The Power of Positivity

To family and friends around the world...

I am one very fortunate person. Having landed back in India, back in Karnataka, back in Banglaore (aka Bengaluru), back in Sahakar Nagar, back at my old school, I do not believe I have not stepped back in time at all; I believe that I am moving forward and growing personally and professionally.

This was not totally my own personal decision. But circumstances, happenstances, or whatever you want to call it, created an opportunity to move. I have landed forward, I am moving forward, and for the first time in a long time, I am experiencing the power of positivity in my life.

What has caused this drastic U turn? I am not sure if it was a psychological, physical, spiritual, social or emotional change; perhaps it has been a combination of these influences. Perhaps it is because I am at the beginning of a week long holiday, but I am grateful today to write that I am feeling so much better!

At the end of this post you will find informationa about the India holiday Dussehra. All I can tell you now is that it is very quiet here in my apartment block. Usually on a Saturday afternoon such as this the play area outside my flat full of children noisily having a grand time. But today, not so much.

I LOVE Science

Perhaps it was the week that was. Many exciting things are happening at our school these days. This past week was a celebration of Science, culminating in a school-wide science exhibition whereby almost every student created a unique project having something to so with science. There were models, displays, experiments, and many "ah ha" moments for me. I totally enjoyed peeking at the projects and speaking with the young scientists. The event was for only 2.5 hours, and would have taken the whole day to see and appreciate everyone's efforts. All in all a great success. 

Jem

My state of happiness might have be caused by some of the regular conversations, chats, and communications that have been happening online over the past month. People like Jem (Kuwait) on WhatsApp and Messenger, and Em, and Lindsay, and The Glue (all in Kuwait) on Instagram, my brother (Ottawa) on Twitter, my sister from Florida on Messenger, my husband, my son and grandchildren (all in Canada) on Skype, my friend Carole Ann((Ontario) on Facebook, or even Cheryl (Clarksburg), my sister Karen (Missisauga), and Edith (Maberly) on email, Sarah, Tom, Anne and Anthony, and  Linda from Vietnam, and Lina from Sri Lanka. And these are only a few of the connections I have heard from over the past week. It is indeed a joy to connect, and I am grateful to everyone for staying in touch. 

A symbol for who keeps me steady

I have to admit that my anchor point is the daily chat on Skype with my husband, who has elected to stay behind in Ontario for the first four months of my stay in India. His cheerful face on voice on Skype is a delight to my eyes and ears. I am very much looking foward to his coming to spend time here during the cold winter months. 

Probably the biggest news is that I am going to have to move in the next couple of months. The apartment where I am living is called a "service apartment" reserved for people who are working at the building. Fortunately I have been able to stay here for as long as I have, but the school is now actively looking for another place, perhaps even closer to the school and the pool. So I am looking forward to that. 

And also to the Dussehra holiday which is upon us now. Here is a little bit of information about this festive time of the year in many parts of India. Enjoy the read!

Until next time,


Bee Rich

When is Dussehra?

How long until Dussehra?
This holiday next takes place in 7 Days.
Duration
1 Day
Summary
The festival of Dusseha symbolizes the triumph of good over evil in the legend of Rama and Ravana
Dates of Dussehra
Year	Weekday	Date
2019	Tuesday	October 8th
2018	Friday	October 19th
2017	Saturday	September 30th
2017	Friday	September 29th
2016	Tuesday	October 11th
Regions where Dussehra is a holiday
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Madhya pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

On this day, many of your colleagues in India will celebrate the culmination of the ten day Dussehra festival.

It may be known in some regions as Vijayadashami and in parts of southern India, it is known as Dasara. Other regional spellings include Dashera and Dussera.

As this is a ten day festival based on a lunar date with many important days and also because it has many different names in the various regions on India, it is difficult to determine when each region has a holiday. On this site, we show the date of the tenth day and you can assume that most regions will observe this a public holiday.

Traditions of Dussehra

In India, the festival of Dussehra symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The festival traditionally represents the legend of Rama and Ravana. Ravana, the demon king, abducted the beloved Princess of India, Sita. The Lord Rama rescued the Princess, proving victorious over the powerful and evil King Ravana.

The Dussehra festival is ten days long, culminating on the tenth day, the Dussehra holiday.

On the day of Dussehra, large statues of Ravana are constructed and brought into open fields.

These effigies are burned and with them the evil they represent, so that the people are allowed to follow the path of virtue and goodness throughout the year.

Ayudha Puja

On the ninth day of Dussehra, Ayudha Puja is celebrated in several regions of India. Celebrations may involve many common and seemingly mundane tooo and implements used in everyday life, such as computers, books, cars, or kitchen tools.

The aim is to see the divine in everything, notably those things used in one's livelihood. It is believed that this day is also a blessed one for any new venture to start on.

In 2017, Ayudha Puja is a holiday in Tamil Nadu.

Navaratri

In the southern India states, this festival is called Navaratri ('nine nights') and revolves around the worship of the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati. Lakshmi is associated with good luck and wealth, and Sarasvati is linked with wisdom and fertility.

The festival is a time for visiting friends and relatives, and houses are decorated with colourful displays of toys and images of gods. In Gujarat there are nine days of music and dancing..

Source: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/india/dusserhra.php

It's 2017!

Hello There!

It is 7:35 p.m. Kuwait time on January 7, 2017

A month ago I wrote that December was here and so was hubby. Today, December is gone, and so is hubby. Yes. In what seems like an eye blink, January is here, Since the last post, I have been to Canada, visited with our daughter in North Dakota, spent time at home with our son and grandchildren in Ontario, and renewed old acquaintances with friends and families.

Christmas cards were written and read, sent and received, each one representing a continuing relationship from our past. In case you missed it,

Dear Family and Friends- 
It is Christmas Day! 
Clarke and I are resting in Winnipeg today and tomorrow, due to weather forecast of blizzard in Winnipeg and ice rain in Ottawa.
This has given us the opportunity to write to you an update about our year 2016.  
We are aging! Barb turned 60 in February and Clarke 65 in September, the golden age of retirement for him; not so much for Barb. 
For the past three years Barb has taught at a Bilingual School in Kuwait. While not ideal, the job has enabled us to travel a bit more, while continuing to save for our future. Clarke visits Kuwait when it suits him- first year- 4 months, second year- 2 months, and this past year he came for the month before Christmas break. The rest of the fall, spring, and summer months he keeps busy around the neighbourhood, helping friends and neighbours with various projects, and fishing in Little Silver Lake. 
In the summer months we enjoyed living, fishing, swimming, and boating on the lake, as well as socializing with family, friends, and neighbours. 
Our children are grown up! It's fun to get together when we can with Nathan and his two children, MacArthur and Everly, who now live in Cambridge,  and with Sara who is studying for a second Masters degree in North Dakota. 
At this time of the year, we stop and count our blessings, including family, friends, and the joy of the Christmas season which celebrates the humble birth of Jesus. 
We want to share our joy with you this year by wishing you the merriest of Christmases, and the happiest of The New Year 2017. 
With love, 
Barb and Clarke 

When we did not have a written address we sent greetings to our email list. And then there are Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, WhatsApp, and Instagram, which represent a population of cyberspace people.

It seems to me that the older I get, the less I anticipate the festive season, yet the more I appreciate the special time with family and friends.

Grandchildren at Upper Canada Village Night Alight

Unique Gift from daughter- see North Dakota, Ontario, Kuwait?

Yes it is Winter in Canada!

 

New Year's Eve Visitor

Now, fast forward almost one week to January 13.

Yes, believe it or not this is my third attempt at writing this blog. I am reminded of my friends Em and Lindsay, who several years ago encouraged me to start writing as a way to communicate with loved ones at home. The Pearl Curriculum and This is It are two of my favourite reads. I believe we all go through phases of writing or non-writing.

Recently I remarked to a friend that blogging was a form of therapy for me. The act of writing down thoughts, ideas, events, and feelings is an act of consolidation that brings about peace of mind. The process of rereading, editing, and finally publishing teaches me what is and is not important to share.

Whether or not I write is dependent on a number of factors, including mood, time available, the number of pictures I have to share, and whether or not the cat is awake and on my computer.

Today, my mood is good, I have time to spare, and I am determined to publish before going to bed, I have many pictures on my phone, and am now trying to move them to the computer so I can share them. (Mission accomplished!)

Three things I have learned over the past month.

1. Remember, but do not dwell on the past. It was what it was.
2. Breathe and enjoy the now. It is what it is. 
3. Anticipate, but don't be anxious about the future. What will be will be.

We also had the opportunity to visit with friends in Brockville and Clarke's sister in Cardinal. What a surprise when we met their cat...and noticed the similarities with my Kuwait cat. Perhaps one day they will meet!

Penney's Cat in Canada

My Kuwait Cat

On New Year's Eve, former neighbours, and good friends, came up to help us ring in the new year. We ate a lovely lamb dinner, talked about our experiences from the last time we had been together, and then everyone crept to bed- almost all of us (except me!) before the magic midnight hour. 

Gathering in the Kitchen to Celebrate the end of 2016

By January 1 it was time to return to Kuwait, to the reality of the rest of the school year. This will be a first for me. My husband will not be coming back to Kuwait. The next time I will see him in person is in mid-June. I am asking myself, how will I cope? 

Time will tell. In the meantime, I am back to teaching, tutoring, swimming, and playing with the cat. Let us see what else 2017 has in store!

Several of the 22 Little People in my Life these Days

Until next time, 

Bee Rich

SUMMER MONTH #2, 2016

Road Trip- somewhere in Northern Ontario

Another month, another post. I know, long time no write. Lots to write about; but first, flashback to last summer.Taking a course, I spent every single day of the summer holidays glued to my the laptop or desk top computer, working away on a Kindergarten course with very little time to do anything else.

Fast forward to this summer, today is the first day the laptop has been on since my last post on July 12. This summer has been a completely different one. We have travelled to see friends and family, we have hosted friends and family, we have fished (and now I am hooked!) and swum in lakes, hiked on roads and trails, seen parts of North America for the first time, and made memories. And here are a few highlights

Week of July 10-16
We visited three of my husband's siblings at their homes in the area, replaced the transmission in the Jeep, and celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary with a fine Korean dinner prepared my my daughter and her boyfriend.

Week of July 17-23
We spent July 20 on the road to and from Cambridge to partake in a picnic honouring our grandson's fifth birthday. The setting was a beautiful park and the characters included Son #1, Grandson #1, Grand daughter #1, Husband #1, and a few friends. The story included a lovely picnic lunch and an afternoon of hunting for crayfish in the stream. We were up to our knees in water which ended up looking at the creatures through magnifying glasses.

This boy is now five years old! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

We also spent a delightful time at my friend Mary's, where we enjoyed catching up with her and her husband in northern Lanark County. My husband toured the land in a Kubota (which was air conditioned, while I enjoyed several hours with a good friend.

July 24th
July is a month of birthdays in our family and we celebrated our daughter's a couple of days early. Dinner included my husband's butter chicken, naan bread, Sri Lankan vegetables, and my grandmother's chocolate cake.

July 25th-26th
Up bright and early we drove from Maberly to the Best Northern Motel near Wawa, Ontario. It was a gorgeous twelve hour drive up highway 17. We landed in Wawa in time for dinner and a great night's sleep.

The next morning we shopped for our fishing trip (more about that later) visited with our friend Emily and her family and spent some time hanging out at Hawk Air.

Hawk Lake

July 27th-31st
Remote Fly-In Fishing at Mozambik Lake and Trout Lake in Northern Ontario was amazing! Three solid days of sunrise to sunset sunshine, clear blue sky, fantastic fishing, beautiful boating, and a little bit of swimming brought peace to my heart and calm to my spirit. I even caught one BIG one!

Sunrise!

My pike netted by my husband. 

July 30th
After returning to Hawk Air and saying fond farewells to Kelly and his nephews, we headed west toward North Dakota. We stayed overnight in Fort Francis at the Copper River Inn. This border town was within four hours of our destination in Grand Forks, where our daughter is moving for the next two years.

Sunflower field in Minnesota

July 31st
Crossing into the USA was interesting as we had all of our fishing gear, a cooler, our dog, and a packed truck. It must have sounded strange to say we lived in Maberly, but were coming from Wawa and heading to Grand Forks to help our daughter move into her new house. After several questions and consequent answers, we were allowed in to Minnesota. The farmland there was wonderful. At around 2 pm we pulled in to a motel in Grand Forks and met our daughter, who had travelled directly to Grand Forks from Ontario. We shared a meal, and enjoyed swapping stories from the previous week.A few fish tales were told, but we had picture evidence!

These two on a new adventure in ND

August 1st
Our daughter's house purchase closed on this day and we were able to help her move in a few things. The rest of the day was spent decided what work could be done on the house in preparation for the bigger move in a week later.

Chestnut Street

August 2-4 
Our original plan to drive to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and The Badlands was replaced with helping clean the kitchen, prepare walls for painting, and taking up old carpeting in the above house. We enjoyed helping out, as each day brought new problems to solve and more coffees to drink.
.

Tim's in Grand Forks ND-
 two medium with mild + two extra large ice coffees,
to go!

August 4-5
After saving approximately 20 hours of driving (to South Dakota), we headed12 hours east from Grand Forks and spend the night in Janesville, Wisconsin. Again beautiful farmland countryside. The next morning we were up bright and early and headed to Kalamzooo, Michigan. My Uncle and Aunt moved there nine years ago, and it was the perfect reason to stop in to see them. Because they are not on email of Facebook, the trip was planned through regular old fashioned mail service and telephone calls.It was so exciting to see them after so many years. We also visited with my cousin, his wife, and met his daughter for the first time. 

Me and my hubby and my uncle and aunt

My cousin and some of his family

August 6-13
After a great visit with extended family in Kalamazoo, we drove fourteen hours to Cambridge, ON for a visit with our son and his two darlings. Grandchildren are amazing. lovable, and engaging. We had a superb breakfast at a local diner, after which we continued our trek home! 

Upon arrival at home, we looked at the list of things we had not yet accomplished, and number one on mine was picking up my "bike" from the shop and going for a ride. After remembering the locations of the brakes, clutch and accelerator, I ventured out on the road for the four kilometre ride. The hills and curves on a sunny Sunday morning were exciting, and I made it home in one piece. I am still not totally comfortable on the bike, but the next few days will give me time to practise for next summer's anticipated and more frequent rides. 

My favourite mode of transport- besides swimming!

On Monday after our return home, my younger sister came by for a few days. After two successful battles with cancer and now in need of a hip replacement, my admiration for her courage and resilience grows each day. Her positive attitude in times of trouble is indeed an inspiration. Happily my brother from Ottawa was able to come for dinner and it was a great reunion. By the way, he is camera shy!

My little sister visits

Golds -100 Freestyle- Canadian teenager ties with American!

I was also inspired by the Olympics in Brazil this summer. A huge congratulations to all of Team Canada for your outstanding performances. Such determination and dedication is incredible. Congratulations!

Our friends' daughter- going in to grade 1! 

This past weekend we enjoyed the visit from former neighbours here on the lake. I believe it is about to become an annual tradition (similar to the fly-in fishing experience), where our sweet friends come to spend some well deserved time "back" on the lake. It is an honour to watch their young daughter growing up.

Moving forward, I am down to just four more days of holidays before heading back to the Middle East to continue my teaching. It is with mixed emotions that I write. I am thankful for a calm and restful summer holiday. I am excited to return to a steady job doing exactly what I love to do. However, I am sad that the best summer ever has almost ended, and that once again I will be away from my family for an extended period of time.

But, I have promises to keep, a contract to fulfil, and several health related goals to achieve.

Hoping to write more regularly during the 2016-17 school year, I am visualising a successful first semester and a return trip to Canada in time for Christmas holidays.

Until next time, wishing you well, and as always,

Bee Rich

PS Parting shot and thought...

When we are apart, it is good to remember this....
We all live under this same beautiful sky
with the same Sun shining down upon us.
  -Bee

SUMMER MONTH #1, 2016

Home sweet home in Maberly

It has been exactly one month since writing the last post about mindfulness. I am happy to report that I have had more mindful days than mindless ones, and that they have been thoroughly enjoyable. A typical day includes sleeping in until 6 or 7 am and then dozing until 8 or 9, when my best friend a.k.a. husband brews and brings me a cup of coffee before I finally laze my way out of the bedroom into the kitchen to prepare the second cup. The morning rushes by with either a swim in the lake or a little house cleaning, and the afternoon can include a visit with neighbours, a boat ride, or a fishing adventure.

Edith, next door neighbour who brought fresh strawberries!

You might ask how many actual typical days have we had so far this summer?  The answer would be not too many. This summer I am not taking a course, so I was determined to catch up with people with whom I am out of touch while teaching abroad. The list is long, but over the past four weeks, we have managed to visit with several friends and family members. Unfortunately I did not get picture evidence of each visit; however this is what I recall...

First on the list was my big brother, Richard, in Ottawa- Lunch or dinner out with my him is always a treat and keeps me in stitches, comedian that he is!

My sister-in-law, Penney and her husband, Clifford, from Cardinal cam for the first weekend after I arrived home. We had great fun catching up and fishing.

Later that week my friend, Mary was coming in to town for a Dream Weavers meeting and we met for late afternoon coffee at a restaurant Michael's Table. So much to catch up on that we are going to meet later this summer with our hubbies in tow.

Our next door neighbours and other friends here at the lake- It is true that neighbours become friends when we share drinks, snacks, meals and laughs. We complain that the weather is too wet, too dry, too cool or too warm, but our times are happy ones.

We went down to Brockville to visit with former next door neighbours, Erin, Oak, and their darling daughter Ruby. My oh my children really grow in the space of one year!

My step father, Jim, in Cornwall is working on getting his house back in shape after a few years of neglect. Now THAT was an interesting visit!

Some new and old friends at the pool in Perth- I popped in to the pool in Perth when the weather was too cool for a lake swim. Happily I ran into Rod, the Head Coach of the successful swim club there and a few other aquatic people.

Lindsay and Phil in Lakefield- On the way to Collingwood, I drove Highway 7 and dropped in on Lindsay and Phil, friends since our Egypt days and spent a lovely time with them and their two amazing little girls.

Cheryl in the Town of the Blue Mountains- I had been meaning to see Cheryl, a swimming/coaching friend from Collingwood and fortunately we were able to spend the better half of a day exploring the Village at Blue and catching up with one another's lives.We even happened across a mutual friend having a coffee out on a patio and two former swimmers.

Cheryl's new wheels!

Ron and Cheryl- Masters Swimmers Extraordinaire

Val, a former teaching colleague in Collingwood- Still actively involved at Connaught Public School, Val is now the teacher-librarian. She also organized this year's staff party, and I was able to attend.

Former principal, Betty, and Val

Valerie! Teacher extraordinaire

A pack of Connaught Cougars, including James and Melinda, two retiring teachers, partied in the evening at their annual staff party. The school has a reputation for writing excellent farewell songs, and this year was no different! Thanks Cougars for the delightful time!

Melinda and James- Good bye tension, hello pension!

Delightful singing!

Karen, next door neighbour from Collingwood was one of my long lost friends (how can it possibly be ten years?) from Collingwood days. On a whim I looked up her number and left a message on her answering machine, thinking I might not hear from her; but sure enough, she returned my call and we had a lovely visit before my drive back home. We reminisced about our days on Beech Street, caught up with family news, and enjoyed coffee and conversation.

Karen, neighbour and friend for many years!

Evelyn, a sister-in-law in Barrie, is recovering at home from medical issues, and I enjoyed catching up with her and friends who have been providing wonderful care.

My Aunt Ruth from Seneca Falls NY turned 89 on July 4th. To celebrate her eldest daughter arranged a weekend of fun and family. Dinner out on Saturday night and and afternoon of laughter on Sunday.

The Great Lady- Aunt Ruth!

Cousins Jon, Steve, Dan and Mark from Connecticut were in on the dinner and the Sunday fun. These four camped at Sampson State Park, biked to the nearest brewery spot, and entertained up with lots of stories.

Cousin, Joy, and her husband George- always close to my aunt, these two are amazing people who make my heart sing.

Second cousins Martha, Mitch, and Jane, as well as Martha's children Musika and Vai from Liverpool, New York were also on hand at the dinner and house parties, and as usual, provided free entertainment.

Ten of the sixteen diners at the Crow's Nest in Seneca Falls

My cousins Bob, Kim and Sue, and their families from upstate New York met at Bob's place on Sunday for the Fourth of July weekend on Keuka Lake. Having recently touched based on Facebook, I was honoured to spend an all too short amount of time catching up with them

Our daughter Sara, and her boyfriend, Kristian from Oklahoma are spending much of July at the Lake before beginning their next chapter in Grand Forks North Dakota, where Sara will be studying.

Our son Nathan, and his two children, Mac and Everly from Cambridge arrived this past weekend and spent three whole nights! They discovered moths on the deck, fish in the lake, paddleboating, and reading with Grandma and Grandpa. It was GRAND!

Mac and Ev reading together

Love this through the screen shot !

Ready for s'mores!

My sister-in-law, Audrey, in Chesterville went out for lunch with us yesterday at the best little restaurant in town.

We then went to the "home place" where my husband's eldest brother-in-law George and are both recovering from illnesses. After reading for months about her struggle, it was superb to see Beverley doing so well in Williamsburg.

Not only have we had a great time with many of these people, we are also anticipating even more travel ad relationship renewing during the coming weeks. More about that in SUMMER Month #2, 2016.

The following are a few pictures I took at Harbourview Park in Collingwood. As time passes, the trees have grown, the wetlands are more prolific, and the views are splendid! A huge thanks to the people who envisioned this area so many years ago. Amazing!

The most beautiful area in town!

Collingwood Terminals

The Boardwalk

Wetland Habitat for many creatures!

Until next time,

Bee Rich

PS Anticipating many more visits over the next month!  Hooray for Summer!