Notice It + Play It + Hear It

Good Morning from a damp Warren Grove, Prince Edward Island 

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams." ~ Ashley Smith

I hope everyone had a great week. Shirley and I headed off-Island for what was to be a few relaxing days, which turned into a bit of adventure. 

We were parked when we heard a loud bang and felt slight rocking of the car, frightening us. I enjoy my 2016 Mini, which owes me nothing after having almost trouble-free 200,000 KM in 5 years. Fortunately, the car dealer was not too far away, and we drove the car there. On the way, we called several car rental places to rent a car and continue our travels, and with this attempt we were met with, "sorry, no cars available from three agencies." 

When we asked the Mini dealer if they could rent a car to us, and they said, “we might be able to arrange something.” They made a few calls, and lo and beheld, they were. It wasn’t a Mini, but we were moving in the right direction. 

We headed back out on the journey hoping they could repair it before our trip was to end. 

After a few phone calls back and forth between us and the service department, we learned that we needed to have a front drivers side spring replaced and it would be ready when we got back to the area three days later. 

Friends suggested we take the Fundy Trail Parkway, and we did. We could tell it would have been a fantastic and beautiful drive like no other in the Maritimes but met heavy rain and heavy fog. 

I took this phone photo at the interpretive centre in Big Salmon River, New Brunswick.  While at the centre, we watched a video of the drive we missed because of the fog; we knew we would need to head back again for the drive and the fall colours. 

"It is in the wild places, where the edge of the earth meets the corners of the sky, the human spirit is fed." ~ Art Wolfe

Local Story

I love this local story of a young man wishing to become a professional organ player. 

Jason Chen, who is 15, picked up the organ to better play the piano. He became a student under a new scholarship from the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO), a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting the instrument.

Thank you, Arturo Chang of CBC PEI, for the story here. 

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." ~ W. Clement Stone

Given the dream to pursue what is laid on your heart can be frightening. But it can also be the path you are to follow and a reason for excitement, and if one treats each setback as a discovery, it will continue to fuel curiosity and desire.

For example, look at what Emma Towers-Evans, 29, did when she followed her heart. She picked up a pencil when she was just two years old and said her love for drawing began after watching the film ‘Free Willy’ when she was inspired to draw killer whales.

These are stunning hyper-realistic pencil drawings that can take up to 100 hours to complete - but the self-taught artist insists ‘anyone’ can master the craft if they put in the hours after she saw her skills improve after years of practice.

If you have time and want to participate in doing something creative, you might want to try the fantastic digital play area created by Google. 

Van Gogh’s sunflowers might be yellow, but yours don’t have to be! Colouring has always been a favourite activity for children, but it’s becoming increasingly popular among adults looking for some mindful downtime. So exercise your talents and get inspired as you colour famous artworks and landmarks from Street View. 

The painting or picture is decomposed into layers, and eight dominant colours are presented at the bottom of the colouring page. Unlike a classical colouring book, this one adds depth and perspective elements present in the original artwork as the user colours an area.

This simple colouring tool lets people discover twenty-one famous paintings and monuments in a new way. A flashy pop palette is also available for the most daring ones to experiment with their version of the artwork!

Click Here for the FUN of it. If not for you, send it on to someone who might be interested in such. 

"The health of your brain is much more about your actions than your age."

~ Dr. Daniel Amen

This morning while writing, I have been listening to Music for Growing Flowers by Erland Cooper. 

Now that I have finished writing, I have chosen to get up from the desk to giggle and wiggle! 

I know what I am doing today.

"A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods." ~ Rachel Carson

I hope everyone has a beautiful week ahead. 

Volume 5 of my new blog, A BUNCH OF GOOD THINGS, will be out tomorrow evening; if you wish to receive it, please sign up here. If you have already signed up, thank you, I feel the love.

PS. Your Morning Smiles

Earlier this week, I made an appointment to check my hearing; I found below apropos.  

Waking into a ladies' clothing store, the hard-of-hearing customer says to the clerk, “I’d like to buy a pair of stockings for my wife." The clerk asks, “Sheer?” 

And the man replies, “No, she is in another store.”

+

A police officer says to a couple: "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your son set the school on fire." They asked: “Arson? 

The officer replies: “Yes, your son!”