Life and Random Thinking

My blog is 9 years old! Wow that was fast !

Posted on November 4, 2019 by dfolstad58

I was surprised by an email from WordPress which did congratulate me for having this blog 9 years. Wow! The time went quickly and in mentioning it to another blogger, she suggested I do a post on what have I learned in that time.

Nine years ago I launched this blog because of the passing of my Aunt Eleanor, and I decided to write about her, and how special she was. I had no idea I would still be writing 9 years later.

I think at the beginning I thought blogging was a bit like launching signals into space, and hoping someone heard you, and besides that I didn’t know what to anticipate.

I wonder if a quote from Captain Kirk would be appropriate –

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. – Star Trek

Thankfully somehow I was noticed, other bloggers encouraged me and quickly I met online many amazing bloggers.

Most of my blogging time is actually visiting other bloggers, and commenting. Blogging posts are so varied, and so are the bloggers but they all have one thing in common, they have opened a window to their lives. They are a varied group of writers, and many of them spend long hours to create posts that are amazing.

In opening a window to my life to other bloggers and readers – I have benefited. I have benefited via laughter, learning, inspiration, and sharing.

I have also tried to return the encouragement and helpful comments to fellow writers.

In the beginning I was writing a blog, but 9 years later I feel like part of a community.

Nine years already? That was fast!

Looking north over Okanagan lake along with a path that leads…..?

There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after. `~J.R.R. Tolkien

Posted in Just being creative | 21 Comments

An opportunity comes once a Year !

Posted on November 1, 2019 by dfolstad58

I want to combine a link to another blog to the thoughts I have had recently about birthdays. THE LINK IS AT THE END.

Continue reading →

Posted in family, Thinking Out loud | 6 Comments

Tongue-Tied (almost) Tuesday

Posted on October 22, 2019 by dfolstad58

In the last few days I have been walking along both the north end (Okanagan Lake side) and the south end (Skaha Lake side) of Penticton.

When I walk I inevitably stop and take pictures, I don’t listen to music, and so I am concentrating on my own thoughts and the scenery around me. The scenery is often seagulls and other strollers at Okanagan lake. The last few days it has looked very nice and so I had to snap a few.

Today at Skaha Lake it included some people picnicking in the 14 degree C heat! It was really looking good, and the lake still looks tempting for a dip. There was also a senior on a slack line (I hope that’s correct, it looked like about 7 cm wide) and he was bouncing off and just jumping back on and walking again on the line. He was super fit !

I guess I wasn’t so tongue-tied after all. I hope you enjoy this post.

A quote for today; Samuel Butler 1835-1902

“All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.”

: Okanagan Lake promenade

: the leaves remind me of apricots

: Just me & my shadow – OK lake

: Morning light at Ok lake

: This senior on the slack line was awesome

: Today Skaha Lake was looking good

: rubber path not concrete on this section of promenade

: Skaha Lake again

Posted in Just being creative, okanagan related | Tagged autumn, light, Okanagan lake, photos, skaha lake, tongue tied, walk | 38 Comments

Nature is kind in October

Posted on October 20, 2019 by dfolstad58

I don’t know what the weather is like in October where you (kind reader) live, but Mother Nature has been kind here in the first month of autumn.

My son David, working in the yard, soaking in the sun, while doing some pruning and removing all the sunflowers. He has done a fantastic job this year!

Autumn began September 23 and my last swim in Okanagan lake was September 24. Few brave souls other than my son braved the lake that day.

As the month has progressed, we have felt the colder nights, and the changing colour of the leaves.

Bike riding in the mornings has had to be modified also, I taped over the air flow holes in my bike helmet and wear a face toque on the cooler mornings and gloves for my hands of course.

Still the leaves are beautiful at this time of year, as they turn red or golden. Gradually they fall from the trees and have to be raked up, I will soon have lots of leaves to rake from my cherry and plum trees along with the leaves that blow from elsewhere of course.

This October autumn has been kind, it was too sunny and warm yesterday to wear gloves walking . The signs of change are there, there is snow in the mountain passes already.

No matter, because sometime after the snow falls in this valley, and we endure the long dark days of winter; spring will arrive and along with it the new leaves and the optimism of spring.

I realize I said endure winter but I like winter also. Walks when there is snow on the ground have a special silence, and we have snow shoes, and on a sunny day walking on the snow is a delight.

I do confess that December 23 or so when it’s the longest darkest day, I do a little snoopy dance and think to myself – I’m over the hump! Every day gets longer now!

But right now as I look ahead, I know November will bring frost on the car windows, and I will be remembering how kind weather was in October.

Thanks for visiting, I look forward to comments.

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Posted in family, okanagan related, Thinking Out loud | Tagged bonfire, fire, kind, Lake, leaves, October, Okanagan, seasons, weather, winter | 27 Comments

In the News; Against All Odds

Posted on October 15, 2019 by dfolstad58

Last September, after I restarted dialysis after about 31 years with my kidney transplant from July 1987, I wanted to raise awareness about organ donation.

That lead to my calling the Penticton Western newspaper, and a reporter interviewing me and printing a story in the paper showing me on dialysis.

Now it’s nearly six months since my April 24, 2019 surgery and I decided to call the Penticton Western newspaper again so they could do a followup report.

October 11, 2019 – appropriately close to Thanksgiving, this is the story that they printed.

You can read here or below. Continue reading →

Posted in FAVORITE POSTS - A Few of them ♥, health, okanagan related | Tagged 32, freedom, hope, kidney transplant, odds, overcome, Penticton, report, Transplant, travel, Western | 26 Comments

Cake around the corner !

Posted on October 12, 2019 by dfolstad58

A few days ago I posted a post called Pass The Muffin ! with photos which could have been confusing, because the pictures from my 60th birthday in 2018 as in last year. 🙂

What a different situation it was last October. After more than 30 years my kidney transplant had failed and I had succumbed again to relying on dialysis 3 times a week, 4 hours each time, in order to stay alive. That sad change was just before my birthday last year and so I asked for a special birthday celebration in 2018. It could have a somber birthday but it wasn’t.

Last October, what a wonderful amazing group of friends from hither and yon came! Amazing people, they boosted my spirits exactly how I needed it. What medicine for me that was!

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October 7, 2019

I’m almost six months post transplant which was April 24. 2019 and I celebrated in a different way. I only had muffins on the 7th, but I have it on good authority that CAKE is on the way this weekend !

Not being able to go more than a few days without dialysis meant last year I couldn’t go far, so this year and feeling so much better I wanted to celebrate my health by going away.

5693103 Away we did go, to Sooke, BC. (click here to learn about Sooke), it involved a day of driving from the Okanagan valley where I live, to the west coast and Vancouver, BC. The next step was a 1 hour 45 minute ferry trip to Vancouver Island.

We still had about a two hour drive and groceries to buy because we were staying where the rainforest met the sea in East Sooke, trees and moss behind us, and the Juan de Fuca strait in front of us (no stores). We stayed at Sookepointe, click here if you want to learn more about the location.

kinder-morgan-tug-escort-map

We were on the extreme southwestern tip of Vancouver island, and the view from our deck was awesome.

To the west we could look into the harbour of Sooke, and see seals swimming along, boats entering and exiting as they headed out to fish, and to the south we watched freighters slowly exit or enter the strait. You can see in the map how far we are below the Canada/USA border.

If you imagining ocean and a panoramic view, along with a warm fireplace, you have got it! Salty air, the sound of waves on the rocks, playing crib and a short holiday – very cool.

This was a wonderful memory created this year with my Dad, my son Dave, my wife Sue.

The cake is coming that is true but having my health back, and freedom is the best present ever.

Huge thank you to all my readers, and your encouraging comments and ongoing support – hugs ! I hope you enjoyed this post.