Wednesday, 30 December 2020

Heart

It is the heart always that sees, 
before the head can see. 
 - Thomas Carlyle

Monday, 28 December 2020

Poem

Let your life be a painting, 
let your life be a poem. 
 - Osho

Friday, 25 December 2020

Joy

[I]nhale every sunrise...
look under every rock for the joy life has to offer.
  - author unknown

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, 23 December 2020

Simple

Sometimes simple works. 
 - Patti Digh

Monday, 21 December 2020

Paint

Life is a great big canvas, 
and you should throw all the paint you can on it.  
- Danny Kaye

Friday, 18 December 2020

December 18, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   2020 has certainly taught (and continues to teach!) us a number of different lessons.

   For example, we’ve learnt that we can live without endless activities, and items, we thought we couldn’t live without, and that a less cluttered life can be a good thing.

   We’ve learnt how valuable time really is.  Some of us have learnt we don’t know what to do with ourselves when we suddenly have all the time we have always wish we had, and others of us have learnt new skills and fulfilled dreams with our “bonus” time.

   We’ve learnt how to adapt to the ever-changing situation.

   We’ve learnt which professions truly ARE essential to our lives.  (Personally, I’m thankful that media - especially newspapers - are considered essential, and I thank all of you for your support this past year).

   We’ve learnt that connection with others is not just important, but VITAL for health and wellbeing on all levels.

   We’ve learnt many lessons, big and small, this year, but maybe the most important one is that even the smallest gesture can make a HUGE difference, and bring cheer to another person,   

   2021 is almost upon us, and while it will be nice to say goodbye to 2020 in some respects, I think we need to hang onto the lessons we’ve learnt this year and take them with us into the new year.

   May you find some light and joy in this Christmas season!

Beth    

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WyaQxoWj1zJ2EQJlhXwXGLT3ROChiJsY/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 16 December 2020

Happiness

Happiness is love. 
Full stop. 
 - George E. Vaillant

Monday, 14 December 2020

Happy

Be happy for no reason, like a child.
  If you are happy for a reason, you are in trouble, 
because that reason can be taken from you. 
 - Deepak Chopra

Friday, 11 December 2020

Real

Evolve into one of those rare and real spirits
 who upgrade the whole world 
by the simple act of walking amongst us.  
- Robin Sharma

Wednesday, 9 December 2020

Pulse

Alternate work-rest periods to generate exponential productivity...
accomplishment is much more like a heartbeat, 
more like a rhythm, more like a pulse. 
 - Robin Sharma

Monday, 7 December 2020

Clay

Trauma can shape us like clay but the clay is our nature...
Choosing to see the positives about our whole authentic self 
can help us shape our own clay.  
- Cinnamon Cooney

Friday, 4 December 2020

December 4, 2020 Chautauqua

     

Beth's Ponderings

   Last month, I was chatting with a good friend and I expressed how UNBELIEVABLE it has been that I was doing so much this year - the garden labyrinth, biking, and other big projects - and how some of the projects came together so quickly and easily.  My friend replied that it wasn’t unbelievable, as I was always capable of doing all these activities all along, I just needed to make the decision and take action.

   Now, I totally agree that nothing happens in our lives unless we decide to do it, and then do whatever actions we need to do to make it become a reality.  However, in my case, that wasn’t exactly true.

   In the past, I have had numerous ideas and plans, and I have even gotten to the point of starting them, and in some select cases, I had progressed quite far along in the process, and despite lots of determination, I was never able to follow through to complete the projects or tasks. 

   I wasn’t scared to finish, nor had I just lost interest in what I was doing (which can be standard responses), rather I did not have the health to actually finish the project.  No matter how much I wanted to accomplish whatever it was, I was held back by circumstances I couldn’t control.

   Now, yes, I have managed in the past few years to complete some desires and dreams, but they were low-energy ones, so it didn’t matter if I felt healthy or not, I was still able to plug away and see some results.

   This year, though, has been different.  Projects and dreams were not only started, but, more importantly, are now being finished!  By the time you read this, I will have self-published a 40-page chapbook of the original “View From My Window” columns, as well as two 50-card wisdom decks of proverbs!  If you would like more information, or to purchase, please contact me (contact info below).  And I have more projects that will hopefully be completed soon.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yEmrzI-Nfr1fzos-4Poo45bRbmQgVKt2/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 2 December 2020

Growth

Growth happens in the resting phase – 
not in the performing stage. 
 - Robin Sharma

Monday, 30 November 2020

Creativity

Creativity is experimenting, growing, taking risks, 
breaking rules...and having fun. 
 - Mary Lou Cook

Friday, 27 November 2020

Fit

[Be] able to choose to fit in without having to give in.
  - Wayne Dyer

Wednesday, 25 November 2020

Happiness

Happiness is really just about four things:
 perceived control, perceived progress, 
connectedness (number and depth of your relationships), 
and vision/meaning (being part of something bigger than yourself). 
 - Tony Hsieh

Monday, 23 November 2020

Define

You define yourself;
don’t let other people define you. 
 - Judge Judy Sheindlin

Friday, 20 November 2020

November 20, 2020 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings

   Well, the snowfall sure put a kibosh on my daily biking, but I really can’t complain, as any biking this year was such a huge bonus.

   My totals this year were: 274.5 kms (or roughly the distance between Mirror and Black Diamond, AB) and I biked EVERY SINGLE DAY for 18 consecutive weeks!  (It was rather hit and miss for the weeks before that)

   Another milestone I recently hit, was that on November 5th, I celebrated my 200th consecutive daily creative activity for the year-long mentorship program I belong to.

   While those numbers look impressive NOW, they are the accumulation of one SMALL (almost insignificant) step made every single day.

   I was only biking 1.5 kms each day, so not going very far at all, but each time I went out added to the total.  My daily drawing/creative practice is usually less than 10 minutes, but each day adds to the total.

   We often think we need huge chunks of time to accomplish a task, or a dream, but we just need consistent small steps made over and over.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vZjEScla5U9rWq5Bvgwn9PK6ngJ6gLbM/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Choice

When faced with a choice, always choose the one that 
pushes you the most, increases your growth and 
promotes the unfoldment of your gifts, talents and personal prowess. 
 - Robin Sharma

Monday, 16 November 2020

Place

Live in...that powerful place 
where the past, present, and future become one...
you can learn from the past, harness the energy of the present, 
and envision the future. 
 - Kimberly Friedmutter

Friday, 13 November 2020

Live

Science is proving that man can live in outer space
 and at the bottom of the sea. 
 It’s the area in between that’s causing all the problems. 
 - Author Unknown

Wednesday, 11 November 2020

Remember

Life is not what one has lived
 but what one remembers 
and how one remembers in order to recount it. 
 - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Monday, 9 November 2020

SOS

SOS = self, others, spirit 
 - Amy Elizabeth Gordon

Friday, 6 November 2020

November 6, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

      Ever forget how to spell a word?  Not just any word, but a really simple common word?

   That happened to me the other day.  I can’t remember now what the word was, but I can tell you it had less than 6 letters, and was one I tend to use a lot, but at the moment I needed it, I could not remember how it was spelt at all!

   When that would happen to me as a child, my mom would always tell me to just go look it up in the dictionary, which used to bug me to no end, because if I knew how to spell the word enough to look it up, I wouldn’t need to look it up! 

   Sounding out the word didn’t always help either.  I confess, that in high school once I completely blanked on how to spell “is” and sounding it out SHOULD have worked to help me figure it out, but it didn’t.  Ever try getting a school teacher to tell you how to spell “is” - trust me, it’s pretty much impossible because they don’t believe you!

   Thankfully, we have technology now that will tell you how to spell a word when you speak to it, and it doesn’t care that you can’t spell the word, or tell you to go look it up.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ffbVNgSn1F-L1HKsfabERSU-leHEFiZU/view?usp=sharing

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Wednesday, 4 November 2020

Idleness

Work is not always required..
.there is such a thing as sacred idleness, 
the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.
  - George Macdonald

Monday, 2 November 2020

Less

The less you do, the less you control;
 the simpler and quieter you get, the more magically gets done; 
and the greater your sense of safety,
 the more abundant and rich your life experience.
  - Kelly Brogan

Friday, 30 October 2020

Confidence

Confidence is just the memory of success.
- Author Unknown 

Wednesday, 28 October 2020

Obsolete

You never change things by fighting the existing reality.  
To change something, build a new model 
that makes the existing model obsolete. 
 - R. Buckminster Fuller

Monday, 26 October 2020

Progress

Progress is impossible without change,
 and those who cannot change their minds
 cannot change anything. 
 - George Bernard Shaw

Friday, 23 October 2020

Direction

I find the great thing in this world
 is not so much where we stand 
as in what direction we are moving. 
 - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Wednesday, 21 October 2020

Done

The things we really want to do pretty much get done.  
And the things we do not want to do pretty much do not get done. 
 - Sam Bennett

Monday, 19 October 2020

Motion

A body in motion puts the mind in motion. 
 - Sam Bennett

Friday, 16 October 2020

October 16, 2020 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings

   I was recently listening to an online workshop for writers, and one of the tips they gave was that writers should “cross-train,” meaning that writers should take up dancing or painting or playing a musical instrument or other creative activity to help enrich their writing.

   My initial thought when I heard that was, 1. why do we need to label it cross-training, and 2. a good writer is usually very creative in other areas so shouldn’t need to be told to add more creativity to their lives.

   As a society we have swung the pendulum so far to the extreme that we not only have to label everything and everyone, but we have to “specialize” in whatever our interests are. 

   Now there are, hard to believe, people out there who love to be put in a specific box.  I think it’s because they then have a really good excuse for not trying anything new, or doing something that would cause them to feel like a beginner.  “Oh, I can’t paint, because I’m a writer.”  Or, “I’m sorry, I’m an artist, I don’t dance.”

   How silly!  We are humans, which means we’re curious, we’re attracted to new experiences (even if, or because, they are a bit scary), and we like to try/do lots of different things. 

   We all know how monotonous life can get if we have to do the same task over and over and over again.  So why do we think that our creative expressions have to be in only one form?

   Now, I am someone who resists labels and being put in a specific box.  I don’t even really like the labels multi-faceted or multi-disciplinary as they still are limiting people in a way.  I am a human with many interests, and many ways of expressing those interests - which shouldn’t make me different from the norm, but means I AM the norm, as that describes all of us.

   We’ve all, at some point, seen young children playing.  Unless, an adult interferes, they are all over the place - running, skipping, singing, drawing, acting, painting, exploring, and more.  We need to stop labelling ourselves and reclaim that child-like freedom of expression.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IAeUA1phijZ4hPbBKNfuG3jxHDbx59hE/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 14 October 2020

Freedom

Give me the discipline to get rid of the stuff that’s not important, 
the freedom to savor the stuff that gives me joy, 
and the patience not to worry about the stuff that’s messy 
but not hurting anybody.
 - Vinita Hampton Wright

Monday, 12 October 2020

Apples

Creative people create things the way apple trees make apples...
offered freely and without expectation of approval. 
 - Sam Bennett

Friday, 9 October 2020

Words

What comes out of your mouth comes into your life 
so choose your words wisely. 
 - Jen Sincero

Wednesday, 7 October 2020

Flow

Success comes from being in the flow, 
not forcing it till it breaks. 
 - Jen Sincero

Monday, 5 October 2020

Coincidence

So-called coincidence might then just be an
 alignment of forces fitting together in flawless harmony...
what catches our attention might be more than a coincidence. 
 - Wayne Dyer

Friday, 2 October 2020

October 2, 2020 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings

  I was not going to write about this, but it has been coming up more and more, especially in the past two weeks, among various people I am connected with, closely and distantly.

   The issue is being happy/joyful and celebrating during these “dark times” (aka COVID 2020). 

   Some people feel that it is shameful, and feel deep guilt, because they have had something good happen in their lives that they want to celebrate, or something that they are truly thankful for that brings them joy.  That is so wrong!

   I have been told by well-meaning people that we can’t celebrate because there is so much darkness in the world, and we have to let others know all about that darkness.

   I’m here to tell you, people ALREADY KNOW it’s dark as there is darkness, of some form, in everyone’s lives.  Now, the darkness I experience may not be the exact same darkness you experience, but we’re all experiencing darkness in some way.

   The most important thing to remember is that darkness does not go away by adding more darkness - ie figuratively turning off the lights.  That just creates darker darkness.  Being doom-and-gloomy, sad, guilty, shameful, scared, angry, or whatever mix of emotions may be brewing, is not doing anything to change the dark at all, except create more.

   Darkness can only be removed by adding light.  Even light as small as a match flame, a candle flame, a lighter flame, or a penlight can chase away the dark.

   So, we should be doing everything we can to add MORE LIGHT to the situation, and in particular, this year.  We should be celebrating as much as we can, and we should totally be focusing with gratitude on the moments and situations that bring us great joy. 

   Susan B. Warner penned the following in 1864, “Like a little candle burning in the night;/In this world of darkness, we must shine,/You in your small corner, and I in mine.”  A sentiment that is still true today.

   So be as joyful and grateful as you can, and share your light.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aa13H4GyV2U6i0Qk6bYVX2oePAvmOf4_/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

Systems

If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. 
 Focus on your system instead...Goals re good for setting a direction,
 but systems are best for making progress...
True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. 
 - James Clear 

Monday, 28 September 2020

Habits

Habits...are not about having something.  
They are about becoming someone...
you become your habits.  
- James Clear

Friday, 25 September 2020

Opportunity

Genes do not determine your destiny.  
They determine your areas of opportunity.  
- James Clear

Wednesday, 23 September 2020

Work

Work hard on the things that come easy.  
- James Clear

Monday, 21 September 2020

Carrying On

Sometimes carrying on, just carrying on, 
is the superhuman achievement.  
- Albert Camus

Friday, 18 September 2020

September 18, 2020 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings


   I have GREAT news!!!!  It is official!!! I am no longer hanging onto life by a thin microscopic thread that is rapidly fraying...I am fully back in the land of the living!!!!!! 


   I’m not healthy yet (drat!), but definitely getting much closer.  That light at the end of the tunnel that kept taunting me by staying just out of my reach is getting brighter and brighter.


   By the time you read this, it will be just shy of one full year since Doug Murphy of Home Water Systems** installed a water softener and reverse osmosis unit in my house for a 30-Day Free Trial.


   I knew at the time that I desperately needed to do something as I had just found out the month previous that it was the tap water that was causing my health issues, but I had no idea where to even start, and a chance conversation led to my contact with Home Water Systems.  (Full disclosure, Doug’s mother-in-law is a long-time family friend who has known me literally since I was born).


   Unfortunately, because my health was so compromised, 30 days was simply not long enough to notice any difference in how I felt, but the pleasure of having water that I could drink without throwing it up was worth getting the system.


   There were massive improvements, however they were so slow that I didn’t always notice them right away.  I started gaining weight.  I had enough energy/stamina to do the paper deliveries myself again.  I created the labyrinth in the garden this year.  Also, after more than 10 years (and maybe longer) I started biking again, and as of September 6th I have biked a total of 178.5 kms (1.5 km/day) and biked daily for 9 straight weeks! 


   At my live blood analysis appointment on August 28, the improvement in my blood was undeniable.  Just as it was undeniable any more that it was the tap water that has been killing me.     If you have health challenges, improving the water you ingest and wash in, could help make a difference.


** Doug Murphy: Home Water Systems Inc, Edmonton 780-421-7776


Beth    


Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Virtue

Wisdom is knowing who to be and what to do in a given situation; 
virtue is acting on that wisdom. 
 - Brendon Burchard

Monday, 14 September 2020

Freedom

When you have the freedom to make mistakes,
 you’re unstoppable. 
 - Jessica Ortner

Friday, 11 September 2020

Progress

Sometimes you need to slow down in order to make progress.
  - Author Unknown

Wednesday, 9 September 2020

Work In Progress

You are a work in progress.  
Enjoy the unfolding of your life. 
 - Rachel & Richard Heller

Monday, 7 September 2020

Comfortable

We think we want to be wealthy, attractive, intelligent, talented – 
but really, don’t you just want to be yourself, 
comfortable in your own skin?  
- Kelly Brogan

Friday, 4 September 2020

September 4, 2020 Chautauqua



Beth's Ponderings

   Last month, I was chatting with a friend who has been really struggling of late.  She is being coached by a fabulous person who is, of course, encouraging my friend to stretch and grow out of her comfort zone.

   My friend was struggling because she was trying really hard to stretch and grow in areas that didn’t feel like the right fit to her, and were in a style that she found very difficult to accomplish, but she wasn’t saying anything to her coach because she was paying for the coach’s wisdom and expertise, and thus was going along with the suggestions, even though they were really stressing her out.

   I pointed out that “stretching and growing doesn’t mean we need to completely change who we are, but rather, we amplify and expand what we already do best into other areas of our lives.”

   I could almost see the lightbulb go off above my friend’s head as that realization sunk in.  (Side note: I love blowing people’s minds with the right observation shared at the right time!) 

   So instead of trying to stretch herself into areas that she had no desire or inclination to stretch in, we brainstormed for over 2 hours how she could stretch and grow in areas of her life where she already excels - and is more than ready to take to the next level - and where she can take what she already knows and does with ease and apply in a completely different way to other projects outside of what she is already familiar with.  She immediately felt less stress, and was suddenly bursting with enthusiasm, and even more ideas to share with her coach.

   What do you do incredibly well, that you can do even better in another area of life?

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s8w2HZDax9OWhB02I5-__scRRQfYx6r9/view?usp=sharing

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 2 September 2020

Yes

Our task 
is to say a holy yes to the real things of our life 
as they exist.  
- Natalie Goldberg

Monday, 31 August 2020

Simplicities

Year by year the complexities of this spinning world grow more bewildering 
and so each year we need all the more
 to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities.  
- Woman’s Home Companion, December 1935

Friday, 28 August 2020

Joy

People need joy as much as clothing. 
 Some of them need it far more.  
- Margaret Collier Graham

Wednesday, 26 August 2020

Accept

Everything in life that we really accept 
undergoes a change.  
- Katherine Mansfield

Monday, 24 August 2020

You

More you is better.  
- James-Olivia Chu Hillman

Friday, 21 August 2020

August 21, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   My life has gotten a little crazy of late!


   Due to changes with Google and Blogger, the online back issues of The Chautauqua temporarily unavailable. 


   Now, this is mostly my fault (to be completely honest) because I was too sick at the time I was given the heads up that the changes were going to be happening, and figured I had lots of time to deal with it (when I hopefully felt more like dealing with it) and now time has, unfortunately, run out.


   Please be patient, and hopefully (fingers crossed), I will have them all available again by the end of August, or the first part of September.


   In other news, I have another step completed on my summer labyrinth project!  The rocks are all bordering the path now.  Special thanks to Shannon Quapp for getting me permission to access a farmer’s rock pile (and HUGE thanks to the farmer!), and to my neighbours Grady and Woody for their help loading/unloading the rocks.  I even managed to load and unload a truck full ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!  Now that the rocks are in place, I can see where the path needs widened, so that will be the next step - after some of the garden produce has been harvested. 


   It has been a dream of mine to have a labyrinth in the yard for years, and I am still amazed that it has happened so quickly this year.


Beth


Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1myOXJA7fwAo65OLvCPIRr8uYNyVD3T4B/view?usp=sharing


Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 19 August 2020

Back

Sometimes a person has to go back, really back –
to have a sense, an understanding of all that’s gone to make them – 
before they can go forward.
  - Paule Marshall

Monday, 17 August 2020

Revise

It’s never to late – in fiction or in life – to revise. 
 - Nancy Thayer

Friday, 14 August 2020

Energy

Discontent and disorder [are] signs of energy and hope, 
not of despair.  

- Dame Cicely Veronica Wedgewood

Wednesday, 12 August 2020

Plan B

 Success in life is not how well we execute Plan A;
 it’s how smoothly we cope with Plan B.

- Sarah Ban Breathnach


Monday, 10 August 2020

Harder

If you’re not getting the results you desire, 
figure out what you can do differently 
instead of pushing harder.
 - Jen Sincero

Friday, 7 August 2020

August 7, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least.  We are making changes and adjustments to the way we live our lives on so many levels, and in so many areas.  Some changes have been very challenging, and some have been surprisingly easy.  Some of these changes will probably be around longer than we want, while some changes may only be temporary.

   In my life, as I’ve been getting healthier and physically stronger, I decided to see if I could bike again.  I used to bike all over Mirror, and just outside of town, as a teen and young adult.  My current bike was a birthday present 10 years ago and was basically parked for all those 10 years.  After getting the tires repaired, I have been out almost every morning, since mid-May, biking a 1.5 km loop.  I did miss a couple days due to heavy rain, and one day I was too sick to get out of bed.  Now, Mirror is a unique community as it doesn’t matter what direction you go, you are mostly going uphill, with very little downhill!

   Also, I have started putting rocks along my garden labyrinth path - with the wonderful help of a neighbour - and I have managed to move a LOT of 10 - 15 lb rocks!  Physical activity that has been totally inconceivable in my life for literally decades!


   So, yes, there have been many changes.  We need to accept with grace the ones we can’t change, and celebrate all the good ones.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua28/home/August%207%2C%202020%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 5 August 2020

NOW

NOW = Never Over Whelmed 
 - Jen Sincero

Monday, 3 August 2020

Make-believe

Our realities are make-believe – 
whatever we make ourselves believe, we experience.
  - Jen Sincero

Friday, 31 July 2020

Live

If you want to live a life you’ve never lived, 
you have to do things you’ve never done.
  - Jen Sincero

Wednesday, 29 July 2020

Hold

It’s impossible to hold onto the past 
and seize the day at the same time. 
 - Jen Sincero

Monday, 27 July 2020

Bend

Often when we lose hope and think this is the end...
[remember]...it's just a bend, not the end! 
 - author unknown

Friday, 24 July 2020

Today

Today is a most unusual day, 
because we have never lived it before; 
we will never live it again; 
it is the only day we have.  
 ~William Arthur Ward

Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Pencil

The average pencil is seven inches long,
 with just a half-inch eraser –
 in case you thought optimism was dead.
 ~ Robert Brault

Monday, 20 July 2020

Order

Chaos is the law of nature.  
Order is the dream of man. 
 - Wallace Stegner

Friday, 17 July 2020

July 17, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   There have been so many new norms we are living with as a result of the pandemic.

   One of the more controversial recommendations is the wearing of non-medical masks, and whether they should be mandatory.

   While I believe there are some individuals who require masks, and situations where they are necessary, I disagree with mandatory mask wearing in public, and my main reasons are:

    • humans tend to relax their vigilance when they think they are “safe” due to perceived safety features, and take more risks and stop social distancing which we know is effective  If people think there is a risk, they act with more caution and common sense.

    • too many people don’t wear masks properly and tend to touch them and remove them numerous times (ie to adjust the fit or touch their face or to speak to others) totally negating the safety aspect.

    • also, masks are not meant to be worn long-term and should be changed often, and that is not always feasible for people when out.

   Making mask wearing mandatory (without extensive supplies, and proper usage education) will not make any of us safer or healthier.  On the other hand washing (with soap and water, not hand sanitizing) and social distancing DO work.


* my garden labyrinth (below) Just needs weeded now! Thanks to my next door neighbour for taking the picture.   


Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua28/home/July%2017%2C%202020%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Know

Accept that you don’t have to know 
how to do what you don’t know how to do yet, 
and that the Universe will lead the way. 
 - Jen Sincero

Monday, 13 July 2020

You

You were made to be the you that is you, 
and there is no wrong way to be you 
because even if you are trying to be someone else, 
you are always being you. 
 - Jen Sincero

Friday, 10 July 2020

I...We...You

If anything goes bad, I did it.
If anything goes semi-good, we did it. 
If anything goes really good, then you did it.
  - Paul “Bear” Bryant

Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Done

If you’ve done it, it ain’t braggin.’ 
- Author Unknown

Monday, 6 July 2020

Wrong

When you are doing something wrong, 
doing it more intensely isn’t going to help. 
 - Vince Lombardi

Friday, 3 July 2020

July 3, 2020 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   I belong to a year-long women’s mentorship program, and is often the case with women, the issue of (negative) body image came up at one point.

   I wanted to share a slightly different perspective on body acceptance in the group, so shared a more personal (and emotionally raw and vulnerable) version of this…

   “Unlike the majority of women, I have been underweight my whole life. It got significantly worse following my physical collapse 7 years ago as I lost 25 pounds (as we tried to figure out what food was causing the problems) I did not really have in excess to lose! So, I was down to 105 pounds and desperately trying to GAIN weight to no avail.

   Last Fall when we finally discovered it was the tap water making me sick most of my life, and I got the reverse osmosis unit, I started to gain weight! I had people coming up to me and congratulating me on my weight gain, and I said I was probably the only woman who was cheering and giving friends updates on how many pounds I had gained. Just over 8 months later, I am now 150 pounds!!!

   Buying clothes has always been a challenge for me.  I was looking at clothes with a friend once.  She suggested an outfit and I told her “if it looks awesome on the hanger, it will probably look great on me.” She freaked thinking I was putting myself down, but that’s the type of figure I had - clothes hung on me the same as they did on a hanger.

   Now...I have curves I’ve never had in my entire life! My clothes actually fit.  I do double-takes when I walk by a mirror, see a picture of myself, and even when I get undressed...this body - while it feels good  and healthier - LOOKS so foreign to what I am used to.”


   No matter what the issue is that we are personally faced with, or conversely, personally avoiding facing, our society is geared to the majority.  And while, there are benefits to that - just imagine the absolute chaos and confusion if we had to include every possible option or configuration to cover every possible scenario or outcome - we must remember that, ultimately, EVERYONE is NOT the majority.

Beth

Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://sites.google.com/site/thechautauqua28/home/July%203%2C%202020%20Chautauqua.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

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