5 Minutes Of My Day - Happy Father's Day

Today we celebrated Father’s Day with our children at our annual BBQ event.

Two generations of father’s sat around laughing, eating and being proud of their children.

And I am proud of each one of them and to be a member of this family.

2017 - At the walk a mile in her shoes event.

2016 - Looking for trains at Great John's home.

2015 - At a local car show where this child was dancing up a storm.

2014 Watching the sky - under a tornado watch!

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

The Sunday of Prayer that proceeds Aboriginal Day June 21st

Give them an inch and they will take a mile.

The they being referenced here is myself, my forebears who were given knowledge, food – protection those first winters in Canada by the Aboriginal people who then thrived in this land.

Our Caucasian fore fathers then continued to take more than was our right from the people who so graciously attempted to share the earth with us.

We have taken away; safe housing to raise their families in, safe water to drink, we attempt to deny them their traditions, their right to raise their children, their language and so much more.

They made space for us and we continue to push them out denying them a place in the abundance that is Canada.

I worshiped today on the traditional territory of the Haudensaunee (Iroquois), Ojibwa and Anishnabek.

We should always remember upon whose land we live and the price they have paid since our arrival.

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

5 Minutes Of My Day - Keep On Moving

There is a great deal of joy in being able to move under your own steam and something that we all too often take for granted.

Comfortable mobility depends on so many part of the body all of which require regular maintenance.

And you are never too old to begin a daily maintenance of your muscles and joints.

Grandpa and I have made yoga part of our daily and weekly routines.

Muscles that were stiff are lengthening and with every stretch our movements are becoming smoother and less painful.

We hope to enjoy our Saturday tradition of a morning walk and breakfast out for years to come. 

2017 Driving to work in early morning fog

2016 Arriving safely at Great John's home

2015 Walking carefully through a construction site 

2014 At the June staff meeting.

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

5 Minutes Of My Day - Remember days at summer camp

Summer Camp and childhood memories.

Campfires, swimming, laughter, crafts and shooting stars.

Today we gather at a summer camp for the June staff meeting 

and the memories came flooding back.

What a wonderful day.

2017 Driving past fields of daisies 

2016 Checking of the chicks in the nest

2015 Checking on our peace garden it is growing.

2014 Enjoying the beauty of the quilt and flowers.

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

5 Minutes Of My Day - Frustration

Frustration

As I relax and reflect on what I will write today, frustration is the word that comes to mind. 

Frustration with what I was not able achieve at work.

Frustration with myself at yoga tonight.

Heat is not my friend and when I over heat, I feel very ill.

The early evening was coolish and as we gathered for yoga others wanted the windows closed and the heat turned on - I worried to myself that it would get too hot.

And predictably the room and I heat up  with the work out.

 I over heat and feel faint.

Instead of meeting my personal needs and opening the window beside me I leave the room and sit outside, angry with myself.

At the end of the class people ask why I left and then they say "you should have…"

They are right I should have made my discomfort known and I never do - I suffering in frustrating silence.

Frustration with myself.

We cannot expect people to know our needs if we are not prepared to express them into a world and then you must be open to receiving care. 

2017 Sewing with our granddaughter

2015 Remembering my mother-in-laws garden

2015 Celebrating the end of school with a Ice Cream Sunday

2014 At a local children's fair

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

5 Minutes Of My Day - Sometimes Life Is A Hot Mess

Sometime life is just a hot mess!

The artistic process in my experience is never organized so it does not surprise me that when I am crafting, well a hot delight mess of possibilities best describes my craft room.

So now I have a choice, stop creating or clean it up the creative process.

Do I worry about impressing my niece and sister who will arrive next week or relax into who I am and embrace my hot mess of potential. 

Never apologizing for who you are or your creative process.

Sometimes life is just a hot mess and it is your choice how you proceed from there.

2016 Watching the sky as storm warning sound

2016 Cutting down an old friend our apple tree

2015 Celebrating with our grandson

2014 Date night!

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

5 Minutes Of My Day - Never underestimate the small things in life

Never underestimate the small things in life!

As we reflect upon our photo journal over the years we have come to appreciate the ordinary moments in life as our tether in times of stress.

Sitting outside in our front yard with a cup of tea watching the birds, the neighbours – the world move around us.

Dinner with friends.

Boring – never it is in these moments that we are truly alive,

 if we but take the time to notice.

2017 At the Lion's Club Ladies Night dinner

2016 Watching the rain after work

2015 Sitting outside and bird watching

2014 Sitting outside bird watching

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018

5 Minutes Of My Day - Transported to childhood with a bean salad

Food is a wonderful trigger for childhood memories.

This evening at a Lion’s Club Ladies dinner a cream bean salad was offered and immediately I was transported back to my Grandmother’s Sunday table where cream bean salad was offered every Sunday.

It is not the grand things in life that create the sustainable memories it is in the small things like cream bean salad.

How will you be remembered?

What will my grandchild remember me through?

2017 Finding this amazing creature next to my coffee

2016 At the horse races with by granddaughters

2015 Getting ready to sew

2014 watching the sky and the storm ends.

Grandma Snyder

©twosnydergirls 2018