celebrations

Earth Day
by

Earth Day

Hail Brave Hearts

April 22 is Earth Day and who deserves it more?  The fabulous creativity of this great planet, so full of awesome wonder.  A place for all of us, great and small.  This magnificent planet, orbiting in a universe of immense space, with no other planet as creative.  No one, but our own great planet, with the perfect combination of everything, to give life like the life we live.  We are the fortunate ones, who live so bountifully, in a universe otherwise devoid of life.

A planet which takes care of us, from nutrition, to clothing, to shelter.  A planet which provides adventure, excitement and discovery.  A planet which feeds our brains with discovery, curiosity and aptitude.  A planet with feeds our bodies with nourishment, mastery and skills.  The ability to care for ourselves and each other, not just the human, but all of the Earths creatures, adapting to their environments and thriving in a world for themselves.

Earth 101 | National Geographic (youtube.com)

But the dark side of life is looming, as war, climate change and global warming threaten us.  Pesticides, pollutants, emissions and spills, make us and the environment unhealthy.  Environmental agencies race to save a species in peril, but environmental change and disasters are increasing, leaving destruction in their wake.  Costly clean up efforts abound, as earthquake, volcanic eruptions, hurricane and tornadoes, sweep across the planet, ruining much.  It leaves us in peril.

Our responsibility in saving ourselves is immense.  Our duties are the highest.  We must act in a manner which protects the Earth and the environment, in order to save ourselves.  Our actions are loud and sometimes scary.  We plunder and fight, killing much and leaving destruction all around us, destroying ourselves, the environments that save us, the soil, water and air.  War is killing so much.  Our obligations are high.  We are not alone on this great planet.  We share with so many other creatures, that all of our self destruction, ruins other species as well.  Sometimes nothing can be repaired.  The loss of a species, the vanishing rivers, increasing deserts, soil erosion and increasing glacial melting.  Once gone, these might never return.

Our duty of care is enormous.  Only one great planet, only one place in this universe for us.  This is our home and our destiny.  Live and die.

The escalating loss of wildlife and wilderness torments us.  Forest fires and drought ruin habitat necessary for natural species and for us.  The natural world is Earth’s world.  Plunder and die.

Of course, there’s always the bright side of life.  The wholesome side, where each of us makes that important decision to save our planet, every day.  Some small initiatives like reduce, reuse, recycle can make large impacts if supported by large numbers of people.  Reducing the square footprint of housing,  turning down the thermostat, driving less and walking more or taking public transport.  Clean air and clean water are healthy for us, and are healthy for the Earth as well.

Celebrate this Earth Day with gladness.  Planetary health is essential for us.  Saving our world saves ourselves.

Happy Earth Day.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 21, 2024

National Wildlife Week
by

National Wildlife Week

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s National Wildlife Week and of course, we celebrate!  We  celebrate what is good for all of us.  The fabulous great wild and all of the wonders of nature that it supports.  The landscape, the sea, the air, the land, the wilderness, the wildlife and that fabulous, awesome view.  That incomparable view of a mountain, a lake,  prairie, field, river,  stream, swamp, forest, marsh, rock, ocean, beach, waterfall,  jungle, icebergs, sky and sometimes just thin air.  The view, and all of the wild that it supports.  Our wildlife are the living, breathing, existence in such beautiful places, that we strive with all of our being to get to.

A remote location, with that rare beauty of a flower.  The locations of fossils, in high, alpine places.  A rock turned over by a hungry bear.  An early crocus peeking out from nearly frozen land.  Waves cresting on the beach.  Our love for these special places, of play, sport, solitude, and curiosity.  This is the marvelous world of wildlife.

Watch them swimming in the oceans and scurrying along on the sand.  Some have shells to pick from the ever changing tides, washing them ashore.  The hungry birds swirling in the air, looking for the catch of the day. A dainty butterfly lands on a hand   The brilliant colours of it’s wings, shimmer in the sun.

Wander along the stream, picking a route along the rocks,  to the tumbling waterfall with a  view of the tumultuous torrent of cascading water.  This could be a swimming pool in an untouched area, preserved for enjoyment and fun.

A chattering squirrel sits on a branch and a robin passes by.  A deer springs onto the road and sails, speedily to the other side.  A massive bison blocks the way.  Outstanding!  Fortunate are we, to have these places of preservation, to appreciate the wonders of the natural world.

Canadian Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Week 2024 (cwf-fcf.org)

It was with foresight of our needs as human beings, that natural areas are protected.  Those special places, housing an intricate ecosystem of life beyond our doorstep.  The wondrous life, for curious minds, who delve into the environment of anthills, snakes, pond life and more.  The experts, still looking for birds,  animals, fish and amphibians and all of the terrain that they occupy.  An educated mind, wandering to find that rare species and to count again it’s population in its wild domain.  The amateur,  just enjoying the sparse knowledge they have, but feeling the pride of a trail to walk, with diggings, droppings, prints and maybe a sighting of an elusive creature, hiding shyly in the bush.

This is the wonder of nature, a world so impressive it requires protection and education.  The perseverance to come forward, to research and publish and demand the ongoing right, to the privilege of enjoying the environment, that supports the life of the Earth’s creatures.  World Wildlife Week is not a week, it’s a lifetime.  A lifetime of supporting the care of the planet and the brilliant wonders of the natural world.  The world that supports our very existence through sport, play, relaxation and enjoyment.

Our world is a fragile place.  It’s environments are in dire need of care.  Walk the great wild with compassion for it’s creatures.  They belong here.  This is their world.  This planet Earth belongs to them as well.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 11, 2024

Bunnies and Eggs
by

Bunnies and Eggs

Good Day Brave Hearts

Happy Easter to all.

The Easter Bunny is hop, hop, hopping into our world again, to help us celebrate the Easter story, with a twist.  An animal twist that supports the rabbit as a part of the celebration of life.  The resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday and the traditional Easter Egg hunt.

Regardless of your faith, Easter is celebrated by most of us, in a manner of religion, or fun.  The furry animal, with eggs and candies kind of fun.  A bunny, or a rabbit, maybe a hare, of noteworthy cuteness, bringing Easter eggs in many colours and many candy forms.  Chocolate, for the chocoholics, who cherish the world of chocolate treats.  Chocolate bunnies and eggs, hollow or filled,  jelly beans and cream centred eggs, a dietary delight of candy.   Lovely candy, full of richness and sugar, the confectioners delight.  Easter is a booming business in the candy trade.

Of course, there’s also flowers, with the traditional flower of Easter being the  Calla Lily, which blooms at Easter time and gives us a  festive tradition to participate in, whether you believe in the Christian story of resurrection or not.

Spring is here, the wild crocuses are in bloom and the Easter bunny is hopping along, spreading Easter eggs in hiding places for us to find.  It’s a fun story, which capitalizes on an ancient story of death and resurrection.  The rise of Jesus of Nazareth from the tomb, which  coincides with the passing of winter into spring.  A symbolic passing from the dead of winter to the new life of spring, immortalized by the death of the Savior on the cross, to the revelation of a vacant tomb and new life.  The new life of rebirth, of being reborn, of the passing of death to life.  It’s a symbolic time, a holy time, a time to cherish the Lord and the representation that all life will live.

Easter Symbols and Traditions – Easter Bunny, Eggs & Lilies | HISTORY

Julius Caesar noticed that in old England, no one would eat hares.  Hares had been connected to the Virgin Mary, Jesus and the Holy family.  The prolific rabbit, sends a message of fertility to us, with large families.  So does the egg.  Painting eggs is part of the Easter past time and egg painting is a celebrated art in some countries. The tradition of painting eggs in bright colours, so that we can find them under pillows, in the yard, hiding in trees and in plants, is a joyous part of Easter celebrations, but it also sends a message.  Eggs are fertility  It’s spring and rebirth is all around us.

The fabulous Savior, who survives death and is resurrected into this world, only to ascend to Heaven, is a story of awesome wonder at the miraculous life of Jesus.  The miracle of death and resurrection, life and death, rebirth.   It is also a time of family holiday and a celebration of the impossible.  Rising from the dead, speaking to people, walking streets.  It’s a mystery still unsolved.  It’s a mystery of faith.

The easy way to resolve Easter, is to paint Easter eggs and adore the bunny, who comes hop, hop, hopping along.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 30, 2024

 

Oh Happy Day
by

Oh Happy Day

Dear Brave Hearts

The glory of this special holiday season surrounds us.  Joy!  The world is filled with merriment and hope, love everlasting, the eternal spirit of goodwill is with us.  It is Christmas time, the time to rejoice in gladness that God is with us.

Praises to the world.  A joyous world.  A wondrous world.  Oh wondrous Love that adores us.

It is during this festive holiday season, that we sing, give thanks and remember that child that brings love into the world and joy to our lives.  It is with gladness that we praise this child and the special message that He brings.  The gifts, the joy, the singing, the angels, the Christmas tree and lights, the fabulous food.  A message of love and humanity for all of us.  Praises to this King.  Not a king of a kingdom, but a king of our hearts.  Oh Holy One, Oh Blessed One, this birthday of Christ the King.

Oh joy to us, all the world of God’s creation.  Not only to mankind but to the animal world as well.

Top Christmas Music Playlist 🎅🏼 Best Christmas Songs Playlist 🎄 Merry Christmas 2023 (youtube.com)

For now, while we play and smile, visit with family and friends and join in the fun of a fabulous holiday, we give thanks,  Thank you for the season, thanks for the Love, the joy, the happiness of having a time to rejoice.  A time for us.  A special time of prayer.  A time of rest, of peace, of remembrance.

Oh save us, great saviour!  This weary world rejoices.  It is Christmas time.  We live.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

December 24, 2023

The Weather Outside is Frightful
by

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Hail Brave hearts

Brave the snow.  It’s wintery Christmas outside and the warm glow of Christmas inside.  It’s the happiest time of the year!

 

Frank Sinatra – Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Official Music Video) – YouTube

The dear birth that gives us so much joy.  The angels, the choirs, the carols, heartwarming stories, this season is a gift. It’s a gift of love, of charity, of goodwill.  The joy that fills our hearts this season, blessed child.  The Adoration.  The gift that never stops giving.

Oh most beautiful life, oh blessed savior, come to us.  In our prayers there is hope in our minds there is light.  Shine brightly.  Shine for all of us, this holiday season.

The warm cozy fire, is a Canadian tradition.  Hot chocolate, sweet treats, candy and cookies.  The smell of a Christmas dinner baking in the oven.  All of the good things of the home.

Its an exciting time of friends, family, parties and laughter, new recipes to try:

Peppermint truffles

1 package of candy canes, ground. divided in half

1 package of cream cheese softened

2 heaping tablespoons of icing sugar

2 heaping tablespoons of flour

1 package of white chocolate melted

Cream the cream cheese in a bowl, add half of the ground candy canes, sugar and flour.  Mix together,  form into one inch balls.  Dip the balls into the melted chocolate and then coat with the remaining ground candy canes.  They’re ready to eat.

The joy of the season is upon us, good eats, good company, good treats.

Traditional Christmas Carols – YouTube

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

December 23, 2022

by

The Christmas Star

Hail Brave Hearts

There’s still time.  Time to sing, time to play, time for hope, time to pray.  The season of merriment and joy is with us.  Gladness and goodwill to share, is among us.  Rejoice, oh great human.  The world is still full of adventure and promise, discovery and fulfillment.  There is still time to enjoy the goodness that life brings.

In the dead of winter, there is great joy.  Look to the heavens for the sign of your saviour.  His mark is in the sky.  A rare event of celestial proportions rises in the night sky on December 21, 2020.  A year that has been marked by pandemic, disease, isolation, poverty,  death and despair.  How obvious, oh shiny star, to light up the night sky this year.  How obvious, oh shiny star to lead us once again.

The planets of Saturn and Jupiter will align to this degree, for the first time in 800 years.  Celestial configurations occur frequently, but this planetary alignment is a  precious sight.   As Jupiter and Saturn meet in the south westerly sky, shortly after sunset on December 21, we will see the bright, shiny star of Christmas.  Perhaps not the brilliant star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem, but still it is a Christmas star.  A star to light up our lives and a star to wish upon.

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/planets/great-conjunction

This year has been a difficult one, full of disease and disaster.  The world has been somewhat chaotic in environmental  disaster, pandemic  virus, economic doom.  Our guiding light has been our ability to meet virtually on computer screens and cellphones which keep us connected to our friends and loved ones.  Lockdown has been the message of choice, to control a health crisis which has escalated beyond our control.  As fabulous as we are, we are only mortal.

The power of prayer is upon us.  Store after store closes, awaiting a shift to normal business hours.  Awaiting a vaccine to cure this pandemic and to praise the magnificent, once again.  Save us!  Save us, you mighty minds, we know that you know how to.  Bankruptcy looms in the despair of a command.  Stay home!  Once again, we are shut in.  Shut in, closed off, with few social contacts and no gatherings.

Shine, oh great magnificent light!  Shine and bring us Christmastime!  Shine oh holy light, the light of our life, oh star of Bethlehem.  Shine.

Although the Bethlehem star is still not really explained, since there have been other conjunctions which produce a great, shiny light in the sky.  This one that we will be witnessing on December 21, 2020, this  winter’s solstice, will be the brightest that we will be able to see.  The timing is perfect.  It is Christmas.  The vaccine has started to arrive.  We will become well again, venture out again, rejoice again.  Glad tidings to you and yours during this very difficult time, but it is passing.  This Christmas star might not herald in a new savior, but it will bring in a new astrological shift.  Coincidentally?  Perhaps.  The mysterious night sky and the the heavens bring in a new age in 2021.  Behold, a new age is dawning.  The age of Aquarius.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

December 20,2020

by

Happy Birthday to Us

Good Day Brave hearts

A Happy Canada Day to you.

Today we celebrate the birthday of this great country. A village from the forest. A dream of national identity. A work of unity of life and lifestyle in a land so vast and diverse. The land, the people, the projects, all individually styled for an outcome of diversity and praises for all of it. The great land with its majestic mountains, it’s sweeping prairie, it’s thousands of lakes, it’s forests, it’s tundra, it’s landscapes so unique and awesome. The great land, filled with great people, great places, great adventure and great belonging.

Fill your cup, with the endless opportunity of Canada! The opportunity for exploration is immense, with so much enjoy. We are the second largest country in the world and have so much to see and to discover. The valuable history of sharing and caring for each other. The widespread plains of homesteaders striving to build a country from sea to shining sea. The great north, so wild and free.

This is our Canada. A vast and brilliant home to us. A place of nurturing our spirits, of learning, of wisdom. This is the country that we made ourselves, from our skills, our intelligence, our passions, and our sense of community. We built this. We chose this. We collectively decided that this is the Canada that we want, that we love and that is our home. We made this place special to us, ourselves.

This fabulous world of the wilderness and the great wild, is home for us. We save it because we adore it. It speaks to us, to adventure, to explore, to challenge ourselves to be smart, educated, strong and daring. This great land calls us to retain ancestral roots which tie us to a past time of athletic adventure, community and ingenuity. It calls us to the present, of eco tourism, the food supply, the great cities. It calls us to our future, to retain it all, to be proud, to learn from each other and to share our knowledge with each other. It calls us. Each and every Canadian, to do our duty of care for this great nation. This great country that we call our home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDluztBSaBc

It is with great pleasure that we celebrate this birthday. 133 years of a community of people spread out over a vast countryside of unique places to live in and to visit. The differences in cultures, in heritage, in ties that bind us. We are not all the same, but we are. We are all different, but we are one. We are all diverse, but we are the same. This is how we choose to be. Individual, healthy, strong, with a courage to be culturally diverse and still be united. To live together in multicultural unity. This is our goal and one of our freedoms. Respect for each other and for the intellect that brings us peace and opportunity under a flag that flies so freely.

Happy Birthday Canada. May our dreams remain alive. May our hopes be fulfilled. May our way of life survive us. May we be filled with the glory of this great nation. Happy Birthday, Canada. May you live forever!

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

Canada Day, 2020

by

Mother Dearest

Hail You Awesome Human

It’s a day for mothers. To remember them, to honor them and to celebrate the great joy of mothers.

The gift of comfort, of compassion and caring, the gift of time and love. The devotion of raising an offspring.  The wonder of creation and the joy of living.  Gifts.  These are gifts to us and to all of the living creatures on this magnificent planet.

And as all mothers do, it’s nurture and care.  Care or us, almighty great planet.  Care for us oh great divine.  Your powers are almighty and immense.  The spellbinding beauty, the magnificence of the creativity, the countless opportunity for learning and exploration.  Praises to you, oh great mother.  You and you alone in this cold and obscure universe.  You and you alone, so warm and fragile, so brilliant and inventive.  The fabulous great planet,  spinning its magical web of life and living, for all of us to enjoy.

The secrets of motherhood are to guide their offspring wisely.  Guide them to safety, guide them to security, help them to build a future on a strong, solid past.  The secrets of mothers is a love neverending, love eternally,  love with all of your heart.   

The joy of an offspring, so tender and tiny.  A cherished blessing from God.  The pride of their accomplishments, so few and so many.  They are yours.  They are from the great divine.  They are special.  That is a child.

Mothers everywhere, large and small, human and animal, raise their offspring dutifully, no matter what they are, or what they will become.  With praises and encouragement, with devotion and protection the babies are the center of our lives.  As they grow, we delight in their play, their growth and their childhood ways.  This is the devotion of mothers, to give encouragement and praises, to support and nurture, to always be there.  

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9791671/mothers-day-history-feminism

In praises of mothers, great and small, this very special day for you, in recognition and celebration of joy of motherhood.   Happy Mothers Day to us all.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

May 10, 2020