Daily Quote: April 14, 2021

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The marvels of daily life are exciting;
no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.
~ Robert Doisneau (French – Photographer April 14, 1912 – April 1, 1994)

National Gardening Day

Pathologists Assistant Day

Porte Musings:

Sorry, I slept in this morning.  This post is a repeat of April 14, 2020.  Not much has change except the COVID-19 number have gone up.

I resumed my daily walking routine on Sunday.  Camera in hand and Rickie at my side it took almost 2 1/2 hours to complete my normal route through the St. Clair Conservation Area, almost 7 kilometers in total.  The paths weren’t too muddy, but there were a couple of sections I almost got stuck in.  Rickie loves the boardwalks and the excitement all around.  We found bloodroot in bloom, but the other flowers are just starting to sprout their leaves.  Many of the birds are returning from the long trip south, but I didn’t see the bald eagle yet nor have I seen any redwing blackbirds.

Today the Premier of Ontario announced that emergency measures will remain in effect for an additional 28 days.  So the self isolation will continue for another month.  My step son has recovered and will be returning to work tomorrow.

 

Daily Quote: April 13, 2021

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Walking is the best possible exercise.
Habituate yourself to walk very far.

~ Thomas Jefferson (American – President / April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

Thai citizens celebrate the Thai New Year. I say it would be a wonderful day to celebrate and start again. Still under stay at home orders in Ontario our children will not be returning to in person classes after the spring break. All children will be continuing their learning for the remainder of the school year at home and on line. Even private schools have been ordered to continue by remote learning. The only exception is day care.

Today is Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday, also called Thomas Jefferson Day. Inventor and President as well as a strong supporter of walking as the best exercise. So celebrate by going for a walk. Even under stay at home orders the Provincial Parks are open and admission is free Monday to Thursday. Do some “forest bathing” to refresh your soul.

If the weather doesn’t co-operate you could celebrate Scrabble Day. One of my favorite games, Scrabble on line or in person challenges everyone. So memorize those 2 letter words, keep your mind active and play a game with a friend or two.

Daily Quote: April 12, 2021

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When you do portraits professionally
it’s not a desire, it’s for money.

~ Imogen Cunningham (American – Photographer / April 12, 1883 – June 24, 1976)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

April 12th is remembered as Jersey Day, a solemn remembrance of the hockey team and drivers that were killed/injured in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

International Day of Human Space Flight is also celebrated today. Dreams of traveling to the unknown by mankind are remembered.

Today is the 1st Day of Ramadan. 30 days of prayer and fasting from sun up to sun down for all my Muslim family and friends.

Although photographers that do portraits do it not through inspiration but for money, I’m glad to do portraits and have portraits to remember the special people in my life. Today was my Paternal Grandmother’s Birthday. I miss her, but she did live a good life, not an easy one, but a good one. She loved gardening and her pets. She always had a large dog and loved collies. I’m glad we spent the time together that we did.

Daily Quote: April 11, 2021

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There is no sanctuary of virtue like home.

~ Edward Everett (American – Statesman / April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

The Sunday after Easter is designated as Devine Mercy Sunday. A day in the Roman Catholic calendar to encourage followers to offer forgiveness and reconciliation. Hopefully this expands to all Christian denominations and people of the world.

With pets being so important to us no wonder there are so many holidays and celebrations for pets. Today is National Pet Day. So spend the day with your favorite pet and have treats.

As we are approaching World Day, today is Good Deeds Day. Celebrate by doing one good deed. Or better still decide today to do one good deed a day for the remainder of April.

April 11th was always an important date in my household because it was my Father’s Birthday. He would have been 84 today, but his life was cut short at 63 by small cell cancer. Years of exposure to possible carcinogens at work and smoking caught up with him and took him away just as he was starting to enjoy his retirement years. Life wasn’t easy for him. He had a learning disability and was never able to read beyond a grade 3 level. But that didn’t stop him from working hard. He had an innate ability to learn by doing and after many years of being a laborer (ditch digger) became a high pressure welder for natural gas lines. Belonging to the Welders and Pipefitters Union permitted him to retire at 60. So after working hard from the age of 16, he was permitted almost 3 years of leisure and travel. We were so lucky to have been his children.

Daily Quote: April 10, 2021

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The more we do, the more we can do.

~ William Hazlitt (English – Critic / April 10, 1778 – September 18, 1830)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

So with many things the more we do, the more we can do. So go for a walk. Slow down the aging process by doing a puzzle or just talking with others. Travel as much as you can as soon as you can so it becomes a part of a routine ingrained in your life and dreams. Practice makes perfect. That’s why so many golfers are out there on a regular basis swinging away. So if you’re a golfer celebrate Golfer’s Day.

Today is also National Siblings Day. Like most families, two of my sisters have recently stopped talking to each other and disowned each other. It breaks my heart. I love both of them. So here’s a quick prayer for all the siblings that don’t talk to each other: may you reconcile and share your time together while you can. Celebrate National Siblings Day by reaching out to your siblings and whenever possible spend time together.

It’s easy to celebrate National Hug Your Dog Day, I hug my dog every day. Rickie’s constant companionship has even been an important part of my life every since I adopted him more than 7 years ago. I rescued him, or should I say he rescued me, giving me incentive to go for long walks and forcing me to remember to play. We’ve both gotten a lot greyer in the last year.

Daily Quote: April 9, 2021

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The sky’s the limit if you have a roof over your head.

~ Sol Hurok (American – Musician  /April 9, 1888 – March 5, 1974)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

The sky’s the limit when you have a roof over your head. Both the sky and head are also important as we celebrate National Chicken Little Awareness Day. The chicken that thought the sky was falling because something fell on his head. And everything is a matter of perspective. You may not be the world, but you may mean the world to someone.

Dreams of magical creatures are always filled with rainbows and Unicorns, as we celebrate National Unicorn Day. Even better, Unicorns with wings…..

The farthest from Unicorns would be Sir Winston Churchill. Realist, cigar in hand and leading a country during a tough time with tough decisions, helping to defeat the Nazi’s. A tough realist with strong opinions: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an sees and opportunity in every difficulty.

Under stay at home orders, the Provincial Government has opened the Provincial Parks from Monday to Thursday for free for day use. Anyone who buys a seasonal day pass has the date extended until the end of November 2022. As my husband said: yeah and if they don’t sell any passes, they’ll close the parks just like they did our Senior’s Centre in Strathroy ON. So I purchased an annual pass and can go to any Provincial Park any day from now until the end of November 2022. My son’s got my little trailer out of the garage for me and I’m ready to go kayaking. ❤

Daily Quote:

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To begin, begin.

~ William Wordsworth (English – Poet / April 7, 1770 – April 23, 1850)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

Wednesday April 7th, from industrious to luxuriously lazy, today is International Beaver Day. A day to celebrate the most Canadian symbol the beaver. With his continuously growing teeth the beaver works to cut down trees and create ponds; to stop the rushing sound of water and create a peaceful, secure home for their families.

Celebrating World Health Day, while Ontario is in it’s 3rd wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A shut-down order, but not a stay at home order. With 500 people in Intensive Care Units and our hospitals are at near capacity. What saddens me even more is that with our population and size Ontario has only 500 intensive care units a year after all this madness started. Why weren’t COVID patients kept separate from other critically ill patients? Lockdown and stay at home orders don’t seem to be working. It’s just been too long and people are missing their families and just the joy of day to day living. The world is praying that the vaccine puts and end to the isolation.

So here’s to celebrating National No Housework Day. Just don’t do it. Well, unless like me, you celebrate International Window Washing Day on April 7th. A time to clean those windows, reflect on the world, and be ready for interruptions as guests stop by for coffee.

Daily Quote: April 4, 2021

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Pleasures take to themselves wings and fly away; true knowledge remains forever.

~ Dorothea Dix (American – Activist / April 4, 1802 – July 17, 1887)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

April 4th, the 4th day of the 4th month is chosen as 404 Day. 404 Error is the computer error we get when an internet site has been moved or changed. Free speech advocates are vocal on this day to promote free speech. Under the guise of censorship we get the 4 oh 4 message: information is unable to be accessed not because of 404 messages, but because of censorship; 

in particular, the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires schools and libraries to restrict access to certain websites—those with obscene and pornographic images—in order for them to receive federal funding. In the process, many other sites are blocked, such as those with educational information, health information about breast cancer and sexual health, LGBTQ information, information about non-mainstream religions, and art museum websites. These are constitutionally protected websites, and their censorship is seen as violating the First Amendment.

Today is also International Mine Awareness Day. Mines and explosives remain in war torn countries causing massive damage, casualties and death to civilians. In 2005 the United Nations declared April 4th as a day to remember the victims of these “forgotten” mines and to work towards eliminated them without harm to civilians.

And last, but not least today is the holiest of days in the Christian Calendar, the celebration of Easter. When Mary went to the tomb and Jesus wasn’t there. She was comforted by an angel outside the tomb. Christ had risen. Enjoy your Easter Celebrations today.

Daily Quote: April 3, 2021

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Good words are worth much, and cost little.

~ George Herbert (British – Poet / April 3, 1593 – March 1, 1633)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

The first Saturday in April is also Easter Saturday in the Christian Calendar. The day we remember that Christ lay in the tomb, alone in the dark with a huge rock rolled in front of the door and a guard outside to ensure that the body would be kept safe. A day of mourning, grief and darkness before the return to life.

Today is also a day set aside to honour American Circus Day. During the Pandemic, we haven’t been able to go to the Circus. Here’s hoping there’s one to go to once all this madness is done.

With April Showers we all go out and seek Rainbows. So get out and look for the eternal symbol of hope. Rainbows have been used recently to symbolize other things: Gay rights; rainbow babies; autism…….. So I wish you luck on Find a Rainbow Day.

Daily Quote: April 2, 2021

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Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.

~ Hans Christian Andersen (Danish – Author / April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875)

Holidays and Celebrations:

Porte Musings:

April the 2nd is International Children’s Book Day. Celebrated annually on Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday to remember the joy of his life, writing and reading for children. So be certain to pick up a book and read a children’s story if not to a child on your lap (due to COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions) then make a video of you reading and send it to someone.

One of my grandchildren has been diagnosed with Autism. We love the routines he has established. He loves to say hello with our greeting routine and it is such a joy as he asks for the nth time how we are doing today. The good-bye routines are also heartwarming, as he insists on a big hug and a kiss (even on the 3rd time as his parents are trying to get out the door). So today we hope to shine some light on Autism Awareness Day and choose to post rainbows of hope. Another joy is the reading of a book to him. He has learned who all the Thomas the Train characters are and he loves Peppa Pig. As we head into 28 days of Provincial lock down for the 3rd time, I’m so glad that he will be able to continue his Day Care Program as they help him learn social skills and basic life skills.

This first Friday of April is also Good Friday in the Christian Calendar. We remember how Jesus was forced to carry his own cross most of the way to the hill; hung on the cross with thieves on either side of him; and his last words: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.