I’m normally not overly enthusiastic about stars, the solar system and the different solar events that take place in the night sky, however, this year has been a bit different. There are a number of solar phenomenon in 2024. The total solar eclipse happened on April 8, and a partial lunar eclipse is expected to happen on September 17/18. The Perseid Meteor Shower is supposed to occur in a few days – August 13. Over the next few weeks a nova event is expected to occur in the night sky. This is when a white dwarf star attracts and pulls in enough solar material from a red giant star and the heat and pressure reach a tipping point and explode. Click here for a better explanation. The dwarf star is visible in the night sky at this moment.

All of these events make me think about how there is room enough for everyone to glow and all in our own time. – Cris

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Measuring fabric, a wall, a picture frame, a grid, a waistline, a cup of flour. We measure a lot of things in our daily lives. We measure how stressed we are or how happy we are. We measure to check if are space is big enough for a new couch. We measure to see what size we are for a sewing pattern or where to place the picture frames just right or to calculate when we can retire. Numbers change our lives. They leave a big imprint. We use numbers to place ourselves into categories and align ourselves with like persons. But sometimes it’s works best to put the numbers aside and maybe squeeze that bigger piece of furniture into the space if it’s the piece of furniture that really feels right to you, or take that holiday even though it’s not financially sound. Sometimes we have to put the quantitative information aside and go with out feelings. Life is about living and not about waiting for the “right moment”. Sometimes we have to pivot, follow the qualitative numbers and start something new. – Cris

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I don’t usually like modern furniture. My taste leans toward more traditional styles and wood: pine or oak. Although the chair is green, which is my favourite colour, I was predisposed not to like it because of its design, including the metal base. However, I had no choice about sitting in it and it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable!

Lesson learned (some have to be emphasized and relearned, in different ways and times, over and over again): don’t make snap assumptions and allow our mind’s knee-jerk reactions to overrule trying something new or giving others – or in this case, a chair – a chance to open our minds to different ways of thinking or . . . decorating.

Where do you think these chairs are? – Maria

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I love a bowl of granola for breakfast. I’ve been eating granola for breakfast for a few years now. I keep eating it because it’s quick and easy to put together. No fancy ingredients and it only uses one bowl and one utensil. These two bowls were prepared by my daughter for a slow Sunday morning breakfast together. Sitting together and talking and laughing about life. A kind of soul (breakfast) food. She included some granola, two tablespoons of Greek yogourt, sliced banana and strawberries, and a handful of blueberries. I added a touch of milk and a teaspoon of chia seed powder to my bowl. It’s a hearty and healthy breakfast. You’re ready to face the day with some energy after eating this mixture.

Do you always eat the same thing for breakfast? – Cris

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“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in-between that we fear . . . it’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.”

Well, I was definitely not in love with how the side of my house had looked for the last few years. The old way that it looked had to go. At the same time, however, I was not at all sure how to go about making the change that was needed. Youtube DIY videos helped a little. I was able to form a clearer idea of what I needed and wanted. Finally, I decided to grab the other trapeze because being between them was no longer an option I wanted to tolerate.

I’m so glad I did because the work turned out as I had envisioned and has dramatically improved that part of my house. Sometimes making a change is what we need to do.

What category of Youtube DIY video is most helpful for you? Technology? Gardening? Home repairs? – Maria

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