Monthly Archives: September 2013

9/11

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There are not many mornings that happened so many years ago that I can remember with such crystal clarity, but September 11, 2001 is certainly one of those days.  If I close my eyes I can see what I was wearing to work that day as I lay on the office floor watching the horrific events of that day unfold.  Even from our homes and offices north of the U.S. border, we all felt stripped of the safety in which we had become so accustomed. The world most definitely changed that day.

Horrors I can only imagine happened to so many people and took so many lives.  In those days and nights that followed, during times of grieving or times of uncertainty, not knowing the fate of so many trapped in a nightmare, there was a sliver of light.  A bright beam of humanity kept glowing light through the darkness of terrorism.  Strangers became saviors, neighbors became friends and the hearts of the world ached for those afflicted with so much pain.  Thousands of hands reached out to help and to salvage some faith in the goodness of people.

Although darkness lurks in the shadows of reality, I like to look for the light.  When tragedy happens, I try to see the goodness in the people who rush to help.  On that fateful day in September 2011, amidst the darkness and chaos, that light never failed to shine.

My prayers go out to all of the families and friends who lost loved ones.  I can only hope you can still see their lights shining.

Over forty and feelin’ fine

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Age can be a fickle creature.  Being over forty has radically affected the way I eat and what I choose to ingest.  I began a new, healthy lifestyle two years ago – no more processed food, nothing that I thought could harm my body.   If I can’t pronounce the ingredients, they are not a part of my food selection.  Those simple four and five syllable additives that I thought were harmless were doing my body a supreme injustice.

Once I made the decision that I, and I alone, would be the only one to create the ingredients I absorbed and not rely on pre-packaged meals, I immediately noticed a spike in my energy.  My body was not wasting precious moments of efficiency trying to break down those foreign particles I had been ingesting for so long and figuring out where to store them if they were unbreakable.  Because my body was only required to process real foods that it recognized and could break down easily, it affected not only my weight but my skin and my general sense of well-being.

We have to know our bodies, know what is a normal feeling and what should send up red flags in our comfort level.  If you are in your fourth or fifth decade, your body will start to turn on you.  That truth is inevitable.  The foods that you loved for oh so long, will become the enemy.  Those pre-packaged meals that are so convenient to buy are conveniently stored in your fat cells because your body will not recognize the preserving ingredients as food. There will be more of a discomfort after eating and there will be a general feeling of lethargy.

As we age, our food choices become far more important.  I am now very cognizant of not only the ingredients, but the foods themselves.  Natural foods serve a greater purpose than just nourishing our bodies.  The correct foods can help stabilize our blood sugars and ensure that our organs are working to their optimal level.

With my 45th birthday creeping around the corner, I must strive to maintain these ideals.   Sure, there is the occasional misstep in the new food regime (especially during the summer), but I am made painfully aware by my body that I made a bad choice.  There will be things I refuse to give up – like my morning coffee – but I have replaced a few of those cups of Joe with water and lemon.  I have fallen off the food wagon a few times over the last few months and my body has sent nasty reminders making me all too aware of my bad choices.

Aging is unavoidable but now that I have learned to listen to what my body wants and needs, I am going to give everything I have to make that process last as long as possible.   The lemon is in the water and the whole foods await.  Bon appetit!!

Chime of death: 7:00 pm – 100 word challenge

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The ticking of a clock incessantly echoed through the house, but where did the noise come from?  She lived alone since the divorce and the only clock she owned was on her phone.  Her bare feet made no sound on the hardwood floors as she stealthily crept from room to room, seeking the source of the mysterious disquiet.  The ticking grew louder and, as she entered the bedroom, the blast hit her before she could see the illuminated time on the device.

He waited across the street in his parked car.  Their divorce would not give her the final say.

***

Written for the 100 Word Challenge.   I love finding new challenges!!   If you haven’t seen this one already – give it a try!

Sssssssending a messsssage

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Slightly over ten years ago I listened to a voice mail that would rock the world in which I lived.  I was nearing the end of my work day and called home to see if my best friend had left a message to say she had returned home safely to Halifax from her vacation in England.  The message that I received was nothing like what I expected.  I played the message one more time, listening carefully to the Newfoundland accent to make sure I heard it correctly, and the handset of the phone fell out of my hand and hit the desk.  I stood in utter disbelief as the horror of the words slowly transformed themselves into my new reality.  Sandra had passed away.

While on her holiday, she had burned her leg on a propane heater and, unbeknownst to anyone, had been exposed a form of bacteria that would take her life several hours after she stepped on the plane.   She had been infected with the Staphylococcus bacteria which presented as Necrotizing Fasciitis, better known as the Flesh Eating Disease.

I flew to Halifax to be with her mom and to attend her funeral.  I did my best to articulate the words I had written for her eulogy and can still remember how much my legs shook behind the podium as I tried to capture and convey her beautiful spirit with my words.

When I returned home from the most emotionally draining experience of my life, I was confronted with the most terrifying experience of my life.  This picture was taken of the window in the entrance way to my house.  The glass spans 45 inches and this charming creature was folded in half basking in the sunshine between the two panes of glass.

snake

This Eastern Milk Snake meandered its way up the window casing and into the ceiling of the entrance way.  I’m sure by now you have surmised that I did NOT sleep in my house for a few nights, but knew I couldn’t abandon my home.  I moved back in and am still hoping it wasn’t long before it moved out.

After a few weeks I didn’t give it another thought but last week all of that changed.  No, it did not resurface, but I was sharing my story with a friend and she told me that a snake symbolizes rebirth.  Suddenly my perspective on that whole experience changed.  Perhaps Sandra found a way, a terrifying and unique way, to let me know that she was okay.  Maybe she was trying to impart her acceptance of her fate and let me know that her soul felt reborn.

Messages are everywhere – we just need to learn how to see them and interpret them.  I am sure now that Sandra somehow managed to guide that reptile to my house to send a message in a way that nobody else could.  She was as distinctive in death as she was in life and I still miss her every day. (Sandra, in case you are reading this – if you are going to send further communication, any other form of message would be greatly appreciated!!)

After the storm – Trifecta Challenge

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From her loft she could see the crown of the hill.  The wind had gnarled the trees and tried to tether their branches but their trunks remained rooted in defiance.  The storm lost.

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(image credit: topleftpixel.com)

Written for the weekend Trifextra Challenge:

This weekend we’re asking for 30 of your own words plus the three following words for a total of 33 words.
Tether Loft Crown

The blessing of blogging

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I had a voice message yesterday on my phone that was overwhelmingly special.  A dear friend who has been struggling with some health issues left a message for me that brought tears to my eyes and I listened to it a few times because it was so sweet.  She had been having a bad day and, without getting into detail, she was directed to my blog and phoned to tell me how much she loves what I write.  She has been a follower for a while, but for some reason she was drawn to it yesterday and called to tell me how much it means to her to read what I have written and how my words seem to mirror her own.

During those times that I am consumed with words, when I am overcome with the desire to write, I never really take the time to consider how my writing can affect other people.  I’ve always written to free the ideas but never thought about how those ideas are absorbed on the other side of this blogosphere.  It was really heart-warming to get that message and realize that words convey many messages to many people.

sky 004

Linda, thank you for your message.  I hope God hears all of your words, and the ones I added in, and I hope the sun shines on your beautiful face for a very long time.  xo

Turning left

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From mid-June to Labor Day weekend, for all intents and purposes, I live in a city.  Our dormant, sleepy town of 1000 grows exponentially with the summer residents who flock to Muskoka and our numbers burst at the seams sometimes feeling like 50,000 residents.  Unfortunately, unlike a city, we are not blessed with more than one lane of traffic in each direction so something as simple as turning left onto the main street is most often unforgiving and arguably frustrating.

To keep up with the non-stop stream of unfamiliar faces, local stores expand their business hours to keep up with the ever-increasing population.  Faces I recognize can only be found shopping for groceries after 9:00 pm long after the collective band of tourists have closed themselves behind their expensive doors for the night.

I wrote a post about how life changes in our little gem of a town but yesterday my world regained some semblance of normal.  Yesterday I drove away from work knowing that my drive home was going to be different.  My car meandered through the canopy of trees that mark my way home and when I got to the end of the road something magical happened.  The echo of my car signal bounced through the car as I looked left and right and saw nothing.  There was no waiting, only foot to the gas, the easing out of the clutch and a seamless entry onto the main street.  I felt my demeanor change instantly because I knew we had survived another summer.

empty streets

(image credit: margaretperry.org)

As I drove through town I looked at the lakes on either side of the bridge.  There was no congestion on the lakes or a myriad of boats fighting for docking space.  I’m sure if I stepped out of my car there would only be the distant hum of a lone engine or two.  Peace had swallowed our town and digested any remnants of the craziness from the last two months.  The silence will be short, however, as the masses will return for weekends until Thanksgiving, but, until then, locals can finally have a chance to regroup, to de-stress and to enjoy the sounds of nature that have evaded us for two months.