Lise's Ramblings

A couple of degrees Celcius can make all the difference as that precipitation falls as rain, NOT snow. No frantic search for the snow brush for your car. No shoveling to get out of your driveway. No fragile branches snapped under the weight of snow. No treacherous commute to work. Most important of all, no squeezing a snowsuit or snowpants under your Hallowe'en costume .       AWESOME!

Whether blanketing a valley, suspending across a waterway or curling along a field, mist strikes me as other worldly. It's as though a mythical creature or a character from a Jack Whyte, Philippa Gregory, Ken Follet or Marion Zimmer Bradley novel may suddenly step out from the mist. Any wonder photographers, painters and authors often include ethereal mist in their works. I've always loved gazing out across a misty river, lake or ocean from a canoe, kayak, boat or ship. Sounds are somewhat muffled, but you can often hear birds or aquatic life stirring in the mist long before you spot anything. Unless you're seeking Nessie, you'll eventually be rewarded for your patience as something flutters down through the mist to settle on the water or maybe pokes out from between the water and mist layers. Beyond appreciating mist's visual beauty, I love that you can also feel mist as you pass through it. Unlike fog or smog, mist doesn't envelope or weigh down on you.

 Sunrise at Kool Breeze Farms, Summerside, Prince Edward Island  Early risers tend to benefit from waking up before the rest of the world (plus r ousing before your alarm clock is a sure sign you’re well rested and ready for the day). You can have time on your own before the real world bombards you with demands, news, car and lawnmower noises, important decisions and general yammering. If you have a busy household, the crack of dawn may be the only chance to have the bathroom or kitchen all to yourself.  Maybe getting up and out the door before others means you can score the best cardio equipment at your gym or be the sole jogger on a quiet trail. For some of you, setting out early may even help you gain precious time by avoiding traffic tie-ups, line ups at coffee shops, etc. For me, early mornings are when I savour reading and writing. My optimism and sense of well being seem to peak in those wee hours. I also seem to accomplish far more in those calm, ear

Hiking in autumn can be extra special for more reasons than the splashes of fall colours . Yes, jaunts in parks and woods at this time of year also tend to: provide softer light for photography; present good views of wildlife as animals scurry about to stash away food for winter; involve slightly cooler, crisp air; and, be free of biting insects. If you're lucky, you may also find rare migratory sightings or experience the jaunt with someone special.       AWESOME!

Deep reds , golden yellows and bright oranges splashed across a Canadian landscape... Burning bushes Cranberries Sedum Maples Mums Sunflowers Rosehips Sumacs Berries on leafless shrubs Tamaracks Oak trees Virginia Creeper Apples Pumpkins and gourds       AWESOME!

Toasty hugs.  Sluggish movement. Soft, baby skin.       AWESOME!

Living in Canada has its advantages. While there are food banks for those who cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner, most of us are fortunate to have assorted foods and drinks to share. I am reminded this Thanksgiving how much we use food as a way of showing the people we love that we’re thankful to have them in our lives. I’m sure you’ve each experienced this type of display in one or more of the following ways: ·           Someone stocks up on your preferred tea and beer for your visit. ·           A friend brings over the snacks you enjoy for movie night. ·           Family whips up your ideal appetizer, meal or dessert. ·           A baby extends a handful of pre-chewed food for you. ·           Parents bring you homemade preserves you’ve said you enjoy. ·           Grandparents send you home with care packages crammed with food. ·           A friend cracks open the expensive wine even though it isn’t a special occasion. ·           Pets present you with 

Some people have a knack for making the world a better place. The saintly or self-sacrifing types such as Mother Theresa or Ghandi tend to come to mind first.  Brilliant sketch from @Fleech (Felice Arena) But yesterday, Steve Jobs died and the global outpouring has been nothing short of remarkable. He didn't just bring Apple products to the world; he shifted the high-tech industry, focused on seemingly simplistic designs and reached demographic groups that became brand disciples. Graphic designers, educators, musicians, video enthusiasts, trendsetters, students, people with disabilities and countless other groups have benefited from his genius and focus. Technology aside, I remember his presentation style knocking me off my feet the first time I saw him deliver a keynote address at a conference in Las Vegas.   Now nobody is saying Steve Jobs was a saint, but nearly everyone, his competitors included, seems to be grieving publicly and honouring him in creative wa

I confess that I make lists for just about everything. My lists range from important goals and routine tasks to entirely trivial stuff. Listmaking can help you organize thoughts, recall tasks, prioritize activities, jot down what you'll need to pack for a trip, plan for the future, keep track of accomplishments, and avoid extra trips back to the grocery store. You can choose to use just about anything for your to-do lists. I resort to sticky notes, magnetic notepads, mobile phones, online tools (e.g., übernote, Instapaper, Evernote), monogrammed note blocks (Thank you, Melanie!), whiteboards, recycled scrap paper, etc. While we may record our lists in different ways, chances are that we get equal satisfaction when we cross entries off or delete completed tasks. Feel the rush; go ahead and check, check, check stuff off your lists...       AWESOME! If you don't have a list on the go at the moment, then you can drop by anytime to  vicariously check things o

If you’ve ever felt challenged by something in a book, then congratulations! Consider yourself fortunate to have the right to read books, magazines, e-books and other works that make you think about a topic, culture, plight, event or person from a completely different perspective.   Our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures that you have the right to pick up any book you desire to read. Not sure that's important in this day and age? Think censorship is a thing of the past? WRONG. Sadly, censorship continues to rear its ugly head. The Canadian Libraries Association published an updated 2011 list of works people have fought to have removed from school curricula and bookshelves in this country during the past ten years. Those titles included: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , The Handmaid’s Tale , Lives of Girls and Women , The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz , and all seven Harry Potter books. Fortunately, Canadian teachers, librarians, principals, sto