Tuesday’s Thoughts!

I am doing it, something I don’t do! Just recently a friend had asked me if I had drafts drawn up for some of my posts. I laughed, as I said, “you know me…”, do I ever know what I am going to write in advance?  Yes, this has caused trouble sometimes, especially in the stories which have more than one part, but that’s another story.  I thought that for today I would *gasp* write a draft. I am doing it for you , my dear readers, so that you can have some quotes for tomorrow when I have my cataract surgery.

Cut! Take 2! Soooo it is an hour and a half before I was supposed to have surgery. Did you notice the “WAS”, those little words can be so important sometimes. Right before our alarm went off the phone rang. My Dr. had a family emergency in the middle of the night so no surgery today. I will get called later in the day with the date that it is supposed to be now. I was actually supposed to have the surgery 2 weeks ago, but the date had to be changed then because of him having to go away. What can I say, things come up, and we have no control. I do feel bad for him, being that “family emergencies” are usually not something good!

So now, thanks to my draft,  you are able to have the quotes earlier than they have ever been posted before, enjoy! And thanks for the well wishes  yesterday. I will tuck them in my heart to pull out for when I find out the new date! 🙂

 

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Seeing Clearly!

Back in 2012 I had cataract surgery on my right eye, now the left eye wants to have its turn!

Cataract surgery wasn’t the first eye surgery I had. Way back when I pretty young, I had surgery on my left eye due to it being a “lazy eye”. There is a proper medical term for that, but I forget the name and figured more people would understand  the term “lazy eye”.  Its where my eye would go outward. It just had a mind of its own and didn’t care that it was supposed to look the same direction as the right eye.  I don’t remember the surgery, but I do remember the exercises I had to do to strengthen the eye. It involved wearing a patch on my right eye forcing the left eye to work. Plus there also was a special black thing to attach to the TV where both eyes had to focus together or I wouldn’t be able to see the whole picture, just half of the screen. Not fun. But my left eye did get stronger, it worked and I am happy that the surgery was successful. My left eye is now starting to get lazy again at times, but the Dr isn’t concerned yet. He said that its not that rare to possibly need surgery again for a “lazy eye”, especially when its been so long. The good thing is that it is a simpler method that they use now. So we will cross that bridge if/when we need to.

Tomorrow morning bright and early I go to have my other cataract removed. It is a simple procedure, but of course they have to tell you all the side effects that could happen. One could let the potential side effects scare them from having the surgery, but like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we can’t let fear dictate to us what what we do.

My eyes are very important to me and I want to keep them as healthy as I can. This cataract does mess with my night vision when driving and it can be bothersome when reading or writing.  I am ready to have it out and trusting that all will be well. With that said, I will be glad when it is finished and I can breathe deeply knowing that all is well.

My eye doctor was intrigued with my last surgery, and I told him to make sure he does just as well this time! No pressure, of course. The reason for him being intrigued was that I have always been far sighted. I have needed glasses for close up work, like writing, being on the computer and reading. After removing the cataract from my right eye, glasses were no longer needed! I couldn’t see as far away as I used to be able too, but I was thrilled with not needing glasses anymore!

What really surprised the Doctor, was that I fell right on the line in between being nearsighted and farsighted. He said I was neither, I was a 0. I wouldn’t typically want to be called a 0, but in this case it was great and my hope is that it stays that way!

 

Seize the Day!

“All Aboard!”

No, we aren’t headed out anywhere on a train again, but I would hop at the chance to go again.

I really did enjoy the train, gazing out the window at the beautiful scenery that sped by. Yes, there were the times that there wasn’t a whole lot to see, but it sure does beat traveling on the interstate and just seeing other vehicles, speed limit signs and more signs. The times that we went through the tunnels weren’t great, but we didn’t have too many of those times where we just stared out into total blackness.

You really do get treated very well on the train. Almost like royalty. Your meals are served to you, with flowers decorating the table. You get to choose from a variety of entrees and they are delicious. They had a chocolate dessert that was so tasty.

The crew members were all nice and the people we met on the train were friendly as well. So yes, if you are looking for a different type of traveling, a more relaxed way of traveling, I would recommend taking a trip down the tracks!

There is only one thing that caught us by surprise and that was the lack of security.  We knew it wouldn’t be as tight as it is when going to airports now, but we really did not expect to walk right onto the train with our luggage, without going through any kind of metal detector!

Would this have stood out to me prior to “9/11”, I don’t think so.  Since 9/11 though I have become so accustomed to having bags searched when going to an amusement park, a concert, any kind of public event. On the train we were greeted with a cheery Hello and just waved right onto the train. Did it feel good? Yes, it did. Much better than standing in line for hours as you wait to go through security and get patted down, etc., like what happens at airports.

It was more relaxing for sure, but yes in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but wonder how safe were we?? I didn’t let it bother me, but I am curious as to your opinion. Do you think they should tighten up train security? Or should we not let ourselves give in to the fear that does want to plaque us a lot in this culture?

We did talk to one crew member about it and his feelings. He said at every meeting that they have, security is talked about, and the crew members push for tighter security for they do at times feel like sitting ducks. He admitted though that it is more complex, for its not a plane that makes one stop and lets everyone off. The train made 40 stops one way when we were on it. There are always people getting off and getting on and the train wants to be quick. The stops are often not more than 10 minutes long.

What is the best answer? What are your thoughts? He said that they were told that Al queda has made threats to bomb the railroad system. Going through metal detectors won’t help much if there is already a bomb on the tracks!

I am not sure what the answer is, but I do know that after 9/11 it was scary at first to go places and with all the shootings that have happened here in the States, you do think twice sometimes when being at a public event. But I don’t want to let fear rule. There is too much life to enjoy! So if I get the opportunity to ride a train again, I will, for there are times you just need to cherish the moments and Seize the Day!

One more view from the train.

 

Friday’s Super Short Stories!

Let Laughter spill from you, like confetti, adding sparkle to someone’s day!

The flavor of friendship is like a Gelato, sweet and refreshing!

When Wit is served, but you didn’t notice it, for you were drinking from the mug of Gullbility!

 

Showing your love

Today I heard from a friend about how her friend just lost her husband in a tragic accident. They had just got married this past May. It once again hit me how life really is a vapor. We don’t know how much time we have left and that is why the time is NOW to say and do things. Not tomorrow or a few years down the road, but NOW.  Let those who you are close to know how much they mean to you. Don’t say, well I am sure they already know, keep showing and telling them.

I have always liked Leo Buscalgia, he is a gifted writer and speaker, and his words were coming back to me today. I would like to share this short video clip with all of you for I think he gets the message across with what he shares, better than I ever could. I hope it touches your heart.

 

Ripples of Joy

I went to the chiropractor today and he was happily surprised at how easy my neck and shoulders adjusted this time. Sometimes they can be very tight. He said vacations are good for me! 🙂

How can they not be, especially this one, where gold nuggets were found!

Hope you all aren’t tired of pictures yet, for I have more.May seeing a glimpse of the beauty help bring some smiles to your heart.

Watching the sunset from way UP HIGH in the city of Vancouver. I was feeling very tall!

Walking along the seawall was great. Breathing in the sea air, and just taking our time, enjoying the moment. Any guesses on how many miles it is to walk around the whole thing?

I had to include another picture of this wonderful hideway place, and remember how I mentioned about sitting on the rocks and just gazing into the clear water in my other post? Here is a pic of my wonderful husband doing just that. 🙂

This little guy came by while my daughter and I were sitting by the fountain outside our hotel.

Did I mention that I love the water? Like the ripples of the water, there were many ripples of joy and happiness that were spread on this trip.

This is Washington State from out the train window as we headed home. We may be home now, but stay tuned, you haven’t heard the last about our vacation! 🙂

 

 

Tuesday’s Thoughts!

Happy Tuesday! Getting back into life’s normal routine, but vacation memories are still very vivid in my mind.  We saw such beautiful sights, from the lush gardens, to the beach to the mountains.

Gold nuggets were all around, as we breathed in the moments. There was beauty just waiting to be discovered by us, and not all that beauty was nature. Perhaps that is another  clue to the special, mysterious nuggets that we found, and perhaps now is the time to reveal ………. the quotes for today! Enjoy my dear readers! 🙂

 

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The Flying Mystery

 

They had struck again.  Confetti was one of their calling cards that they were known for. It always sparkled and glittered.

They were a smooth team, always managed to have the element of surprise. One knew to expect the unexpected when dealing with this talented team.

Frank and George were walking around the room looking at all the glittery …. and sparkly confetti and trying to not to disturb the cat who was eyeing them with a mischievous glint in its green eyes.

“George, did you see this?”

George walked over and looked at what Frank held in his hand.

“Mini spaceships? Hmm… What are spaceships doing here?”  George looked at them scattered about.

“Maybe this wasn’t the work of who we were thinking. Perhaps some aliens were having a party, confetti and all! There are 24 spaceships, so it must have been a pretty good sized party.”

Frank stared at him. “Aliens?”

“Yes, aliens, you know, those little green or blue men that live in outer space.”

Frank kept staring at him as he slowly shook his head, “Are you saying that you believe in aliens?”

“Well can’t say I ever saw one… but…”

Frank sighed, “Look George, I think you could use some of these!”  He picked up some marbles that were lying on the floor.

“I always said you were losing your marbles. Now I am more convinced than ever before! ”

George made a face and said, “I am getting hungry, lets go grab a burger.”

Frank reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of goldfish crackers. “Want some of these to snack on?”

George shook his head, “Those crackers would be the perfect size for a snack for aliens to eat. Maybe we could come back after dark and take a look in the house to see if…”

Frank opened up the door, “Lets go, you need some food and I think it can be your treat tonight. Do you mind if I order all the desserts on the menu? Then I believe that you need a really good night’s sleep!”

They went out the door, closing it behind them. The sound of the door being closed echoed down the hallway of the empty house.

Around midnight there was some stirring in the house, but it wasn’t a mouse. There were no mice, as the mice had no chance against the cat that ruled the house.

The cat wasn’t sure though what to make of the noise, as he looked around. If someone had been watching they would have seen an intriguing sight, that made the cat howl. 24 mini spaceships were flying around the house in circles, and they were getting higher and higher.

A daring mouse saw his chance, the King Cat was distracted. The mouse quickly darted across the floor grabbing some goldfish cracker crumbs as he ran into his hole.

The cat’s eyes were transfixed on the circling spaceships. What would happen, would they mysteriously disappear through the ceiling and travel elsewhere?

Meanwhile George had just got home, and was getting ready for bed when he happened to look out the window. No! It couldn’t be, but yes, he was seeing it with his own eyes. 1, 2, 3, 4, …… spaceships!

Whoa! George opened the window, and about fell out in surprise. “Was that really a flying cat that he just saw go by following the spaceships!”

Perhaps Frank was right, perhaps he really did need a good, long, sleep!

 

 

Meet Me at the Clock

Somewhere between here and Vancouver.

I woke up because the rocking of the train stopped. I looked out my window. We were stopped at some train station and the light from this clock was shining straight into my window.

 

Meet me at the Clock

The house was silent as she crept down the stairs. Her heart jumped when she heard the sound of the Grand Father Clock chiming. She had forgotten about that clock. While it was chiming she quickly ran down the stairs and out the front door.

It was still warm outside for it had been such a hot and humid day. The night was very dark. She was glad for street lamps that were lit, for the silvery moon wasn’t putting out much light, as it peeked out from behind the clouds.

Tamara hoped she was going in the right direction. She had tried to listen hard to the directions Timothy had given her, but her mind was going in a million directions as he talked. Were they really doing this? She was excited and nervous at the same time. What would her parents think?

She had tossed and turned every night this past week wrestling with the decision.  As far as she saw it, she had no other choice. Her parents wouldn’t let her marry Timothy and her heart just couldn’t stand being separated any longer from him. Tears had fallen upon the letter that she had left for her parents to find once she was safely gone. She hoped they would forgive her in time. Hoped that they would come to see that she and Timothy truly did love each other.

Her legs were beginning to get pretty tired, she hoped she would be there soon. Timothy had said to look for the light of the big clock shining from the train station. That it would show her the way to him and once she got there, they would never have to be separated again.

Ahh! There it was, her heart started beating faster. She felt a burst of energy overtake her as she ran to the station, opened the door and walked in.

Seeing Timothy standing there, she fell into his arms. ” Timothy … I love …” She stopped abruptly as she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

“Mom, Dad …. what are you…?”

“Hi Tamara”, her Mom put a arm around her as her Dad put his hand on Timothy’s back, leading them out of the station.

“How about I whip up a batch of my special pancakes. We can enjoy eating them as we have a nice, long chat.” her Mom said.

Tamara looked at Timothy, his pale look mirrored hers, her stomach definitely wasn’t growling with hunger right now!

“I think that sounds great honey! Perhaps some of your great biscuits too, with a big pot of coffee.” Tamara’s Dad replied.

“You like your coffee strong and black, son?” Tamara’s Dad asked Timothy.

“S..S..Sure, sir.” Timothy said in a voice that could barely be heard.

Tamara sighed, this very well may be the longest walk and breakfast that she ever had.

 

 

Emerald Green Beauty

photo from Lynn’s Canyon Park, Vancouver

The water was so crystal clear,  just the sight of the water had me mesmerized.  We hiked a little ways to get to this spot, but it was very worth it. Sat down on some nearby rocks and let my thoughts flow as I gazed into the water.

This place was like a hidden gem among the tall trees of the park. Every place has its secrets, right?

Life is journey of finding gold nuggets amidst the dirt, sand and pebbles of life and I felt that this spot was a gold nugget place to sit at and be refreshed.

I have learned that as we travel through life’s journey of twists and turns that sometimes we can find gold nuggets in the most unexpected ways that leave a lasting mark on your heart.

When we started our vacation I was leaving clues in my post as to where we might be traveling to.  There were guesses made and the correct place was named, but perhaps that wasn’t the last of the clues.

Perhaps there are still some hidden clues amidst my posts about what we did on vacation. Perhaps there is still some mysterious gold nuggets to be revealed. Perhaps in time, all will be made crystal clear!