No excuses.... no looking back..... just going to post.

It is said that with good friends, you can simply pick up where you left off and go from there. No questions, no excuses, no regrets, no worries, no guilt.   Well that is how I am feeling about my blog, I am just going to pick up and go forward, no should have, could have, or would haves.  (well maybe just a tiny bit of guilt - but I can deal with that).  It is time to sit down with a good cup of java and write on.
 
This morning while sipping my coffee I was truly moved to tears for the 3rd blog entry in a row, by this....

It is so worth the time to read...

http://hopefullearning.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/mom-and-daughter-speak-for-the-first-time-beyond-hello-day-3/

Who says that ONE person or ONE group can not change the world?  It is possible, and it is happening in one of the reportedly worst neighbourhoods in Canada.  Listen to your heart.  How are YOU going to change the world? (How am I? - Know that anytime I ask those sorts of questions I ask them of myself too.)

ONE amazing story. ONE woman following her passion .  ONE Down Town East Side (DTES) resident's world has been changed FOREVER.  ONE daughter many, many, many kilometers away has had her world changed too.  Kristi - the blog writer touches the deep corners of my very core and rises to the surface memories of days gone by.

This story resonates with me deeply and I am transported back.... 

ONE day many, many, many days gone by.
ONE little girl sits on her dad's knee looking at family photos. 
ONE finger pointed
ONE face she did not recognize.
ONE question; WHO is that?
ONE Father struggling with an answer
ONE old wound opened
ONE  journey that led to the DTES
ONE long lost father reunited with his son
ONE grandfather meets 2 of his granddaughters for the first time
ONE meal shared
ONE memory made
ONE old wound starts to heal....   ONE is a good place to start!

There is power in ONE! So much power. . . . I know that it did for my grandpa, for my dad, for me!  For Cindy, and it can for YOU too!

Imagine....

Happy Birthday Day

Days for Girls

(a day late, but you know what they say... better late than never)

 

I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great organization. 

Founded in 2008 Days for Girls has been changing the world one pair of panties at a time! 

 

  How is that possible?

 

SIMPLE

 

Every Girl. Everywhere.

Period.

Days for Girls aim is to empower

girls and women worldwide

to have access to sustainable quality

feminine hygiene, health, education

and dignity ​ by 2022.

 

This is done by sending feminine hygiene kits to girls in developing countries.

 

Each kit contains

1 Pair of panties

2 shields

8 liners

face cloth

2 large Ziploc bags

(aka the world's smallest washing machines)

&

Instructions for use and care.
A bar of soap is also added when they reach their destination.

 

That one pair of panties included in the kit changes the girl's . . .INSTANTLY!

 

I.N.S.T.A.N.T.L.Y.

 

Imagine, not having to look through garbage heaps on the side of the road, using paper, leaves, dried animal dung, cardboard, old rags pretty much anything you can find to block or try to stop their periods.  Imagine not having the means to be able to purchase what was needed each month. Imagine going to the store and there is NOTHING on the shelves to be able to purchase even if you were able.  Imagine using anything absorbent that you happen to "find".  Imagine washing disposable products to try to be able to use them again.   Imagine.....   for 100's of 1000's of young women around the world they do not have to imagine, for this is their reality. 

 

To a woman in a developed nation any of the above scenarios seem unimaginable. We go to the store and face a wall of options, dozens of choices,  with applicator or with out, with wings without, heavy days, light days, thin pad, long liner, regular, ultra thin.... the list goes on. Then we have the audacity to get upset when the ONE style we prefer is out of stock.   Imagine life without those options.... 

 

If you can imagine even a portion of the struggles girls in developing nations face, then you can imagine the change a hygiene kit can make. In that instant, there is hope.  Hope opens doors.   

 

Based on a montly cycle lasting 7 days & each kit lasting aprox 3 years, each kit reclaims
 252 DAYS of living.

 

Days where they do not have to stay at home

Days where they can go to school

Days when they will not have to feel like they do not belong

Days they will be educated

Days that that they will be able to work

Days where they can support  their family

Days when they can participate in life!

 

252          DAYS

6048       Hours

362, 880      Minutes

21222800    Seconds

 

When she receives a kit she will no longer have to saty at home when her period arrives.  Education is possible,  an educated girl WILL change her world.

Imagine the possiblities..... 

 

 

 

  



 

5 min Friday free write.....

I recently linked to Lisa-Jo's site via another blog I read and was immediately drawn to the concept of a 5 min free write,  

"No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real"

 

Every Friday at one minute past midnight a new writing prompt is posted and off you go.....  well I totaly forgot about it at one min past midnight so here I go now..... with a little bit of trepidation.

 

 

 

 

Oct 5

 

Welcome......

 

Your Welcome  - politeness

Welcome to our Home  - hospitality, graciousness

Welcome to the world -  Excitement newness
Welcome to the family - Hopefulness, wondering

Your welcome to try....  - Fear, adventure, learning

you do not want to overstay your welcome....  - oh oh.

 

(Ugh phone rings...answer or let ring.. right now it is NOT a WELCOME interuption... )

 

Welcome to my world, when I sit to do something I often get interupted. In a house of 5, and 2 extras under 4  2 days a week, it is inevidable.  Sometimes those are welcome interuptions such as a visit from a friend,  or a quick kiss from my sweetie.  Other times they are not so welcome, the knock of a child on the bathroom door when you just NEED 2 min of quiet.  We have all been there.  

 

BUT How often am I the interuption?  How often are my interuptions welcome, or unwelcome?  I pray that I do not overstay my welcome, that when I knock on the door people truly desire to welcome me in - Do I even think about such things in the moment?  Or do I just assume? 

there is one with whom I know without a doubt I am always welcome...  I am thankful that I know without a doubt when I knock on the door of heaven one day I will be welcomed with open arms, and that on that day there is no overstaying one's welcome because I will finally know where home truly is.

 

(Shoot, I over shot by 1 min.. must have been the phone call or first time jitters) 

 

Sticking to 5 min was a little tough, once I got started I wanted to keep going. The urge to go back re read, re type was strong, old habits are hard to break.  I look forward to next week and playing along again. (maybe I will even remember at one min after midnight....)

 

     Click the link to join the fun.  I know all my scrapbooking / journaling friends will love it.  (O.K. Some of you will and others are thinking... here she goes again preaching the importance of Journaling -  Remember only you can tell YOUR story!)

 

Happy writing

Di

 

 







"WINNER" in the lottery of LIFE....

Be it by simple luck of genetics, birth right or purely by the luck of the draw I have won the Lottery of life, as have most of you!  The lottery of life is not a major influx of cash, though we are wealthy, it is not a new car, though in all likely hood we have at least test driven one in our lives, it is not flashy or rare, but it is most valuable.   The lottery of life winners are winners simply because of where they have been born.  I win because I have been born in Canada, in North America.  Others win because they were born the USA, parts of Europe, Australia and a handful of other developed nations in the world, nothing more, nothing less simply LOCATION of birth. 

That's it.... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION -  they say that is the key element in business, in retail product placement and now lottery winners!   By simple location of birth we are wealthy, the vast majority can easily provide the essentials of life food, clothing and shelter, with out much trouble.  Remember I said ESSENTIALS of life, not the EXTRAS.  So many people, simply because they were not in a Lottery winner LOCATION at birth do not have the LUXURY of providing the essentials.

I challenge you to take 18 min of your time and watch this TED video....  and maybe YOU can help someone win the lottery despite their location.

Together we can make a difference.

Graduation..... what a beauty.

Today's wordless Wednesday was a no brainer.  Graduation of our second daughter has taken the spotlight.  Hard to believe, time flies......

Wordless Wednesday take 1

Working on a new WED feature....

I have to confess this is not a new idea fresh from my own head, I first saw it on a friends blog
Hopf In Niger , I love the concept of a day dedicated to photos, life as it is right now etc.  I have since found a few other sites that do similar things. The concept is quite simple, we all know the saying a photo is worth 1000 words, post a photo or photos on Wednesday, and let them speak for themselves. 

I am going to give it a try.  I know that means I have to be on the ball, to get photo's ready to roll each week, I am hoping it will motivate me in a few ways.  First to pick up my camera again, Second to actually download them and deal with them and finally to share and blog regularly.  Let's see how it goes.  First photo(s) to be added today....... I hope you enjoy !