Stories shadows tell

Have you ever seen the stories that shadows tell?

Take a sunny day

Turn your back to the sun

Invite others to join you

Play games

Speak with your hands

Be anything you want to be!

Be free

Be as one

and tell your story!


Photographs by
Elisa and Sandra













Going down to the park

The joy of seeing swollen tree buds and deep blue skies again!
 I live in the city but enjoy the parks
and the biggest one is only 20 minutes away on foot.

As I walked down the hill, I could see wild flowers growing in the grass

and I smiled at the enthusiasm of this little flower peeping out of a crack in a wooden fence!

I saw these blue beauties under trees in the park.

The fountain creates such a peaceful sound and birds use it to drink from
 and sometimes take a bath in a ruffle of joyful feathers!

Just look at that glorious splashing water!

A whole bank of daffodils soak up the sun

with an attractive building at the end of the flowery alley.

The daffodil, sunshine petals that make me feel alive and happy!
Are you enjoying sunshine now too?









Striding into Spring!

Sunshine and spring flowers
get me lacing up my walking shoes
and into the fresh air!

Even going shopping gets me moving as I shun the bus to go downtown!

My favourite place to walk is out in the country
where the grass is green and inviting

and the winding country roads take me past farms

and through wonderful scenery.
It felt so good to use my walking poles again
and the whole body gets a much deeper workout by using them.

Wild flowers, like these anemone, are filling the woods and roadsides.

the bees are busy again

and the pussy-willow show off their furry, silver catkins against the blue sky.

Who's coming walking with me?


About walking with poles:
Nordic walking (or pole walking) is like cross-country skiing without the snow.
When you use the poles correctly, besides your legs, your upper body gets a great workout. 
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Walking poles work your arms, shoulders,
chest and upper back muscles
through a full range of motion as you walk."
The effort you use swinging the poles
transforms your daily walk into a total body workout.
Even the abdominal muscles are used every time you lift and plant the poles.

Ever since I discovered the kind of exercise a few years ago,
I have felt the wonderful benefits
and how my whole body tingles
as well as how much more toned my muscles become
with a regular workout.
Three times a week is ideal and I aim on doing outings of at least an hour
for full benefits.
Doing any sort of regular exercise gives us a feel-good sensation
and if we are lucky enough to be able to get out in nature to do it -
so much the better!

Try it!  
Then share your experiences with me!












A simple day

Don't you just love mornings?
The birds had been singing wonderfully since before dawn
and my day started early with a peaceful moment
and a cup of coffee.

I pulled up the blinds to see a pale golden sun rising behind the hill.
Could this mean a sunny day?

The Easter decorations are still hanging on the Easter tree
there's no hurry to take them down!
But the sun was calling me outside...

I knew where to look for sweet violets


Wild anemone

and primroses growing in the gardens around me.
I suddenly felt like getting some flowers for my empty balcony.

The garden centre was beautifully decorated with little paths of flowers

The poppies were particularly stunning in red

and just as lovely in yellow

Just look at this colour with the sun streaming through them.

Here are the pansies I brought home to plant.

A simple day and quite deliciously so!












There's always a light shining somewhere!

We had it all
the rain, the sleet, the snow
yes, and sunny moments too smiling between the clouds.
A weekend in London was all it needed
time
to be with my family.

Despite the adverse conditions,
there were happy moments
moments of joy
and even if there was some complaining about the weather
when I look back
at the overall picture
I see the fun
and the luminous moments!

This photo was taken from my hotel room
as I zoomed in on the building across a big green expanse of garden.
It make me think of life
and how
in the gloomiest of moments
when there seem to be obstacles in my path
when the conditions seem all  about adversity
that
somehow
somewhere
a light
is always shining
a window
an opening
in life.

Remembering to look at the overall picture.


Joining others for our monthly meeting here: