2012's foggy end

Though the sun was out in town, the Fraser River at Derby Reach was swathed in fog on Sunday when we took our walk. Still, we could see a little—this sea gull sitting on the roots of the giant tree that came down in spring's flood and is now beached on the gravel foreshore ....

these pilings, mirrored in the placid water

and this valiant little tugboat, dwarfed by the loaded barge of sawdust it's pulling.

merry christmas!

Our manger scene with its hand-carved wooden figures and motley collection of angels

"Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14 - NKJV)

Wishing all who read here a blessed and merry Christmas!

lights

Gifts that glow

These lit-up gift decorations in the foyer of Andreas Restaurant caught my eye after lunch on Sunday. While hubby paid I took a few photos.

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week (January 3): AIRCRAFT (Airplane, Jet, Helicopter, Radio Controlled, Toys, Vapour Trails,...)

good

This musical and dramatic production was very good!

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week:  Light (Photos of beautiful light, reflecting, shining through, colourful,...)

signs

Sign in the parking lot of St. Michael's Church - Chemainus B.C.

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: GOOD (Anything you think is good...)

bottle

Milk bottles - the kind milkmen used to deliver to houses around town

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Thursday Challenge

 

Next Week: SIGNS (Traffic, Store, Restaurant, Exit, Humorous,...)

frosty beauties

Our world is frost-nipped this morning. Sugar-dusted leaves, anyone?

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thankful

Today I am thankful for peace

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Thursday Challenge

Next week: BOTTLE (Container, Cup, Glass, Wine Bottle, Cork, Jar, Flask,...)

roundup time

Leaf roundup

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A crowd of urban cowboys is needed to handle this devious herd!

stationary

3-D Cards - so clever and fun! They pop out at you.
(Card and stationary shop, Ganges [Salt Spring Island], B.C., Canada) 

Thursday Challenge

Next Week: THANKFUL (Things to be thankful for...)

password hint

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A few months ago I set out to put up a weekly blog post about some aspect of aging. I've enjoyed exploring this reality, which is stepping on my toes more all the time!

In the last few weeks, however, I've decided to simplify my online life, especially the blogging part. One item that I've decided to strike from my 'to do' list is putting up these weekly senior-focused posts. The little cartoon above is the last one in this series. I hope it gives you a chuckle.

I'll still be updating promptings, now with more photos than writing. So I'd love it if you stuck around. Pictures are better for old eyes anyway!

we remember

Today is Remembrance Day

We take time to remember and salute the soldiers, old and young, past and present, who have served our country in various theaters of war.

It was nice to see Remembrance Day reminders on our walks around town during the last week.  A local framing shop as well as a bake shop had window displays.

But the nicest touch was to see the photos of veterans (don't know if they're local), silk-screened onto banners that decorate the downtown area. Here is a sampling.

Langley city's Remembrance Day parade will begin at 10:25 a.m. (Logan and 56th), followed by the ceremony in Douglas Park at the new Cenotaph starting at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

Click for map and parade route details.

changes

This October 19th was promptings' 8th blogaversary! Who would have thought, when I nervously put up my first post, that  I would still be going strong (though perhaps not as strong) eight years later?

Things have changed in the past eight years. For me the big change came in 2006 when I got a digital camera. Blogging possibilities multiplied when I could share my love of nature, gardening, flowers, food, murals ... in living colour!

Seasons come to a blog's life too!

I have also taken advantage of blogging in other places during the last eight years. I have published a children's devotional blog, an adult devotional blog, a writing blog, a personal poetry blog, a mural blog, as well as contributing to several group blogs.

Lately it's begun to feel like a little too much. So I've decided to streamline my online life. One aspect of that is to change promptings from a wordy blog to a photo blog (because I can't bear to shut it down and I still want a place to share my camera finds). This Tuesday I will post my last Seniors-focused post. It's been an interesting topic to explore, but I'm finding it's taking time and energy that I'd like to devote to other things.

So expect mostly photographic fare at promptings from now on. I'm excited about this!

And you are most cordially invited to visit violetnesdoly.com to read my wordy posts (book reviews, things I'm learning about Bible times and customs, developments and trends in book publishing and marketing, links to resources that help me as a writer of prose, poetry and more).

orange

  

Don't be scared. Halloween's over. No one's going to hurt you!

(I spotted this little fellow on our walk one morning this week, hiding in a boulevard planter.)

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Thursday Challenge

Next Week: STATIONARY (Books, Journals, Pens, Calligraphy, Bookmarks, Rubber Stamps, Cards,...)

card games

I'm learning so much in my Wednesday morning "Finances For Women" class. It's taught by a woman, around my age, who has worked for years as a financial planner. Her husband died a few years ago after a bout with cancer, which makes her perspective even more valuable and relevant to women aspiring to and entering retirement. Because there's a good chance that at some time in the next twenty years, many of us will be on our own:

"The average life expectancy for Canadians at age 65 is 20 years, with women outliving men by approximately eight years" - Kristin Doucet, Editor's Letter, Forum Magazine, May 2012


"The Canadian census reveals that close to one in three women above the age of 65 lives alone" - Peter Watson, Inside Halton.com.

One morning a couple of weeks ago we got on the topic of credit—credit cards, credit scores, that sort of thing. Our teacher, Ruth, related how shortly after her husband died she needed to put a large item on her credit card—a card they had held jointly but of which her now-deceased husband was the primary card-holder.

She found, to her chagrin, that the card was now useless and she had a hard time getting another one because of her non-existent credit score. She was eventually able to produce that score as a result of other financial transactions. However, her advice to us was:

1. Get yourself named as the person responsible for some of the regular payments you make for your household (hydro, telephone, internet) in order to establish a credit history and credit score.

2. Get your own credit card for two reasons: 1] to establish a credit history and score, and 2] so you have a credit card to use should your husband die suddenly.

The day of our discussion I checked with our credit card company and discovered that Ruth was absolutely right. If my husband died, the card we use jointly but of which he is the primary card-holder would be no good to me. I have since applied for my own card. Might as well head off one potential nasty surprise at the pass!

What other nasty financial surprises could be lurking down the road for someone newly widowed?