Polish trends..

St. Roch’s Church in Białystok

My sister Ewa, who lives in Poland, and I were talking on Skype this morning. She was telling me about some of the Poland’s recent trends. For example, about Polish people becoming more open to gay marriage. As you know Poland is a predominantly Catholic country. One of the examples is this joke told by one of their comedians:

“Mother talks to her son about him getting married. She says: my son, why don’t you get married? Our neighbour’s daughter, she is pretty, she can cook, she can clean, she has nice big boobs, she dresses nice… Why don’t you marry her my son?

Son answers her: But I would much prefer to marry John…

Mother says: but my son, John is Jewish!”

squirrel..

Squirrel Proverb
by Stephen A. Peterson

A dozen squirrels one day were playing squirrel games in an Eastern Oklahoma forest when two of their fellow squirrels fell into a deep pit. Within minutes, the remaining squirrels gathered around the pit. When the other squirrels saw how deep the pit was and that they had no devices to help lift them out of the pit, they told the two-trapped squirrels that they were as good as dead.

The two squirrels, although trapped, ignored the other squirrels and tried with all their remaining energy to get out of the pit. Still the other squirrels continued to tell them that they were wasting their time and energy and that they would die.

Finally, one of the squirrels bowed to group pressure and gave up. He quit trying to escape and died. The remaining squirrel ignored the other squirrels and continued to do whatever he could to get out of the pit.

As before, the crowd of squirrels urged him to end his pain and suffering because he just did not have a chance. Rather than listen to their negative comments, the remaining squirrel tried even harder. To the other squirrels’ surprise the remaining trapped squirrel made it out of the pit!

When he joined the group of squirrels once again, they asked him, “say didn’t you hear us?” The exhausted squirrel simply looked and smiled. They soon learned that the lone surviving squirrel was unable to hear. The deaf squirrel thought the other squirrels were encouraging him get out of the pit so rather than just give up and die, the lone surviving squirrel tried harder.

This old Native American tale has several lessons. First, that the tongue possesses immense power though small in size. Second, when people do not submit this small organ to the Principles and Will of God, the tongue has the power to destroy. Therefore, great care should be taken when one speaks!

The proverb also says a lot about the value of being deaf to the wrong voice, eh?

tofino’s mudflats

The winner of this year’s Poetry Contest  in Tofino, Vancouver Island.

Haiku by Becky Hiscock:

Sweet Shoe

Squish! Instantly I
Have regret of my first steps.
Bye, sweet shoe, goodbye.

Not sure what makes a haiku? Here’s some help:
A haiku is a Japanese poem which has three lines, each line having a certain number of syllables:
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables

Haikus usually have some element of nature in them. For example:
September artists
gather amid canvas, words
alder leaves rustle
(by Janice Lore)

fishnet socks

.. i have a *thing* for socks..

walk on sand

Why is it enticing to walk on sand? Because once you get that exceptional, white, soft sand between your toes, you become part of the ocean spirit and your existence is dawdling down to a natural rhythm of life..

So, go ahead and walk barefoot in sand..

western skunk cabbage

While some consider the plant to be a weed, its roots are food for bears, who eat it after hibernating as a laxative or cathartic. The plant was used by indigenous people as medicine for burns and injuries, and for food in times of famine, when almost all parts were eaten. The leaves have a somewhat spicy or peppery taste. Although the plant was not typically part of the diet under normal conditions, its large, waxy leaves were important to food preparation and storage. They were commonly used to line berry baskets and to wrap around whole salmon and other foods when baked under a fire. It is also used to cure sores and swelling.

whos toes?

.. how do you know that Summer is here? One way is, just to look down on girl’s feet, and oh boy, look at all these colours!

stolen bike evidence

I found this on a corner of West 8th & Balaclava last night. My friend, who also lives in the area, had her bike stolen form her garage few weeks ago. According to Canada’s CBC, approximately 1500 bikes are reported stolen in Vancouver every year. Here is some good advice article from the last year’s Vancouver Magazine… or another option, you could do this.. www.flickr.com/photos/dustinq/501791705/ .. 🙂 There is also the stolenbicycleregistry.com.

i am content with a few thistles

“He that has a good harvest must be content with a few thistles.”

This year will be a good year, but one can only expect a few thistles on the way.

My career in moving in the right direction.. for now, no glitches there. And if you ask me about the ‘personal life’.. well, the sun has been shining and it became a beautiful red rose.

what’s in my bag?

Fruit and vegetables revitalize my body and they are delightfully delicious. Therefore, I savour them. You are what you eat, right?