Snow and the world

A Boy and his dog
watercolour on watercolour paper
12 x 14 inches
Barbara Muir © 
(This painting has two of the
participants in the photo --
just missing the friend. We were
in Nova Scotia, and Sam's
friend was back in Toronto.
That was a lovely dog, and
we love our dog Sally too.)

I'm very lucky to have walked with a friend of mine, and her sweet dog
through a soft snow fall today. The good thing about that is lifting my
thoughts out of the worries about the world, which don't help anyone.
I came home and found that one of the photos I cherish from my children's
childhood was gone. It turned out that it had fallen out of the small frame,
and was under a dresser.

But that made me also connect with what I was thinking last night when
we went to Ikea for the first time in two years.  We were there to buy
sheets, because we like their sheets, and ours are worn out.  I walked 
through the large store, packed with stuff, and thought do people really
need all of this? If we had to pack up and leave everything, like the people
in the Ukraine, what would be take? Probably that small photo of my
son, his friend and a former dog would be one of the things I'd keep.

The snow is a gift of beauty, which is one way for us to calm down,
and figure out how to help.

Have a helping each other day.