna's blog, Not Afraid of Color. 

Abundance is not something we acquire.

Abundance is something we tune into.

-Wayne Dyer

I think that is a very à propos quote for a post about gratitude.

I loved seeing this rainbow in London, Ontario early in the morning of October 7. I was on my way to presenting in Norwich once again. It was a very well received presentation.

Shout-out to Diane of the Quaker Quilt Guild in Norwich who is a longtime blog reader back when Cindy (Stitchin at Home) wanted to do a round robin with four of us quilter friends, two who live in the US. Diane has followed us ever since and she bought one of my patterns at the presentation. It’s wonderful to meet readers in person. ☺️

As you all know, I love trees and October was quite the month for forests!

From walks in Kennedy Woods just a couple of kilometres from our house,

Paw paw trees! I’ve known they are native to our area but that they are rare and here there are groves right near me

Huge plane aka sycamore trees

Crazy cool fungus 

to the Catskills in New York,

and Kingston, NY, 

Mother Nature put on yet another fall spectacle that complete captivated me. I always am awed every year, perhaps more so because of having lived in Alberta for so many years where you do not get these vibrant reds and oranges as it’s a completely different forest. 

I like this covered bridge over Birch Creek in the Catskills.

In Kingston this sighting gave me a big glimmer:

Ceasefire

It’s infuriating that Israel has not stopped bombing to smithereens Gaza, but has also been doing the same now to Lebanon, murdering women and children, doctors and medics and journalists. It’s an abomination, amd the fact that nothing can stop them as long as the US continues to support this genocide, and other countries like my own, Canada, continue to send ammunition, this fact enables them to go further. Need I mention their recent banning of UNWRA, a way to starve the West Bank. Our world is an utter mess, and what point is there to set conventions and rules about war and crimes against humanity when none of it controls that maniacal government. 

Once again, finding myself in nature, particularly amongst trees or by water, soothes my saddened spirit. 

Back in Kennedy Woods on another day by a massive beech tree

A neighbour’s tree October 21 —no filter; it’s this gorgeous!

I like this opening sentence in the book I’m currently reading, my 37th for the year btw, Junie by Chelene Knight:

Summer was dying and the once viridescent edges of the leaves transformed as a ring of orange crawled toward their centres.

She puts into words exactly how so many of our maple trees turn. I've said it's like they get dipped in orange icing, and it slowly oozes towards the centre. It's mesmerizing how they slowly turn.

Point Pelee on yet another spectacular mild autumn day

I stumbled upon the British TV series DI Ray, and actually binged (for me) three of the four episodes of season one. There is also season two, but I haven’t started it yet because I'll probably be hooked once again! It’s on CBC Gem.

I like the plant app PictureThis which I use all the time. It helped me identify these gorgeous black gum trees last week on a neighbouring street.

On the weekend I went for a walk with a friend in nearby Wheatley Provincial Park. More trees, more water, as it’s on Lake Erie’s shore. 

October is usually a beautiful month here, but this year has been especially mild to the point of many summer-like shorts-wearing days. I went yesterday to Seacliff Beach in Leamington to dabble my toes in the water (yes a bit chilly water) but gorgeous 22C meant it really was very pleasant!

A brief note on books, as many of us who share these posts share our love of reading. I've found many a good book and good author thanks to so many of you!

When we were in Kincardine in September, we went in a used books store (used bookstore seems wrong because the bookstore isn't used, hmm, must Google that). It was quite tiny, and while we were browsing, as booklovers are wont to do, a few of us started chatting about favourite books and authors. Of course, I mentioned Louise Penny since we were in the mysteries section, and Martha Grimes was also mentioned. I'd not heard of her, but put in a request (intra-library--interesting it came to me from an Ottawa library) for the first in the series, The Man With a Load of Mischief. It was good. I will be requesting the second one once I'm through the three on my current pile. The series follows DCI Richard Jury, Scotland Yard. I like to read these types of books in order as the characters develop. Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie books and Elizabeth George's Inspector Thomas Lynley books are two other similar series I love. Lisa Jewell's None of This is True was gripping, read it in two days, and absolutely loved Alix E. Harrow's Starling House. One I want to mention for any readers who have experienced hurricanes, is Jennifer Mathieu's Down Came the Rain. It's a YA (Young Adult) book that examines the PTSD experienced by two high school kids who lived through Hurricane Harvey that ripped through Houston several years ago. She is the author of Moxie which you might have heard of as it's either on or coming to Netflix.

That's it for another month of glimmers and being grateful each day. Thank you for reading!