This is abundance

Monday morning's here again.  It's not quite 3 AM, and I'm kinda tired, but not really ready to sleep yet.

It was an awesome weekend, really.  Actually every weekend is awesome.  Some might say to the retired 'me', "don't you have every day off?"  Yes.  And no.  I don't really consider any day that Janice doesn't have off as also 'off' for me.  I only really click into myself when she comes home and is around.  Such is our rather synchronistic relationship, and I'm fine with that.

I have this antique wooden crucifix cross sitting on the window ledge on my side of the bed, offering a silhouette of a cross to the outdoors at night.  When I wake up, I will bless myself and give thanks for the multitude of blessings in my life, and welcome further abundance.  I do the same at night before bed.  Say what you like, but Spirit listens.  It knows your needs and your intentions and is always there to help when you ask.  This is my belief; and I respect anyone who does not believe the same.  

This just-passed weekend brought me more of this abundance.  I think maybe that's something that's measured in different ways by different people.  Abundance for me is limitless positive vibes - and from that can come all kinds of wonderful things for everybody.  When I do pray, I ask for everyone, everyone, to have at the very least what we have.  We have everything we need.  And when more than that comes our way, we respond with as much gratitude as we can offer.  I think that's a bit of a cycle, of the best kind.  

One of those blessings I witnessed this weekend happened when Janice and me were invited to attend a birthday celebration for our longtime friend Alan, who celebrates his 60th.  The man deserves it.  He and his wife are an inspiration to Janice and me, and I'm sure lots of others.  Their 26 year old son, Ryan, who battled many life challenges, passed four years ago, and we have a picture of him with us in our room to remind us how fleeting life can be, and how fortunate we are.  At the same time, Al and his wife Lisa show us and everyone how love is the unshakeable foundation on which time can be built.  They've had to navigate some of the toughest terrain in life that none of us would choose to endure, but in doing so, reveal their heroism in carrying on in honor of Ryan.  That little family shows us all what we're capable of when real love is the backdrop when all else collapses.  Nothing can break honest, real, genuine love.  Not even death.

We gathered at Cheers beverage room just a few streets away from where we live.  Seeing so many faces we hadn't seen in a long time lifted our spirits instantly, even if we didn't really need it, but we still felt it.  It was a relatively short gathering, time-wise, but no less valuable despite that.  

Some pictures were taken that I'll share here.  Also, there's a few others that I'm posting that I want to show you just to share the loveliness that is life, unfiltered.  Oh yes... I want to point out that there aren't any filters in these pictures, or A.I. or anything.  In this age of pronounced fakery, I'd sooner it be honest.

We ain't gonna waste no more time... let's jump right into it.

Here's Janice walking down Mountain Road eastbound, right by the strip mall across from Rinzler's.  I liked the perspective of the shot.  If you look at that house on the other side of Mountain Road, the tall one with the pointy roof, that's the old Al's Variety Store, and past that is where my grandparents lived on my Mom's side, nearly a hundred years ago now.  I think they referred to it as "803" in those days, for the house's street number.

When we're on our walks, we often go through Centennial Park here in the city, a quieter spot around town.  There's a circular pond with a little island in the middle, and the ducks and geese like to hang out there.  You used to be able to feed them, but the birds wound up shit-bombing the park when it got to be a little bit much.  I love these birds.  You often see them with their families of babies with them.  I like the reflections in the water here.

Here's a sign that was posted by anonymous folks downtown.  And honestly, it should be posted everywhere on earth.  Enough said.

This is the horizon as seen from around the area of the four-plex sports arena and dome not far from Centennial Park.  There are several ball fields in this area.  I saw the sky and knew I had to snap it.

We were walking the riverfront on the Moncton side here, and you can see the new Gunningsville Bridge leading into Riverview across the marsh.  It's more a picture of the marsh than anything else, but worth a try at a good pic.

I'm not terribly crazy about pictures of myself, but I like how this turned out.  I believe this is also handy to Centennial Park, but this might be closer to the riverfront.  Either way I like the way the sky and grass blend in with the perspective of the sidewalks and the trees.

Ah, I love this one.  This is our 'hood.  To the left out of the picture is the YMCA, and in the distance you can see beyond those streetlights in the foreground the lights glowing for Kiwanis Park ball field.  We live just adjacent to that park.  The beauty of the twilight in the sundown hours is lovely.

One of the best pictures we've taken this year.  This is at dusk on St. George Blvd, looking at the circular pond lit up by colorful lights.  The reflections and glow are really mesmerizing with the backdrop of the sleepy skies.

Here we are at Cheers; I assume Janice took this with her phone.  That's me with Doriane, my buddy Pete's wife, at Alan's birthday fling.  Not sure what we're looking at, but I think I can assure you it's G rated.  Man, I got a lot of remarks about my hair!  All good ones though.  Everyone looked great that night.  

This is a really nice shot of most, if not all, of the attendees.  The Man of the Hour Alan is there beside pink Lisa in the middle, with friends and family all around.  From the right... there's our pas Tim, Pete, Brian in the foreground, with Doriane behind him, and Wayne behind her.  You can see me back there with Tim's wife Marley and Janice.  Another old pal named Tim is to Lisa's right.  The rest I believe are Al's family.  It was a near-Asylum reunion, Asylum being the band I was in during the later 80's with Wayne and Pete.  It was a bit surreal being around the old tribe from the generally happy 80's, in the best way.

Really, we all have to appreciate one another while we're still in our living years, with lots of life ahead of us, but also which is not guaranteed either.  I hesitated attending this because of my damn anxiety issues, but knew it would mean a lot to Alan to be there, and also to be a part of a gathering that we all would appreciate and remember.  It was more than a beautiful night.

And I reiterate:  This is Abundance.