There is something so special about snow !

I love sitting on the window seal watching the snowflakes fall so gently. The trees slowly get covered with beautiful and fluffy snow. There is something so zen & peaceful about this soft embrace.

* snow *

The snowflakes sparkle.

They look like small crystals landing on branches.

The snow falls & it embraces the trees;

It’s the noiseless work of the sky.

*

Sometimes it’s thick & fluffy, 

Sometimes it’s abundant & powdery,

Sometimes it’s soft & cushony,

And sometimes it’s smooth, yet crisp.

*

It comes to us delicately,

And when you look outside, it is gleaming.

It’s picturesque!

Other times, it comes to us roughly,

And when you look outside, it is obscuring.

it’s a blizzard!

*

The snow falls in such an insidious way.

It’s a blanket of melancholy.

It’s so pure.

It’s untouched.

It’s unmarked.

*

Be wYse,

Remembrance day, which was originally called “Armistice Day”, is a day designated to commemorate the armistice agreement (truce) that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. Every year, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we honour all of those who have fallen and observe a minute of silence to mark their sacrifice.

We wear a poppy to commemorate the veterans who gave up their lives for their country. Unfortunately, all of these soldiers lost the possibility to continue their lives and their stories were cut short. The poppy is a visual pledge and reminder to never forget all of those who lost their lives for freedom.

 According to The Royal Canadian Legion …

The significance of the Poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19^th century, over 110 years before being adopted in Canada. Records from that time indicate how thick Poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in the area of Flanders, France. Fields that had been barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended. During the tremendous bombardments of the war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing the “popaver rhoeas” to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and the Poppy began to disappear again. The person who first introduced the Poppy to Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War.

Every year at work/school, our grade 6 students share a speech to explain Remembrance day. They voice the importance of always remembering this sacrifice. Reading the poem “In Flanders Field” written in 1915 by John McCrae, a doctor who served with the Canadian Artillery, is a tradition in my school that actually goes back to when I was a student!

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In Flanders fields by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

*

Lest we forget,

Be wYse,

Don’t you wish you would be able to capture pictures of such perfect moments?

Sometimes you live a moment and you wish it could simply be captured so that you can re-live it.

My memory is full of moments like these. I remember them vividly in my eyes & heart.

Sometimes I would like to be able to re-live some of my best memories, but then I always end up telling myself that every true great moment is unique and lasts only once. 

As much as I would love to capture every moment,  maybe its best I don’t in order to keep making new memories and to continue cherishing them. 

Here are some quotes that capture this message (sense the pun!)

A camera is the save button for the mind’s eye -Roger Kingston

“A photograph is the pause button of life.” –unknown

“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” – Katie Thurmes

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss

Be wYse,

 

 

My favorites according to the five senses …

The sound of… 

Raindrops

A car driving on gravel

Crushing leaves during Autumn

A crackle in fire

Crisp snow

People laughing

Fast typing on the keyboard

Skates on fresh ice

*

The sight of …

Blurred city lights on a rainy night

Mesmerizing views (L’esplanade Mont-Royal is one of my favorites… I have many more and some that I am eager to discover)

A cherry blossom tree blooming

Fireworks

Ocean waves

A morning snow that covered the entire neighboorhood & that no one touched yet

A rain drop on a leaf

Children holding hands 

*

The smell of …

Freshly brewed coffee

Pizza cooked in a wooden oven

Chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven

Freshly baked bread in a bakery

A bonfire

Popcorn!

Chanel Blue (my man’s perfume!)

Mon Paris (my perfume)

Old books

Sea breeze

Freshly cut grass

*

The taste of … 

ICE CREAM! (coffee, coconut & pistachio are my favs)

Steamy hot coffee or hot chocolate

Cheesy pizza

Nutella 

Candy (fruit juice berries from Bulk Barn, coca-cola & sourpatch)

OMG’s (chocolatey peanut clusters)

*

The touch of … 

My stuffed animals (I have two : a dalmation and a beluga whale)

A velvet blanket 

Fine sand

Fresh snow

Someone you love 

*

Be wYse,