We are the World Blogfest ... # 10 - You. I. Us. ...

I couldn't help but think of Annalisa Crawford's book titled: You.   I.   Us. 

Annalisa's book - link at end

- a compilation of compelling short stories ... with a comment at the end ... "What If We Didn't"?

In other words my brain is not in gear for the #WAWTB posting due this month.  

So I got to thinking about our own personal social responsibilities to our world ... the people around us, our families, our friends, and our communities ... 

How we can make life (the air and earth) easier and better for today, as well as for all future generations ... 

... being sensible with rubbish, don't waste, not dumping stuff, and then especially if we can buy stuff that we really need, preferably without packaging ... don't just buy for the sake of it: give it a go ... 

Then of course we can thank people for things, smile more, offer to help others, think before we speak ... and all those free things that will give everyone (most!) a happier day ... and something to remember.

You. I. Us.  Be positive in all things ... there's always another side to things, we can opt for the plus side ... share with others - don't be exclusive ... giving (and sharing) is better than taking ... 

That's Me, or You, or Us for this posting in the We Are The World Blogfest for January ... 

We Are The World - In Darkness, Be Light ...

be there for others and our future generations ... 

This is the link for Annalisa's book:    "You.  I.  Us."

(NB its the American .com Amazon site)

If you would like to take part in this blogfest via Damyanti's blog, sign up in the link here and please help spread the word on social media via the hashtag #WATWB.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

The title - forgot again that I need to set the post up - what shall we say: Birthday gone!

Birthday has gone ... I don't feel too much different!  Weather much the same ... grey, as in England - my birthdays in South Africa made a change - summer days ... but at least I'm this time of year (not before Christmas) ... and Spring is making its way forth.

with mirrored selfie!

Beautiful flowers from friends at home ... have been cheering me up all the time.

We've been to a few restaurants - this one three times (I think!) ... stunning waterfront, which I eventually got to see, the other times it's been dark and I've had my back to it.  Another member of the family has her birthday on the 31st ... so Capricorns we are ... 

Surf N Surf

They've a really good range of choices ... which suited us all - at times ... 3 to 89 years old!  Boar burgers, to seafood - lots of ... I had Surf N Surf: sauteed mussels and Pacific tiger prawns, roasted garlic white wine cream sauce - delicious!!

Looking up the Island

This week for lunch (more than I normally eat) I had the seared scallops on braised pork belly, with a smoked caciocavallo cream, topped with arugula.    Together with a roasted garlic Caesar salad ... I skipped the pond on my own ... so the garlic should be ok!!

Caciocavallo cheese - it is a
stretched-curd cheese

I continue on ... things are moving along - but it is challenging!  The little Smart car is available, now the snow has gone ... and I'm tootling around in that - freedom to see different places and get to museums etc.

Back entrance without the snow and Smart car

The Smart car is interesting ... it lurches you forward as you change gear, or you can whack the lever and it goes up or down, and there's some paddle things on the steering wheel - that I haven't explored yet.  So three ways of driving around ... at the moment I'm fairly lazy just letting it do its lurching thing!!

I think I'll get into the art of blogging again fairly soon ... for today - this is it ... bur more on the way ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Seventy - I might be ... but I still need to title the post!

The year end approaches ... the end of 9 years of blogging and as my father's brother would say you're into your 8th decade ... each zero type birthday - this was somewhat galling!  Sadly always true ... well not eighth, but 5th, 6th - he unfortunately didn't make my 7th decade era ... 

Note screw-top on the Prosecco:
ease of opening for me - I don't like bangs
and pops of balloons or champagne corks! 

As Teresa mentioned in her comment on my previous post ... as a child did you ever think you'd see 2000 AD (must remember the AD bit!) ... that almost seems BC to me: Before Child ... it was so long ago.

I do remember thinking forward about 37 years ... taking me to 50 + 2 to get to the year 2000 ... and that was a million years ahead - how quickly they go ... and now I'm 18 years beyond and turning a mere 70.

Main route in - goes down to
Trans Canada Highway before Christmas

Enough of that ... you'll have surmised that life here is not quite the way I hoped it would be ... I'm working on it - and won't go into the details ... for now I'm here and looking to be for up to two years - then back to Little Britain.  

Surmise is a better descriptive word ... leaves the reasons for uncertainty be - rather than describe them ... and you might want to hear, but for now you won't.

2018 after a very dead tree was felled before it
completely blocked the back driveway in ... we used the
field in the snow to go in and out ... 

I've been reading the book "Vancouver" - which is a fascinating tome ... tome it is - being all of 800 pages ... but talk about a history lesson ... it encompasses life from the last survivor of a Siberian peoples, Beringia (Bering Land Bridge: connecting Russia and the Americas) and human population as it moved and subsequently settled here.  

It's making me think ... and also giving me food for thought - I know so little about this part of the world ... so my education is being expanded ...

The cards are appropriate ... Remember Age is All in the Mind (one brother)... 70 years Young ... why my other brother decided to send me a mouse one I've no idea - as that is one of my banes here ... rather too many of them, along with rats, raccoons and squirrels - all in and around the house ... we are slowly discouraging them from being around ... !!  

Zebra stripes in
the African Savannah
colouring

The Exceat barns are in a picturesque part of the Sussex coast between Eastbourne and Seaford - near where friends and my brother lives.  Lovely Jewel Flowers - my ideal colours ... from great South African-English friends.

Savanna Cider from Africa given as a Christmas present ... and I'm happily enjoying Prosecco when the opportunity arises ... in Canada ... 

That's it ... life at 70 - not quite what I expected when I came over here - farm life yes, the rest no ... still ne-er mind ... life will improve ...

Whether it's my birthday anywhere yet - yes probably Aussie land where I've been 70 for over eight hours now! as I type, then the 13th will wend its way around this beautiful earth ... remember also it is St Hilary's Day ... 

So here's to me tomorrow ... being 70, tenth blogversary ... and generally celebrating life ahead ... I'm good (all being well) for another decade or two ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Happy New Year ...

2018 has already arrived and probably moved on to 2nd January 2018 by the time this posts ... 

Reminding me of my mother's and our family roots -
West Cornwall artists

Canada time and I are still off-wave-lengths - I guess I'll settle in soon and adjust ... 

Straits of Georgia: from Vancouver Island looking
over to Mount Baker (over 3,000 m high) - it is volcanic
and is the USA

I'll be posting somewhat differently now I'm living here for a while ... 

Lots of inlets, views, sights etc to see and explore

... more short photographic ones I guess, but when I can get out and investigate they'll be more in-depth as I work out what's what ... 

To all of you a very wonderful 2018 ... with lots of happiness, creative ideas, joyful fun and then health, some wealth and always positiveness - we are lucky to be where we are ...




Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories