Spring, New Life, Death and Taxes

I appreciated my recent days off to celebrate the beginning of my favourite month after many busy ones in the working world.  

It was a welcomed break from the long, cold winter in the Ottawa Valley.  I was ready to celebrate a renewal of life and was hopeful for decent weather. This Beatles song always comes to mind. 

Sure, let's celebrate and encourage the sun for growing those lush gardens and bountiful crops during summer.  This fair lady will be sporting a large brimmed hat and taking opportunities to enjoy cool drinks and charming company under the shade of large trees.

It has been a wet May so far in the Ottawa Valley. The Year of the Rabbit: Happy Beltane, Nature Lovers http://t.co/OoR06BpoRB My fav month!
— Florence T Lyon (@FloTLyon) May 3, 2014

This weekend brings the tradition of Jane's Walk in many North American cities, presenting good opportunities to get outdoors and explore urban greenery.  Considering the weather forecast, I'm going to pack sunglasses and an umbrella.  You can't be too certain.  


In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
 - A quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin.  

After you've participated in the outdoor activities and walking exercise you can breathe easy knowing the CRA has extended the filing deadline to May 5th due to that inconvenient web security certificate issue. 


You probably don't know many people who need to take time off just to get their income tax returns filed.  Some of us can't focus while working with complicated forms and would prefer to pay someone else to process them on our behalf.  At least I know well enough to dump receipts into a shoe box during the year.  

Hmm... I'm running out of spare shoe boxes.  I should buy a new pair of shoes.  Justified?  

Things seemed to come together nicely one evening once I forced myself to sort documents, list items and calculate totals.  CRA didn't answer my question about claiming dependents that I still shelter and feed.  

Hey @CanRevAgency I have 5 roommates that I shelter n feed. 3 are over 21 years. 2 have furry tails. How can I #claim them as #dependents?
— Theresa J (@tjamone) May 1, 2014

 
My visit with the tax preparation services was relatively short and sweet.  The gentleman was impressed with my organized files, notes and totals.  I was relieved that after the computerized calculations, I would receive a modest return.  Whew!  There was no opportunity or need to shout obscenities. 

Stranger Than Fiction - a wonderful romantic comedy in which Will Ferrell was bearable and sweet. Authors struggling with writers' block will love it! 

Another bonus was that I felt the liberation in stating a single status while filing under my new name. That's another topic to share on another day.  

I'm running out of steam and must prepare to head outdoors.  You're likely thankful I have wrapped up anyway.  Thank you for reading this far.  Permit me to offer a detour to an earlier post titled "What's in a Name".  It will lead you into some interesting family name history and suggest you obtain a copy of The Year of the Rabbit - a novel about fate, family and forgiveness. Please indulge with me. 

Until next time, have a lovely spring weekend.

T
 

No longer a spring chicken

Well, Eastern Ontario was pelted with snow and ice pellets once again.

Half-way through April and Old Man Winter is still sticking around. I had to pull out my little boots and holey gloves.  

Many of us are ready for refreshing greens, spring flowers and a gentle breeze.  Give me colour, sunshine and hope. Of all seasons, I would like spring to linger - and not be rushed out by stifling summer heat and humidity.  I generate enough heat on my own, thank you very much!

I am no longer a spring chicken but I find it one of my favourite seasons.  It is a time to celebrate renewal and rebirth.  

As a former Catholic, I occasionally will read the bible, follow the Pope on Twitter and enjoy learning mythology from different cultures.  In particular, I really appreciate the one about Eostre, the Goddess of Spring. 

My drab workstation is already decorated with an Easter Egg Tree and eggs painted by a creative, former co-worker. 

These eggs were decorated almost 20 years ago and are still in good condition.  The act of putting those eggs on display has rekindled a spark, a desire for creativity.

Recently, I had one of the young folk dig a box out of the storage area because I knew that within that box was a protective case containing concept art I had done many years ago.

I created that Yin Yegg during a feverish winter cold in 1999.  It was during a time that I was learning about the art of Feng Shui, looking for ways to harmonize our then unhappy and cluttered home.  

It has been a while since I have painted or drawn.  Over the past few years, I have mainly illustrated with words in various blog posts, opinion articles and my bittersweet novel.  At least the latter is going through changes in preparation for the next print edition, with the help of a resident artiste. 

As we approach the Easter weekend, I will encourage my family to pause for reflection.  My offspring are too old for childlike craft activities so I doubt we will decorate any eggs.  I still like to look at ideas that others have come up with - especially those that use non-toxic materials and don't create waste. 

Pinterest is a great place for exploring decorating ideas, wardrobe collections and options for self adornment.  Being a low-maintenance gal, I think I'll create a board for cool summer blouses and comfortable shoes. 

Thanks for dropping by.

Happy Easter!

T

Changing Times

Last weekend we changed the clocks to spring forward one hour.

Spring.  Ha!  We'll see come March 20th. 

All the smart devices in le petit apartment adjusted with the time change automatically.  

One young person camping out in the living room requested that we relocate the analogue clock since its tick-tock-tick sounds keep him awake. 

I gladly moved it into my bedroom, swapping out one of the small paintings.  I like the tick-tock sounds as they remind me of the clocks back at the old Muskoka homestead and provide me with a sense of nostalgia while reminiscing about my dear late parents.  Of course, those clocks resided in hallways or dining rooms and not within a book's throw from one's bed.

Clocks provide a reminder of the measured seconds in our segmented mortal lives - or remind us when it is time to pause for short meditations throughout the busy day.  

Except for the digital clock radio, I keep the electronics in my bedroom to a minimum.   It's also a recommendation in order to maintain good Feng Shui.

A few evenings ago, I had to recharge three of the smart devices in my care.  I captured the following photograph with my iPad before plugging it in somewhere to charge its battery.  I later played with the image in Microsoft Word.

This represents my sentiment for a while with observing the new, smart technology that seems to distract people from real life conversations and social opportunities.  The new technology also seems to require a lot of updates, recharges and added protection.

I have been a hold-out for years with not wanting to own or not being able to afford a smart phone.  Well, I committed to one almost three months ago and am proud to say that I have not yet taken one selfie!  

I am getting hip with exchanging text messages with the kids and friends.

Within one week, I received my first telemarketer call. Ugh!  

This new gadget helps me check my email, news and bus schedules.  It lets me enlarge the font for the email app so I don't need to pull out my reading glasses.  I can also pinch and stretch web pages or images (similar to the iPad features).  

Heck, I could even view spreadsheets and edit basic documents with the SkyDrive apps. Microsoft has already changed that to OneDrive because of a lawsuit caused by their choice of names.

Does the immediacy offered by modern technology  cause us to make rushed decisions based on the need to keep up, to compete and one-up the other guys?
 

The smart phone camera has enabled me to take plenty of pics of bus stop observations, snowmageddon and resident cats as well using it to type short, poetic phrases on Twitter. 

Snowy spindly fractals dissecting my morning commute. pic.twitter.com/OkO9Lk83oa
— Theresa J (@tjamone) March 5, 2014

It was a quiet Sunday morning, purr-fect for napping in the sun, reflection or #writing whimsy http://t.co/CTXXXjW3Zv pic.twitter.com/NknpKuOfhS
— Theresa J (@tjamone) February 16, 2014

 
On a slightly related note, the World Wide Web turns 25 years old this month.  

Does it have enough funny cat pictures -

 - or funny cat videos?

I wonder as well if we have matured, if we will continue for the next few years to use the technology responsibly and in a collaborative manner for the common good. Ha!

What do you think? 


T 

Career choices - if we embraced childhood dreams

As a child, I enjoyed digging in the dirt and playing outdoors. 

Do you share memories of wearing rubber boots, digging channels and redirecting rivers around your muddy cities - all the while oblivious to the spring rain? 

Do you remember building sand castles on the beach only to see them topple minutes later into the approaching waves?

Do you share a fascination with King Tut treasures, burying  boxes of trinkets in a garden corner, dreaming that some future civilization would discover them?

Of the many possible career choices, I wonder if I could have made it as a city planner or an archeologist.  For the latter, I admire the persistence and physical endurance that the job requires.  You would get to travel around the world, be part of a team immersed in the local dirt.  You definitely wouldn't be sitting on your butt all day!

You get to share the excitement of discovering ancient graves ... under a parking lot.  Sorry - in Edinburgh they call it a "car park". 
 

 


This is exciting for someone who enjoys the history and mystery of the middle ages.  The only treasured discoveries for me lately have been due to visits from family bearing heirlooms. 

Since being an apartment dweller, I no longer have a small back yard garden where I can dig, grow or ... bury things. I have to satisfy my green thumb tendencies by puttering with the potted plants inside.  All we need are some colourful, flowering varieties.   

In the meantime, I can make plans with family and friends to visit places around the Ottawa Valley where we can enjoy natural gardening sites and annual festivals of bloom.  All this without getting dirty!

 
If you are curious about things that turn up in the spring, visit the blog for The Year of the Rabbit where my nom de plume  invites people to dig a little deeper.  She has dabbled in the mysteries of creative writing.  

Thanks for dropping by.

T

The Light Within

I wanted to offer a brief, Sunday morning post.

Since I am not in regular attendance at any place of worship, I thought I would light a candle in my new votive candle holder.  It's a little something I made while visiting a very creative, crafty sister.  She cuts down wine bottles and prepares them for a transformation into art.  

We had a lovely spring visit and plenty of opportunity for catching up while waiting for the stained glass paint to dry and sipping wine.  

My creation was kept simple with what appears to be a scene with blades of grass.  Could they be blades of grass or flickering flames?  What about that red flick?  Is that a flame or drop of blood?

I like candles and the representation of the light within each one of us regardless of religion - and the opportunity to celebrate what we have in common. 

I also like wine. 


Thank you for dropping by.  Remember to explore and dig deeper at www.yearoftherabbit.ca where you can find plenty of reference to family, wine and accidental church fires.

T

Revival

Spring is here and it snowed in the Ottawa Valley - on April Fool's Day. 

That's okay, it already melted and is providing water for the grass, flowers and trees. I hope we get more rain.  Yep, this is one of my favourite seasons - except for the muck and smell of dog pooh around our neighbourhood.  

In case you weren't aware, the Christian holiday of Easter occurs during spring.  Since I'm a lapsed Catholic, I shouldn't attempt to provide any insights.  I just like the timing of this meaningful religious holiday with the pagan celebrations.  I respect the theme of revival and renewal. 


I cherish the bursting greens and pretty blossoms, cool days and nights before the sticky, humid days of summer.

I also like the opportunities for consuming delicious chocolate.  As for the little chicks and bunnies that have wiggled their way into this holiday, please resist the urge to give a bunny rabbit as an Easter gift.  

What you could do is give yourself a copy of The Year of the Rabbit ebook.  One of the main characters is a priest.  Another is his daughter. 

Curious? Thought so. Write to Florence T. Lyon before April 30th and she'll send you the secret code to obtain a free copy from Smashwords. 

Have a wonderful Easter week and enjoy what time you can get with your family.  

T

Merry, merry month of May

Anyone who knows me well enough is aware that May is my favourite month.  It has perfect weather for cleaning one's home, for outdoor activities, for moving and stretching your body and ... planting seeds. 

You may already know this but May 1st is the date of Beltane, a Pagan celebration.  "In the old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole the next morning."  Fun times!  Well, except if it ends up with an unexpected teen pregnancy which is what happens in my novel "The Year of the Rabbit".  

Picture the month of May with greening woods and blossoming trees.  It provides perfect outdoor weather for children and young lovers.  Handsome Daniel Fletcher has returned from his first year at military college with hopes of a carefree summer vacation.  Family and friends gather for a barbecue on the Fletcher property. 

Read an excerpt called:  Hide and Seek - Childhood games and Lovers' Initiation

You will notice reference to the Pin cherry tree that is featured throughout the story - until its sad, symbolic demise.  I wanted to include reference to the Japanese tradition of Sakura where they celebrate the beauty of cherry blossoms.  This year, it provides a time of reflection.

 

The cat in the closet says...

"Damn, lady. You has to refresh your wardrobe."

>^..^<