Happy New Year

Happy New Year and all the best in 2010

Tom

Thats What Faith Can Do-Kutless

I wanted to share this amazing song, it realy meant a lot to me.
Lyrics below.




Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

The Bathtub Test

During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the director how do
You determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a
teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the director, "A normal person would pull the plug.
Do you want a bed near the window?"

Last minute shopping

"Glad I'm all done"

Have a merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Tom

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

Tom

Not Bulletproof

Tom

Loosing my religion

Go ahead, lose your religion, lose everything that you have ever believed about who you are or what you are! Look within your mind this moment; perhaps you will discover the space of no thoughts, the space of pure silent awareness that you really are. Rest there. Just be! And enjoy the dream along the way!

Family Tree of Vincent Van Gogh

His dizzy aunt
Verti Gogh

The brother who ate prunes
Gotta Gogh

The brother who worked at a convenience store
Stop N Gogh

The grandfather from Yugoslavia
U Gogh

His magician uncle
Where-diddy Gogh

His Mexican cousin
A Mee Gogh

The Mexican cousin's American half-brother
Gring Gogh

The nephew who drove a stage coach
Wells-far Gogh

The constipated uncle
Can't Gogh

The ballroom dancing aunt
Tang Gogh

The bird lover uncle
Flamin Gogh

The fruit-loving cousin
Man Gogh

An aunt who taught positive thinking
Way-to-Gogh

The little bouncy nephew
Poe Gogh

A sister who loved disco
Go Gogh

And his niece who travels the country in an RV
Winnie Bay Gogh

I saw you smiling . . . There ya Gogh

A friend send this by e-mail, thought I share with you

Tom

I Won't Back Down

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, brings back a lot of memories from the past, I always liked this song. And I'm sure we all can think of few things in our live worth fighting for, "and won't back down from."

So enjoy the song "I Won't Back Down" By Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers"
I posted the lyrics below so you can sing along.



Well I won't back down
No I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down

No I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin me down
gonna stand my ground
... and I won't back down

Chorus:
(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down...)
hey I will stand my ground
and I won't back down

Well I know what's right, I got just one life
in a world that keeps on pushin me around
but I'll stand my ground
...and I won't back down

(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down...)
hey I will stand my ground
(I won't back down)
and I won't back down...

(I won't back down...)
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(I won't back down)
hey I won't back down
(and I won't back down)
hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(and I won't back down)
hey I will stand my ground
(and I won't back down)
and I won't back down
(I won't back down)
No I won't back down...

Mystery

We may find a certain security in believing that "our" way is the only way. This is a natural part of any cultic religious experience.
Far greater faith is required, however, to seek and trust that which you accept as infinite, beyond your comprehension, and subject to change.
Today, this just may be the challenge of an educated and thinking Christian-to retain a faith "in face of the mystery"

-Gordon D Kaufman
Professor of Divinity Emeritus
at Harvard Divinity School

Creative Transformation

The essence of human nature is to take part in the dynamic and imaginative process of creation; transforming us, our relationship, our institutions, and our world.

From living the questions.

Tom

Future Computer

Update

I think it is time for an update, a lot of things have happened since I last posted with family and friends. But we trust that someone bigger then us is in control and looking after things.

I'm now a member of the Belleville Art Association a very diverse, and active group of artist's, that recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, that is quite an accomplishment. My wife Linda has been a member for some time now.

I haven't had a chance to go on a leaf tour, so yesterday we went toVanderwater Park just north of Thomasburg and enjoyed walking the trails most of the leaves had already fallen, but I was able to get some good photos and much needed exercise.This picture currently hanging in the BAA gallery, it was taken recently on a photo shoot at a car wrecking yard. It is titled "beauty in paint".

"Please note that all photographs on this blog are copyright prtected by the photographer"

Tom

Isaac Newton

I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a prettier shell, or a smoother pebble than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me

Happy Thanksgiving

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Political cartoon

Quote

Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.

Joseph Campbell

Chrome Reflection

Tom

Street Portraite Photo How to

It has nothing to do with flash, actually. In fact, it is all available light (in shade) and shot on taped-up white seamless. In this configuration, the open sun area behind you is almost like a huge, on-axis soft box.

But this isn't about the lighting. It is a good primer on overcoming your shyness of photographing others -- and how to interact with them in a quick, fluid environment. Something I suspect many people reading this site will appreciate.

FYI, the photographer is Clay Enos, and you can see more of his work here. And on top of that, he is a pretty consistent blogger, too. http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

7%

This is something we should all read at least once a week!
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the local newspaper "The Plain Dealer", Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life.. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Ottawa Buskers

Questionable employees

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 300
Employees and has the following statistics?

30 have been accused of spousal abuse.
9 have been arrested for fraud
14 have been accused of writing bad cheques.
95 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses.
4 have done time for assault.
55 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit.
12 have been arrested on drug related charges.
4 have been arrested for shoplifting.
16 are currently defendants in lawsuits.
62 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year!

Can you guess which organization this is?
..
It is the 301 MP's in the Canadian Parliament!


The same group that cranks out hundreds of new laws designed to keep
The rest of us in line?!

Which one did you vote for?


TAKEN FROM THE OTTAWA CITIZEN

Here's looking at you

Tom

At least it is temporary

More RCAF Museum Pictures

Tom

The Halafax

A Restoration Team was formed in July 1995. The initial group consisted mainly of Air Force veterans but the arrival of the first components of Halifax NA337 generated curiosity, interest and enthusiasm. Retired aircraft technicians, tool and die makers, metal specialists, machinists and woodworkers offered to help. Others, who were skilled in outside fields, also volunteered. They included dentists, professional engineers, opticians, police officers, carpenters and even two Halifax pilots. Enthusiasts in Scotland (Rescue 57), Holland and England responded and assisted in finding the bits and pieces necessary to rebuild the Halifax.



On a recent visit to the RCAF museum in Trenton, I have included some of my pictures of the aircraft.

Tom

Stars & Stripes FOREVER!

Happy Forth of July weekend to all of our American friends (Muppet's Version)

Tom

Another Dream shattered!

Finally , someone has managed to photograph
The pot at the end of the rainbow!
Wouldn't you know it!

"Rainbows and Butterflies"

Our "Rainbows & Butterflies" are the small miracles of our life - the little things that are so easy to overlook, yet so awe inspiring when we take a moment to notice and to pay attention. Give thanks for the rainbows, for the butterflies, for all God's creatures - large and small, for the bright blue sky and the soft fog and the gentle rain, for the tree veiled in the season's first frost, for the baby's laugh, for the touch of a hand and the whispered "I love you."

Have great Canada day
Tom

Spread your wings

** Today is your day to Spread Wing and Soar. Fly Life on Free Wings, and Sing to its Glory. Don't wait. Do it Today - and again tomorrow.

Today is International Disturbed People's Day

I don't care if you lick windows,
take the special bus
or occasionally pee on yourself...
You hang in there sunshine, you're bloomin' special!

Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad,
is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back

Today's Message of the Day is:

Life is short, so break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.

Graduating

My Grandson Ben graduated this past Friday from grade eight. Congratulation Ben!!.
Wish you all the best and I know you will do well when you start high school.

Tom

Camel Club

Conspiracy theories--everybody has one. The difference with this conspiracy is that it''s all too real. David Baldacci''s The Camel Club takes readers inside the Beltway as four unlikely misfits struggle not only to survive, but to save their president and their country from a plot that will lead to nuclear disaster.Bestselling BaldacciLast Man StandingThe WinnerTotal Control The Simple TruthAbsolute PowerSaving Faith

Just finished reading the "Camel Club" book one of a series of four.

Tom

Abstract

Tom

Spring Brings New Life

Tom

Anniversary

On Monday 25th my brother Nick and his wife Minnie celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.

Congratulation to the happy couple, and many more happy years to come.

Tom

Prince Edward County

I took this same image back in April before the leafs were on the treas. We went back Sunday to take a second look.

Tom

Michael W. Smith - Friends are friends forever

While looking around YouTube for something I could not find, I came across this video "friend are friends forever", it brought back so many memories from the past and present. Friends are so important in ones life, no matter where they are on their journey.

Tom.

Cats

Tom

Brothers

Tom

Bible Study

Bible study at the pilgrim village, Plymouth Massachusetts.

Tom

Angels & Demons

In theaters May 15



When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival.

Tom

AGO

Founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens as the Art Museum of Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, with a physical facility of 486,000 square feet. The AGO’s new facility will boast 583,000 square feet, and was re-opened in 2008 with an innovative architectural design by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.

Tom

Cape Cod

Tom

My third David Baldacci Novel

Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to “perception manage” his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.

Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace.

Willing to do anything to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James is a journalist who has just gotten the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.

In this terrifying global thriller, these characters’ lives will collide head-on as a series of events is set in motion that could change the world as we know it. An utterly spellbinding story that feels all too real, The Whole Truth delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters, and can’t-put-it-down pacing that readers expect from David Baldacci -- and still goes beyond anything he’s written before.

I finished another David Baldacci novel "The Whole Truth", again another page turner.

Tom

Forty Second Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday we celebrated our forty second wedding anniversary, an other year has gone by. We decided to go out and celebrate at Kelcy's restaurant for dinner. We really enjoyed the evening with fine food a glass of wine. The girls came and sang happy anniversary, and presented us with a special dessert.

The picture above I thought was very fitting: Falling in love is easy but staying in love is something very special. Although the couple in the picture look a lot older but you get the idea. Today it is very special that couples are still together and in love.

Tom

Spring Blossoms

Tom

Back Save and Sound

Just brief update we are back from Cape Cod arrived home Saturday around 6:30 pm. Took a couple days off to recuperate, we had a great time and enjoyed every minute of it.

Tom

Day 7 at Cape Cod

This our last day at the Cape, will be leaving in the morning for home. It is cool with light rain falling 19 degrees and it feels damp. I went to Starbucks this morning for a coffee and some reading. I also posted some more photos of the Mayflower.

Day 6 Visit to Plymouth

Visiting Mayflower II is an extraordinary experience. The details of the ship, from the solid oak timbers and tarred hemp rigging, to the wood and horn lanterns and hand-colored maps, have all been carefully recreated to give you a sense of what the original 17th-century vessel was like. Come aboard and learn about the 1620 voyage of the Mayflower, the perils of maritime travel, and the tools of 17th-century navigation.



The 1627 English Village is a re-creation of the small farming town built by English colonists in the midst of the Wampanoag homeland. Find yourself immersed in the year 1627, just seven years after the voyage of the Mayflower. In the village you will be surrounded by the modest timber-framed houses, fragrant raised-bed gardens, well-tended livestock and fascinating townspeople of Plymouth Colony, the first permanent English settlement in New England.





The Wampanoag People have lived in southeastern New England for over 12,000 years. the Wampanoag Homesite explores the story of one 17th-century Wampanoag man, Hobbamock, as well as traditional Wampanoag culture and history. Take this unique opportunity to explore the perspectives of the Indigenous Wampanoag who have lived on this land for hundreds of generations. You may be surprised at what you learn!

Day 5 at the Cape

The air was fresh today a cool 13 degrees, but we enjoyed the sunshine. We are planning to go Plymouth tomorrow a historic site where the pilgrims landed in 1620 on the Mayflower.

Tom

Cape Cod Day 4

Another bright sunny day at the Cape

These pictures were taken yesterday along the Cape Cod shore line. Today we took some time relaxing, Linda did a little shopping at Mashpee mall this morning, and I spent some time at Starbucks catching up on some reading.

Cape Cod Day 3

Just a couple photos taken to day, will post more another day.

Tom