Living Consciously In The Moment ~
"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink, I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains. I would drink deeper; fish in the sky, whose bottom is pebbly with stars."
~ Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) American author, poet, philosopher. Best known for his book Walden, Life in the Woods, a reflection on simple living ~ close to nature.

"...our lives unfold only in moments. If we are not fully present for many of those moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and the depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation."
~ Jon Kabat~Zinn, (b. 1944.) Ph. D Molecular Biology. American Author, Wherever You Go There You Are, Hyperion, 1994.
Photo: Normandale, Norfolk County, Ontario. LWalker

To You And Yours ~ Happy New Year

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
and surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS:
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS:
We twa hae paidl d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae
roar'd sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS:
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

~ Robert Burns, Scottish Poet (January 25, 1759 - July 21, 1796)

"Don't just do something, sit there!" "Don't just do something, sit there!""Mindfulness can also help us to appreciate feelings such as joy, peacefulness, and happiness which often go by fleetingly and unacknowledged. It is liberating... can free us from the ruts we often fall into."

Wishing you time to reflect, time to share ~ wishing you health and happiness in the new year.

"We tend to be particularly unaware that we are thinking virtually all the time. The incessant stream of thoughts flowing through our minds leaves us very little respite for inner quiet."

Mindfulness, living consciously, being aware not of the past or of the future~ solely of the moment, is empowering...because "paying attention in this way opens channels to deep reservoirs of creativity, intelligence, imagination, clarity, determination, choice, and wisdom within us."
~Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are, Hyperion, 1994. Also author of Full Catastrophe Living And Coming To Our Senses.

Photos: Home of Canadian author, Stephen Leacock. Lake Couchiching. lbwalker

Year In Review

Year of The Arenas ~ In 2011 New State-of-the-Art Facilities
On Saturday, September 17, the new Cayuga Memorial Arena opened. Neighbouring Dunnville celebrated a grand opening on September 5.
Many people came together including an organization, "Cayuga Think Rink," formed in early 2007 to bring this community dream to fruition ~ raising over a million dollars. Over four years in the making.

Year In Review

Comfortable In Our New Location ~ "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."~ Swami Satchitananda

Thank you to Peter and Betty Lou Baird for believing in The Neat Little Bookshop. They second-guessed plans to sell 29 Talbot St. and allowed us to lease. With help from our friends, we opened in our new location on Wednesday, September 7, in time for the first week of school and Story Hour.

John and Kim Jeffrey, interested in downtown Cayuga businesses and heritage buildings, purchased 29 Talbot Rd. The Neat Little Bookshop proudly survives. John and Kim opened Grindstone Creek Gallery on King Street in June. http://www.grindstonecreekgallery.com/

Year In Review

On Wednesday, July 20
The Neat Little Bookshop was forced to leave 11 Cayuga Street by order of the Fire Marshal's office. Broken leaking pipes, mould and garbage prevailed.

Combustibles removed. Smoke alarms to code and building permits required. Five upstairs tennants and three businesses shut out until orders met. Today 11 Cayuga Street has been cleaned up and renovated. It is the new home of a diabetic clinic.

Year In Review

Day of 1000 Canoes ~ took place on the Grand River on Saturday, June 25 (June 26th is National Canoe Day). This first-time event was an overwhelming success involving many volunteers and the co-operation of Haldimand County and the O.P.P. Co-founders, Blaine Nicholls and Shane Carmichael had a vision, "The idea of 1000 Canoes is Community ~ getting together, bringing other communities into ours and enjoying one of our greatest local resources ~ the Grand River!"

Next year's Day of 1000 Canoes is scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 2012.

http://www.1000canoes.com/ Photographs from Day of 1000 Canoes Facebook.