See you, in September….

On September 1, 2013June 16, 2014 By thestampsinmypassportIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today is September 1st….and while on one hand I am thinking, “how can it be September 1st already”, I know that this summer, and time in general is moving faster and faster.

I read a blog that I follow the other day and the writer gave a summer synopsis of her summer, all the amazing things she did with her family, personal obstacles she herself had conquered over the summer and all the good times she had. I really enjoyed reading it and gave me thoughts about my own summer.

Overall, the last 2 months have been pretty good. The one thing that I thought I would do more of than I actually did was go to Canada’s Wonderland. I did get a pass this year and thought since so many people I knew had passes, that would lead to evening and weekend visits with friends, and their kids, etc. It didn’t really happen that way, and that is okay.

The one time that I did get to go was when my niece called early one Saturday morning and asked if I would go with them for a few hours. I jumped out of bed as fast as I could and made it to my brother’s house in record time. I loved riding the ghoster coaster and a few other rides with my nieces. If I had to only go one time this season, I am glad it was with my nieces and nephew because that was one of the reasons for buying the pass. Maybe I will get to go with them one last time before the season ends.

One weekend in July when we hadn’t planned on going to the Jays game at all in July, ended up going twice in the same weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. We should have actually booked a hotel downtown and had a staycation, but never thought about doing that until it was too late. We attended a game where Carlos Delgado’s name was put on the Level of Excellence wall at Skydome. There were a lot of former players there and there was a commemorative baseball that was given out that of course we had to go very early to get.

One of the things I have learned to appreciate is that sometimes it is the little things that happen day to day that sometimes have the most impact. Like having my family over to swim at the pool in the condo. After swimming three adults and two kids managed to sit out on my balcony and eat freezies, snacks and watch the cars and motorcycles go by. Other time they came over and I made lunch and we went swimming again.

Yesterday I spent the day with a teacher friend. She worked at camp all summer and will be starting back at school on Tuesday. We went out for lunch, went back to school/fall clothes shopping and then ended at Starbucks. It was nice to catch up and spend time since the summer didn’t allow us to do much of that.

Now I am on my way to an end of summer bbq at friends house. Enjoying the last weekend of “summer” as we move into fall, our Jewish Holiday season and all that has to bring to the table.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and looking forward to the new season and hopefully continuing to see more of my friends, enjoy a meal, movie, coffee or even a walk.

Have a great day, and thanks for reading, I always appreciate it!

as time goes by

On August 7, 2013 By thestampsinmypassportIn Aviva Barth, Boater safetyLeave a comment

About a month ago an old friend of my brother’s who lives out of town came for a visit. He surprised my parents and I at their house when we were all getting together for a family dinner. We hadn’t seen this friend for many years, and it was great to have him over, and enjoying a meal and his company like we had done so many times growing up.

At the dinner table, it was hectic as usual. The last time he sat at our dinner table we were four. We are now a family of eight, and as he looked around the table at the craziness, he commented that this felt like old times, except now my brother has a wife and three kids.

And that is exactly the way life is….the same yet different. Because here we are again – one year later, nine years later, on the anniversary of Aviva’s passing.

If you ask someone of our parents generation where they were when JFK was shot, they could tell you. When you ask someone of our generation where you were on 9/11 – we could all tell you. Life events have a way of staying with you. You will remember birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and of course loss. I think that when someone you love passes, family or friend, old or young, you will always remember the details.

I wrote about it last year and many times before.

This year I am remembering ‘time’ by looking at my family. When my brother’s friend said that our dinner table felt the same, but the fact that my brother had three kids, it really made me think. Aviva didn’t get to meet any of the kids.

I look at my oldest niece, and her dynamic personality and think of Aviva. She has a great laugh, and that was one of the amazing character traits that V had – her laugh was infectious. She had a larger than life personality and she would have loved my oldest niece.

And my middle niece – the softer, sensitive one. She would have probably had lots of fun with V as well. Creative and artsy, and a serious thinker. I could imagine that they would have lots to talk about.

And my nephew. She would have just looked at him and thought, a son for my brother. How great will that be now and moving forward. She would be right. The sparkle in his eyes always lights up the room, and she would have loved that.

Last week when I starting thinking about today, I ‘googled’ the name Aviva Barth and several links showed in the results.

There are community outreach projects in her name.
There are blogs written by people that knew her.
There are flyers and documents from the Underwater council of Ontario on boater and water safety.

I am sure if you knew V, you are nodding your head right now in remembrance. And you are hopefully smiling at the good times you shared, and her laughter and her smile. They will never be forgotten.

I will never forget you V,

Lisa

Transforming and growing

On June 4, 2013 By thestampsinmypassportIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I wish I could write every day. I think about writing every day, but life, work, ~~facebook~~ all get in the way of expressing all the things I would love to talk about.

I also find myself talking about different anniversaries of things often. I don’t know if it is normal or not to remember the things I remember in as much detail as I remember them, but I do. I remember dates, places, the people I was with and especially the music that is connected to the event or memory. If you are a friend of mine on facebook you know that music keeps me going. It is my heartbeat.

Well, one year ago, I was dancing at Decks, beginning my amazing JWRP journey of TAG – transform and grow trip to Israel. I remember standing with one of the girls from the trip and crying. After we looked at each other crying we just laughed. It has been a crazy amazing journey from that point and the twelve months that have followed.

As I have talked about before, one of “grow” parts of the transform and grow mission was to continue learning by attending classes when we came back home. It really has been an amazing year. Every six weeks we embark on a new topic that is our baseline for the next six weeks. They have ranged from Judaism 101, really understanding the who, what, where when and whys of our customs, holidays, traditions and stories. Our group all come from diverse Jewish backgrounds, some with more knowledge than others and some who just need more explanation on who we are, and why we do what we do.

Most recently the class topic has been why do bad things happen to good people? We have been working through this for almost six weeks now, and even though we have covered so much, I know that we have barely scratched the surface. Sometimes after the classes I am left with more questions than answers. But I suppose that is normal.

“everything happens for a reason” and that everything has a purpose and a meaning is another underlying theme that plays out in almost every discussion we have. Even getting to go to Israel on this particular trip would fall into the category of everything happens for a reason.

As I think you know by now, I applied to go on this trip before in the summer of 2011 and didn’t get on that trip. I am so happy that I didn’t get on that trip. That trip wasn’t for me. I was meant to go last year. Meant to meet a specific person who has helped me with my spiritual guidance. There is a master plan working in our lives at all times. Getting back to why bad things happen – we aren’t supposed to know that at that time. We will understand it when all the cards in the deck are dealt and the hand is clear. For the most part it isn’t clear for a long time, and maybe for some things, never will be clear.

I am so grateful for the gifts I have been given.

“I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason.
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them.
And we help them in return.
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true, but I know I’m who I am today because I knew you…”
– From Wicked