Ah Yes, the Weather

Now that summer is here and we are thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and warmth, we are also subject to thunderstorms and occasional accompanying hail. But we have it good compared to other regions of our province and of our continent.

My son and his family live in Tennessee where they recently needed to take shelter in closets while horizontal winds of 100+ mph attacked their house. Fortunately they were spared damage to their property but numerous others were not. When the storms are not attacking their area high temperatures accompanied by high humidity are often the norm during the summer months. I'll try not to complain about -30 C this coming winter. Meanwhile I'll continue to pray for their safety through this stormy season.

I read the following comment recently in a gardening newsletter, posted by Jim Hole of Hole's Greenhouse near Edmonton: "It's so dry around here I saw two trees fighting over a dog the other day." He went on to give advice about water conservation while watering our lawns and gardens. While one part of the country is drowning with too much rain, another part is parched and begging for water.

Sometimes it's difficult to find something positive in our circumstances. Nevertheless, that is what we need to do in order to survive and thrive. What are you grateful for today?

Summer at Last

Summer has finally arrived in Calgary and wonderful it is to have some warmth. The plants are much happier too.

I have never considered worshipping the sun but I can certainly see how people could. In the mornings when I feel very groggy just sitting at the kitchen table with breakfast and a magazine while sunshine pours in through the east windows perks me up and sometimes keeps me there longer than it should.

I am so very grateful for summer sunshine and will soak up as much as I can while we have it. All too soon it will begin to slip away.

I am also grateful for the invention of Light Therapy and have found it to be very beneficial between October and February. When I start to feel blue and sluggish in October I know it's time to bring out the 'light' and let it cheer me up. As the sun moves south during the winter months, it's candle power in our part of the world is very diminished and our bodies sometimes react negatively to this lack of light. Just 30-60 minutes in the morning with my 'light' makes the rest of the day go much more smoothly.