Scenes from my summer ...

Just some random shots of my summer:

Creative advertising using Dad's vintage John Deere 110

Beetle and L outside of the Much Music Studios

in downtown Toronto on a rainy afternoon!!

Noahkila, S and L outside the Much Music Studios

(yes, they ARE filming in the background!!)

 

The absolutely spectacular stained glass dome 

in the Grand Hall at the 

Hockey Hall of Fame!!! 

The hallowed Lord Stanley's Cup (the REAL one)

complete with some one's name!!!

 

Beetle and I with Lord Stanley's Cup 

(or at least one of them!!??)

Beetle outside something almost as tall as she!!!

(The CN Tower)

 

Noahkila and Beetle standing on the glass floor, 

a mere 342 metres over Toronto!!!

  

L seems a little worried about the glass under her feet ... 

... at 342 metres to the bottom, 

she has good reason to be worried!!!

 

 

Joey breaks out of my office 

and takes a quick tour of the Flesherton Farmer's Market 

on the classic (and ancient) JD pedal tractor!!!

 

Ms H and Beetle on the CNE Midway!!

 

Beetle doning the gear and ready for 'battle'?!?!

Merry Go Rounds are the BEST!!!

Ms H, Beetle and Ms H's friends 

on the CNE carousel!

The end to a very good day 

at The Ex !!!!

(Ms H & Beetle after photo-bombing someone else's pictures!!)

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(and last, but certaintly not least:)

 

A visit to the Memorial for Fallen Police Officers

across from Queens' Park 

in downtown Toronto.

Reflections on the summer than has been ...

My summer started with a break-in at the bush, and the loss of an atv, some tools and few other items ... after a couple of days of work, Noahkila and I got things back in order, and moved some things home rather than risk further losses ...

The Beetle arrived for an extended holiday ... meanwhile, my Dr had put me on some new meds because of concern about tests I had had previously, the meds threw me and my system for a loop, so I spent the first bit of the summer feeling like I had been hit by a truck ...

I can't say my energy level has gotten back to where it has been previously, but it has regained some ground, and more importantly, I've come to appreciate the need to balance my time and be more intentional looking after my self - something I've seldom done well.

Looking back in the waning days of summer, I can say that it has been a fun, rewarding, exhausting and very busy summer ... along the way we set the date and started working towards the auction sale for Mom's house, stuff and other assorted items ... I've been to T.O. several times and visited the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Much Music, China Town and the Police Memorial ... I've made a dozen trips to Stratford and hauled stuff to the dump, and I've been able to relax at home with the important people in my circle of family and friends around me ... all in all it's been a good summer.

As the fall unfolds and we move into the busy-ness that the season entails, I have no doubt I will find myself rushing about trying to keep up, but if I learned nothing else this summer, I've learned that at the end of the day the stuff is less important than the relationships we have with those we care about.

This past week Ms. H and a couple of her friends wanted to go to Keady Market just south of Owen Sound ... I drove them there, then accompanied them as we walked up and down and up and down the seemingly endless rows of STUFF !!!! Aside from the crowds I found myself marvelling in a less than positive way, at the sheer quantity of STUFF that was available ... I couldn't help but wonder WHY???

WHY?? are we so enamoured as a culture with STUFF, that we keep buying and buying and buying, then renting places to store the stuff that we never use, and never look at??

WHY is shopping so ALL important in our culture??

WHY ... we left Keady Market and went to Stratford and I looked critically at all the STUFF that still crowds Mom's house and I rolled up my sleeves and set to work ... I filled a dozen or more trash bags, I sorted and sifted mountains of detritus, and on Wednesday we loaded every inch of my truck for TWO dump runs that go ride of a MOUNTAIN of garbage ... then I pulled the last of the mementos I wanted from the house and set to work readying the place for the pending auction ... and today I'm left, still wondering why we've put so much emphasis on the "STUFF" in life, rather than on life itself ...

I'm glad my summer was relaxed and I had time to spend with the people I value ... I think my priorities are getting back to where they should be ... hopefully this summer will continue on this path!!

As our Olympians return home ...

In the wake of the London Olympics I think expressing our appreciation to ALL the athletes is not only appropriate, but the ONLY response.

ALL of the athletes who were in London did a great job and have more than earned the appreciaition of our Nation for making us proud.

Afterall, the Olympics are not just about getting Gold medals, they are about being the best you can be and striving to achieve personal bests. (Remember the Jamaican Bobsled team and Eddie the Eagle Edwards??)

Aren't the Olympics about higher, stronger, faster?? I don't remember ever reading that they are about only getting the gold? Being there alone is a spectacular achievement, and every one of those men and women who wore Canada on their chests entering the Stadium 18 days ago deserve our respect, our admiration, and our pride - they've earned it!!!

Thanks to Team Canada for a job well done!!! You made us proud!!!

Me and Beetle and Lord Stanley's Cup

Last week, Beetle and I had a visit with Lord Stanley's Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown
Toronto ... I wonder if one day her name could be etched on hockey's most famous hardware??