New Day

Not sure what is up....just some kind of shift occurring in the atmosphere. When these things occur, I know that God is up to something.

And when it is a God thing.....one can reasonably expect that it is going to be a good thing.

I was wondering what I was sensing and then I watched a bit of news. The net explained some changes going on in my country of Canada. These are huge things.

I know that God is responding to the prayers of His people. And nothing gets in the way of the good Father responding to his Children.

Have you wanted something to occur that you know is God´s will for a long time? Have you longed to see evidence of God´s blessing and presence in your life? I believe that the gifts that God is beginning to pour out is not going to be constrained to just church people. I believe that we are going to see miracles occur on the sidewalks and in the shopping malls and in the factories and office buildings. I believe that people who have never shown any interest in religious activities are going to have real spiritual encounters that can not be faked or controlled by humans. I believe that heaven is going to overlap with earth at certain times, so that our joy and fulfillment will be great. There will be times when humans can step more easily from earth to heavenly places and back to earth again, without suffering further ado.

And if you have no idea what I am talking about....that´s ok....maybe the next post will be your cup of tea. Not everything I write is meant to be embraced by all. I kind of write in my own language sometimes...yes, still english...but definitely a genre of it´s own.

Thanks for listening friends, I value your time and attention. May this season of kindness from above bring rest to your soul.

Peace,

Carla.

john 3:16

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3 Months is Ok

It took 3 long months to grow these from seed to blooming. 

it would be fair to say..

"Carla, that is simply too long to wait for a flower to bloom." Especially since our growing season here in Ontario is pretty brief. But some things i do i intend to be the slow boat. Not fast food...not 2 second fleeting blips on an app. 

Some things in life are intended to be a long walk on a pier barefoot and unrushed.

I received the Marigold seeds from a local free seed bank. Happy to see if they would grow. I love  the kind of seeds that one can just throw in a pot with no special soil and just watch them slowly form...little by little as God allows.

God knows we are in a rush. Social media has trained our brains for quick dopamine bursts as we swipe and scroll...

swipe and scroll..

swipe and scroll.

But.....life is worth more than that. You are more than that.

The really good stuff is worth waiting for...training for...cultvating and watching for.

Perhaps this is the pause you have been waiting for. Stop ....running...just for this moment. It is ok to be still. To work on something that may take weeks...months years or decades to complete.

My marigold seeds grew into tall green things with buds and finally burst into bloom. Not fancy like roses..

but full of colour. Most of these green creatures reached 2 to 3 feet in height . If i had bought the plants at a store they would not have grown so high. The "seedly" route was worth the wait and brought forth big strong tall stands of marigolds...with enough blooms that i can collect some to keep for seeds for next year.

Thanks God for your perfect ways..

for seed time and harvest...suns and sunsets.

We will wait on your timing for all things.

Peace.

Carla.

So You´re An Introvert

Ya, sooo ....you´re an introvert. You finally figured it out.

You like people, but only on your terms. You´re not a snob, you just measure your time with outsiders very cautiously.

You get overwhelmed when there are too many unknown variables in your social life.

Yes, perhaps you cut friends off

with little to no warning....frustrating said friends and making them sad.

Don´t worry...you are not alone. Even though you like your alone time.

It´s kinda refreshing when you stumble upon the right books or videos that discuss ¨being an Introvert¨ in great detail and with great passion.

Finally you find folks who can relate to your lifestyle. You may have just found your ¨ẗribe¨.

The internet can be a really great place for those who consider themselves a sort of introvert. Why? Because online it´s much easier than  in a public place, to measure how much you wish to reveal about yourself and to cut back when you need more isolation.

Needing isolation? If that sounds strange that you definitely are NOT an introvert :)

You see, introverts thrive  in isolated environments and when they neglect to have that alone time to recharge and refresh, they can find themselves annoyed and irritable due to the unlimited social-ness of their day.

Introverts don´t hate people, they just need to measure out how and when and in what way ....they spend time with others.

An introvert may have a grand ole time playing in public when they are in a costume, but they may suffer excruciating embarrassment if they were expected to behave the same way in their normal attire.

Introverts are just shy. Shy and modest about showing their real selves to others without limits being in place.

If you have introverted friends, it may be helpful if and when you invite them to attend a party with you, that you agree on a set time for leaving said party. This will provide the introvert with a time limit for the public exposure and bring a sense of control in what can sometimes feel overwhelming to a typically introverted person.

Physical barriers are sometimes helpful for introverts. Fences and doors and shields and privacy screens are all helpful to those who are introverts. They may feel more courage to be friendly if they feel they are more safe in a fenced off area where only certain people are allowed in their zone. Why? Because as I mentioned before....introverted people LIKE people, they just need the environment and type of interaction to be preplanned and limited. Introverted people like CONTROLLED environments. That is why the internet is a good helper to the introverted populations around the world. They can still make friends with folks all over the world, but on their own terms and their own limits in place.

Well, folks, that´s all for now.

Whether you are an introvert or simply just have introverted people in your family, please don´t pressure them to not be who they are. They are introverted for a reason and they should be allowed to remain as God created them.

Peace,

Carla

Listening to Waterfalls at the Rotary Islands

I wouldn't call it forest bathing. But definitely that chill vibe where you just sit quietly in nature...enjoying and absorbing the waterfall sounds and the scent of the lush plants and peaceful ducks resting by your feet. The key I would say, is just giving yourself enough time. 15 minutes is all it took for me to feel rested and connected.

Some folks get all scientific about it....saying that the ocean water has certain ionic qualities that help humans rejuvenate...but I really don't have the expertise on the sciencey part of it.

I just know that getting away to rest in nature restores my soul. God didn't make us to be trapped in front of a computer screen all day and then spend our free time on the couch watching a much bigger screen.

Sometimes it's important to actually experience in person the scent and feelings of being in nature.....of sitting on the ground and allowing a duck to waddle up to you and not be afraid.

The blessings were made for us.

Wishing you a good day Friends.

Peace be the journey.

Carla

Batteaux Park Food Forest

Batteaux Park Food Forest is located in Barrie Ontario Canada . It is only a couple years old. The apple trees with their labels still attached to the wee trunks are doing their best. 

Apples about the size of a toonie hang from the green limbs.

Those who feel drawn to permaculture will appreciate the effort that was made to plant and establish this food forest. Yay! Free food for all! 

Does your city or village  have parks or community gardens that provide free food for all?

I applaud the City of Barrie for investing in this ideal and allowing the volunteers to plant the saplings and edible landscaping. 

Peace,

Carla.

Harvest Mullein Stalks and Make a Torch

This is the time of year you can harvest the dried standing stalks of mullein. I found these as seen in the photos in a local park growing happily in a mound of dirt that has been naturalizing for the past few years.

I once watched a youtube video by a lady who makes her own torches in this manner. By the way, she does seem to favour the ¨witchy¨ side of belief systems... so I apologize if the link causes offense. I am not aligned with witch type of stuff, but I thought it only right to give the proper credit to the lady who showed me how to make this in her youtube video)

(https://youtu.be/DEKv9YUwfa4?si=q16eHYbEEvsr2rbv)

For the record...I subscribe to the Christian teachings of the holy bible, with faith in Jesus as Lord.

I am a maker. I love to make things. So ...learning how to recognize local herbs and where and how they grow is a passion of mine. 

So far this year, I am growing the following:

kale, wild raspberries, chives, green beans, marigolds, and parsley. The irises grew extravagantly well this year and I transplanted some lilies that someone else didn´t want in their garden any more. Not sure if the lily will bloom this year, as it is taking some time to acclimate to our yard.

So my adventure will be to melt some candle wax and pour it onto the dry mullein stalks and then let the wax dry and see how they work as a summer night torch. I hope the flame will not be too high!

Hope you are having a good summer so far, if it is summer where you live. And if it is another type of weather season where you live, I pray that you are warm and well fed and protected from the elements.

Peace and joy,

Carla.

P.S. New Update. I tried this ...and it worked wonderfully.

Yes the flames were quite high, so it is not something to do willy nilly and also the flaming piece broke off and fell onto the ground. But I did learn this wee tidbit of info....namely that dried mullein soaked with plain old white candle wax works great as a fire started. Perhaps if I don´t find a good spot to store these I might just break them up into pieces and seal them in mason jars or zip lok bags and keep them for the next time I try to start a fire in the chiminea.

I have watched prepper channels for years and rarely get to learn something new to add to my ¨preps¨....so here today I officially learned a new way to start a fire with low cost items.

By the way, for those of you who want to know...I did keep a bottle of water near by when I tried this experiment to make sure that the flaming pieces did not start random fires where they did not belong.

It´s always a good idea to have some water handy when you are starting a backyard fire, just in case a random spark or blowing piece of paper spreads your fire.

Peace,

Carla.

Eating Gluten Free...Simple Simple Simple

I try to observe a gluten free lifestyle....sometimes more than other times.

Thankfully I am not a Celiac, so the times when I do indulge in gluten-ish foods does not turn into a life threatening emergency.

Anywho, the reason for my post today is simply to talk about things that can be really simple, when you feel overwhelmed with seeking out gluten free foods.

There are some basics that work pretty well....and they are not expensive here in Ontario Canada. 

And so, permit me to share them here.

Basic fruits, such as bananas and apples and carrots and potatoes. All of these are pretty low cost, except perhaps for apples, which can be cheap or expensive depending on the season and the type of apples you prefer. 

Getting into a habit of keeping simple things on hand, can really help you out in a jam....especially when you don´t have time to prepare some kind of ¨elaborate lengthy meal¨. 

I tend to gravitate to things that I can make in less than an hour, even less than 30 minutes if I can.

Just boiling potatoes and serving them with butter and pepper and salt is a grand treat in my gluten free world. Putting a ripe banana in my duffel bag is helpful when I am on the go....and even if I don´t consume it, It´s not going to be a hugely expensive loss if it winds up in my compost bin.

Carrots are good both raw and boiled. Raw and dipped in sour cream or boiled with whatever else I happen to be throwing in a stir fry. Ontario is quite carrot friendly, as our climate is actually good for growing carrots. So the local carrots harvest helps to keep the carrot pricing nice and low in our province.

Other simple gluten free foods that often are a ¨go-to" quick and easy gluten free food are small tins of tuna with the oil and/or seasonings already included in the tin. They have these wee ones which have a pull up tab that are  very convenient and don´t require a can opener. These kind of tuna tins are smaller size portions and work well on the go, as long as you can handle having tuna breath for a wee time out in public.

Eggs Eggs Eggs Oh My! Yes, the humble egg is a good friend of the gluten free crowds. Scrambled  with some salt and bit of cooking oil or butter or gluten free margarine, or prepped in fried form ....sunny side up or over-easy.....yum! A dozen eggs are under 5$ in my part of Ontario and we try to keep them stocked up in our home. Remember how I talked about liking things I can make in 30 minutes or less? Well eggs are perfect for quick gluten free meals at home. You can add some gluten free cheese or mushrooms or your fave chopped veggies to your egg concoctions and turn them into omelettes...Delicious!

Well, that´s all for now. There are more I can add to the list, but for today we shall be content with what I have already listed. 

Enjoy your gluten free lifestyle and keep your chin up. 

NOTE: this post is not intended as medical advice. This post is intended for entertainment purposes only. All medical advice should be obtained by a licensed medical provider.

Wishing you well in your gluten free journey.

Peace,

Carla

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