My Pups!

I love my

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dogs. Luga, Cooter and Baron... There really is nothing better than their unconditional love... I am attempting to put a few pics of them on...

Christian?

Well the other day, I was on Face Book, farming on Farm Town and just checking the homepage now and again, to see where I can get some work in on the farm, and low and behold a post reads..."How can a person say they are Christian when they don't act like one." so, I asked, "what does a Christian act like? I knew what her answer would be but apparently I opened a "can of worms". Why a can of worms? I sincerely wanted to know her answer? I think I opened "a jar of hearts" people with compassion and with love. I didn't mean to start a riot. BUT, that's religion for you, it causes arguments and fights. I am a good person, and I am not a "Christian" I believe we are all human beings first. We all feel, bleed, live and die. I wish everyone would just be a "human" without all the extra religion. Be nice, be sometimes not so nice. We will never be perfect. We should never feel we have to live up to another human being. I just believe that if anyone ever brings up the subject of religion, there is an argument. There shouldn't be. I believe the secret of a happy life is to do for others, in whatever capacity that may be. If anyone ever sees this, please bring your "jar of hearts" and open it, okay? Thanks, and have a great day.

Home again Home again...safe at last.

I've just come back from a trip to Ottawa, and have had a great time. The girls came with me because heaven forbid we would go somewhere warm because my poor baby Devan..couldn't. Bill stayed with him.

They actually have 4 bead stores there!! Two that I loved like cRaZy!!!!! The other one was moving and the fourth one, I didn't have much time to peruse... Sharon and I took a class that was so much fun!

One day Sharon took me into downtown Ottawa.. OH MY!!!! The parliament buildings were absolutely gorgeous!! They went on for blocks and blocks! Pictures just do not do them justice..not at all. 'Course you have to love old buildings to truly appreciate them. The only problem was all the darn construction EVERYWHERE.

Sharon lives in Carleton Place. It is as if the town is split into two. The very old, and the shopping stores area. Most of the old buildings are red brick, which I love. So many are close to the street, which is kind of odd. There is an old mill there that was made into condos. It is on the Mississippi River, not THAT Mississippi River. It is a wonderful old building. Her daughter's school is also on the river...what a few for daydreaming!

We spent ten days there and 7 hours in the Montreal airport coming home. The trip was fun, the airport, not so much...

It's good to be home. Devan loved his Rugby ball! YES! One home run for the momma!

God? Look within...

So this morning I am perusing the blogs on here and every single one is about God and his teachings. Oh Boy. Not for me. I find my own God inside of me. I don't belong to a church. I don't need a place to go and worship, nor do I want to be around any hypocrisy that comes along with being part of a group. So many problems stem from organized religion and that makes me sad and it makes me angry. The only rules to remember are "what goes around comes around, ten fold" and "be nice and you get nice back". If you don't, then they are not worth the salt in your tears.
I love to read old newspapers. I mean really old, over 100 years old... Interestingly enough, human nature stays the same. Too bad. Over time, of course, technology has changed and morals have changed.
One thing I have always believed is the secret to happiness is "helping others". There really are so many ways to do that, but most importantly, it has to be given from within, and without expecting anything in return. I am still learning.....

Beads

I love beads. I have never in all my life been so obsessed with anything. I only wish I had more time to create. Of course I need the imagination to go along with any creation I might do! I love crystals, real silver, gem stones, anything green, blue, white, cream, brown, purple, yellow...yes, just about any color. Size? from the teeniest to the largest bead, I love them all. I lift them to the light, and hold them to feel their coolness in my hand. Glass, pearl, crystals, metal, seeds..love them all :) I love bead weaving, peyote, herringbone, and stringing. Okay, I have to say, I am not really crazy about plastic beads, their I said it... :( haha.

There are good days and bad days. This is one of them.

It's sort of a strange day today. It's one of those days where I don't want to talk or to see anyone. Some people would call that depression I guess. I just feel aggravated for absolutely no reason. Funny writing these things and knowing that I will never send this to anyone I know. I was told once to never write anything you don't want someone else to read. Here, in internet space, not a soul will care what I say. I am good with that, but I'm sure there are so many people out there who really need someone to listen and to care. In my life, for the most part, I have always felt I was on the outside looking in. Like Heathcliff watching Kathy. I don't feel that way so much any more. There is always lots of action. Kids coming and going. It makes me sad to think that it will change one day. There will be no more giggling, no more racing up the stairs, no more drama. Maybe.

A to Z

A is for Alida, my beautiful redheaded daughter.

B is for Bill, my Bill....okay okay his name is really William but I have never called him Willy or Will or Billy for that matter, just Bill.

C is for Claire of course, Mairsy Dotes, my daughter, my sweet baby!

D is for Devan, my favorite boy, first born, boy I miss him as a little guy.

E is for Everyone above is my immediate family.

F is for the fun I can't quite grasp anymore.

G is for Grandma and Grampa, whom without, I would have no extended family who were around, that cared anyway.

H is for Hughes, not Howard.

I is for peace. Irene = peace, gotcha!

J is for Joyfully we roll along and along and along....

K is for Knights in Shining Armour. Camelot, King Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinivere and Richard Harris.

L is for Love, of course....Love is a beautiful song lalalalalalaaaaa

M is for Mother. Mine. God, I miss her.

N is for night time. When I hurt.

O is for Oh quit complaining already Miss Joyful! You have no one to blame but yourself.

P is for Pity. Have your own pity party, cuz no one will show up, then get up and sing. Loud, of course.

Q is for the quiet that never happens around here because that is when I want to hear the music. Loud, of course.

R is for really I ought to get a life outside of Farmville!!! Oh wait!! I am. Life should be this simple for more people.

S is for those simple things in life, that I for one, am able to hear, see, smell, touch and taste...yum! How fortunate I am.

T is for the Time I am given on this earth before this second and after.

U is for Until the End of Time...good song!

V is for vivacious!! Nice word. Nice feeling I'm sure. Not the first thing I thought, but it will do.

W is for winsome: "generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence" I have this! Still. Somewhere inside of me.

X is a letter that should not be in the alphabet.

Y is for Yours Truly, from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or is it, Truly Yours?

Z is for saying it the American way all my life...being a Canadian and all.

Joyfully Life Rolls Along

So I begin my blog with the intention of keeping things happy, like my name, Joy. Irene is my middle name which means "peace" Joy and peace. I should have been born on Christmas. I guess January is close enough. I hated having my birthday in the winter, but now, considering the alternative? I am glad to be having a birthday at all!!!

Turning 50 in 2009 was not so easy. I feel old. Those that are 60 and up tell me I am still young. Young? It is not what I see when I look in the mirror. Young, is not what I feel when I lie in bed at night, trying to sleep and not being able to, because I hurt.
Oh WAIT!! Young IS what I feel when I listen to my music!! Ahhhh music is my God. Life is better because of music. I like to walk to music, fold laundry to music, sing to music (duh), dance by myself to music, bead (my other best friend) to music, fold laundry to music, clean the kitchen to music, drive to music. Music is my best friend.... I love music from The Ink Spots to AC/DC. There is nothing better than a beautiful voice. I find myself continually looking for "that" song that makes me feel. That song that moves me. That song that evokes memories and makes me cry. The one that sends shivers down my spine and makes me giggle inside with glee. The louder it is, the better I feel it, the better I like it. My love of music started when my mother took me to "The Sound of Music" Ohhhh how I LOVED Maria!! Then she took me to Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!! I was in my glory! How joyful Joy felt! Music affects my everyday life. I hum, I whistle, I sing, a few words from someone, reminds me of a song. Well, that's life! Frank Sinatra sang that didn't he?