Creating an Inner Calm and Sanctuary

Well, it is Saturday...the weekend!  I thought it would be great to publish another post today.  I had shared a post a while back on relaxation so I thought I would do another one.  This one will be different in that I will be sharing soothing images that I found in Google and music that I find calming and relaxing.  I hope you will enjoy this post.


You can create a "relaxation area/zone/room" in your home.  It could be a den or bedroom...or a spare room, if you have one.  This can be a personal space used for relaxing.  You can dim the lights, put up a mural or wallpaper and/or use colours that are calming...green, blue, whatever you like and find relaxing.  You can have an aquarium, play soft music, light candles, read a good book, whatever is going to help you to relax and relieve any stress from the day.  


Now here come the photos and music that I find relaxing.  Hope this post helps you.


I always enjoy looking at a sleeping cat and the sound of a cat's purr.  If there is one thing a cat really knows how to do, it's how to relax.

I hope you all enjoy this and please feel free to share your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.  I am very new to posting videos, so please note that the video is posted separately beneath this post.  I found that video very soothing and relaxing and hope you all do as well.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Beautiful Norway - Relaxing music by TRON Syversen

Living in Quebec

I am not sure how many of you know about how things are here in Quebec.  Without expressing my own opinion on things, I will just use this post to let you all know the situation and see what you all think.


Firstly, French is the first language here in Quebec.  Right now they want to make it a priority to make sure that it is the only language.  Therefore, information pamphlets for citizens who reside throughout Quebec will be available in French only.  


There is a grocer here in Quebec called "Metro", which is the same name as our underground subway.  The underground subway has the French accent over the "e", but the grocer does not.  There have been complaints about this and so the Office de la Langue Francaise (the French language office) wants the grocer to put an accent on the "e".  The OLF (Office de la Langue Francaise) says that without the "e" the store has an English name.  Making the changes and adding the accent over the "e" will cost the grocer $20 million dollars.


I am an anglophone, so English is my mother tongue...however, I am bilingual and speak fluent French.  There are some anglophones here (especially the elderly) that don't speak or comprehend much French.  


I will keep this short but just wanted to share this with you all to see what you all think.  It has been pretty well known that the Parti Quebecois would like to separate this province from the rest of Canada, making Quebec a country.  There are still many here (including some francophones) that don't like the idea and enjoy being Canadian.  I have heard that Vermont (U.S.) was talking about wanting to do the same thing;  to separate from the rest of the U.S. and become a country.  Not sure if this is still the case or not.


Thanks so much for stopping by and for listening, and please feel free to share your own thoughts by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of my post.

Vintage Living

I discovered only recently (yes, I do live a sheltered life...LOL!) that some people actually live in the past.  I am not referring to people who are unable to put past events and experiences behind them, but rather to people who really dress and live the part of a past decade.  For some reason this fascinates me.


I am aware of the Quakers and Mennonites and their lifestyle, but I am not referring to them.  There are some people who just love a particular decade (say perhaps the 1930's) and choose to live as much as they can in this time.  They dress in 1930's fashion, they have an apartment or house filled with furniture and other various items from the time.  


They work at their jobs like everyone else...but when they come home they are living in the 1930's.  They listen to music from the decade, dress in clothes from the 1930's and they say that they find this lifestyle very relaxing and appealing for them, as it enables them to go back in time when they are in their home.


I will share a photo of a 1930's living room to give an example of what their house might look like.

I think it is great if people can do this...and that they find that it enhances their life and reduces stress from day to day living.  I say that if it helps people to live happier lives, then why not?  

Thanks for visiting me today, I really appreciate your presence.  Please feel free to share your own memories and thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

Vintage Diner

I remember the old diners.  The food was great, the atmosphere was friendly and comfortable and the prices were quite reasonable.  There was a jukebox at practically every table.


Back then, receipts were all handwritten, as there were no computers.  The cash register was simple and manual as compared to the cash registers of today.  


I am going to share a few photos of how diners looked back then.  

Thank you so much for stopping by, and please feel free to share your own thoughts and memories by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

Frozen Treats from Days Gone By

I find it kind of comical that I am doing a post on frozen treats from days gone by, because if I am not mistaken, all of the things I am sharing here are still available today!  So perhaps the photos I am sharing are ads and wrappers from days gone by and not necessarily the products themselves.  


The first one I will be sharing here and perhaps the most popular is the Popsicle.

There is a frozen product from days gone by which I could not find a photo of and that is the Space Bar.  It was a chocolate covered orange sherbet bar on a stick, as I recall.

Other things I remember are the Creamsicle and the Dreamsicle...photos not shown here.

Next is the Fudgsicle, which is really like the Popsicle.

Another one is the Nutty Butty.  If I am not mistaken this is still available today...but perhaps under a different name.  The one on the left is the original.

Last but not least is the Eskimo Pie.

Thanks so much for visiting me today, and please feel free to share your own thoughts and memories by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

Vintage Shoes

I find it interesting that so many things have made a comeback from the past.  Clothing styles, foods, and various other products that we thought were "gone for good" suddenly come back.  Some products do, some don't.  


I am not what you could call a stylish person, as I don't  worry about or follow the latest fads.  I wear what I like, what I feel looks good on me and what makes me feel good.  I prefer to focus on practicality as opposed to fashion.  I hate high heels, preferring to wear shoes that are flat and comfortable.  


As far as shoes from the past go, I had a couple of pairs of saddle shoes.  Back then I really liked them and wore them often when I was a little girl.

My father had a pair of shoes similar to these...

My father always dressed well and looked stylish and smart.  

Another thing from days gone by were these funky, colourful, shiny boots.  They came in many colours.

Thank you so much for visiting me here, and please feel free to share your own memories by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of my post.

The Importance of Friendship

I have some of the most wonderful friends in the world.  I feel truly blessed to have such loving and caring people in my life, both face to face and online.  

Friendship is such a treasure...something that you cannot just put a price on.  True friends will be there through thick and thin, and when everyone else gives up on you, your real friends never do.  

The beauty about friendship is that we can choose our friends.  Although some are blessed with a wonderful, loving family, others are not.  Family is something that we are born into (except in the case of adoptions).  

Friendship is something that is very important to me.  As for myself, I have no family.  My parents both died within a year of each other in 1983 and 1984 and I am an only child.  I am divorced with no children.  

I may not be as "good" at expressing myself and/or putting my feelings and thoughts into words as some,  but I am...me.  

My friends are very important to me and I appreciate them so much.  Thank you all.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on friendship by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.  Thank you for visiting me today!

Vintage Watches

For those of us who grew up in the 1960's or earlier, we will remember the dreaded wind up watches.  If you forgot to wind up your watch, you wouldn't know what time it was.  It was as simple as that.


My fondest memories are of the Timex watches.  They had a large selection of watches, and they worked very well.  I remember a vintage TV ad for Timex that went like this.  "Timex...it takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"  In the ad, as I recall, a man, wearing a Timex watch, jumped from a cliff into the water.  


I found a couple of vintage (1960's) ads for Timex watches which I will share with you all.  This was when they were introducing the electronic watch.  Interestingly enough, and unlike other things today as compared to days gone by, these watches are actually more expensive than some we find today!  The price was between $40 and $50 in the 1960's.  

Thank you so much for visiting me today, and please feel free to share your memories and thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

RMS Titanic...April 14, 1912

It is so hard to believe that it is almost a century since the Titanic, on her maiden voyage, struck an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic, taking many lives with her.


It was a chilly and clear evening on April 14th, 1912.  There were iceberg warnings.  For whatever reason known to Captain Edward John Smith, he decided to proceed full speed ahead at 22 knots in spite of the iceberg warnings.  The Titanic struck the iceberg late at night on April 14th, 1912, and sank a few hours later on April 15th, 1912.

As I mentioned in a previous post, this, in my opinion, was sadly an accident waiting to happen.  There were not enough lifeboats for everyone on board, the ship was traveling at top speed, the icebergs...well, all these factors contributed to the ship's sinking.  

Then there was the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line...J. Bruce Ismay.  He was one of the few men on the Titanic that fatal night who survived.  He chose to get into a lifeboat and save himself.  Many called him a coward for doing this, but I disagree.  See, he realized that the Titanic was in serious trouble and that the Carpathia, which was on its way to the Titanic, might not make it in time to save all those on board, and that the Titanic would most likely sink before the Carpathia arrived.  He was right.  Another thing about J. Bruce Ismay is that he did not push his way onto a lifeboat ahead of, or in place of, any other passenger.  Many people didn't get into the lifeboats because they thought that the Carpathia would make it in time before the ship sank. J. Bruce Ismay was the last one (as far as I know) to get into the lifeboat he boarded after the last call came if anyone else was going to board.  It is so easy to judge someone and call him or her a coward, but if we really think of ourselves being in the situation, most of us would have done the same.  

It's hard to believe that the Titanic began like this...

And ended up like this...

Unsurprisingly, the Titanic lives on in the hearts of many of us.  As we approach the 100th year of the Titanic's sinking, let us all realize how precious life really is and how, at any moment, we can lose it.  

Thank you so much for visiting me here, and please feel free to share your thoughts and memories by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of my post.

Taking Time to Relax and Enjoy the Moment

There is just so much stress in our day to day lives that many times we don't just take the time to relax...really relax and enjoy the moment!


Here are some things that help me to relax and I hope that they will help you as well.


1.  Take a walk in nature...look for the beauty around you.  Listen to the sounds of the birds chirping, sit on a bench by the water (when possible).  Listen to the sound of the water, breathe in the fresh air.


2.  Take a deep breath.  Sounds simple enough, right?  Sadly, though, it isn't so easy to do this when you are in a stressful moment.  It isn't that we are unable to for the most part, but that we don't think of doing it.


3.  Watch a lighthearted comedy on television.  Laughter is great medicine and is good for the soul.


4.  Play with your cat or dog...if you have one.  If not, you can go to YouTube and find plenty of videos where you can watch animals playing and doing cute things.  


5.  Listen to some soothing music.  What works well for me is the pan flute, flute, sounds of nature (birds, ocean, etc.).  


6.  Watch a nature video with the sunset, ocean, animals...anything that you find soothing and a comfort.


7.  Have a cup of herbal tea in the evening.  


8.  Read an enjoyable book.


9.  Talk on the phone (or in person) to a friend or relative.  


10. Aromatherapy can work wonders for many.  The smell of lavender, lilac and such can not only help some people to relax, but even help them to drift off to sleep.  This can be a great help for insomniacs...without the use of pills.  Take a nice bath with your favourite essential oil...or a nice shower with a scented candle not far away.


11.  This one is something that helps me a lot...reminisce about days gone by!  I love to go back in time and remember fond things from yesteryear.  


12.  Last but not least.  If you are unable to travel due to finances or work, health or whatever other reason...take a mental vacation by looking at some magazines with pictures of different parts of the world.  You can also watch travel videos.


I hope these ideas help you...they help me a great deal.


Thanks so much for visiting me here and please feel free to share your own thoughts and ideas by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

Vintage Candy

I remember some candy from days gone by, and I will share a few with you all today.

One was the Cadbury Bar Six.  It had an orange, brown and white wrapper and six pieces.  It was similar to Kit Kat, but had a different taste.  I liked it.  There were television ads about it back then, and one I remember well was a boy and his father...the boy's father was eating the candy bar and at the end he said, "Bar none".  Here is a photo of a wrapper for Bar Six.  I noticed on the wrapper that it was manufactured here in Montreal, Quebec...and, of course, the information on the wrapper is in both French and English.  This candy bar is no longer available and hasn't been for quite sometime.

Another thing I remember was the candy cigarettes.  They were quite popular back then.

Last but not least for this post...Life Savers!  Although they are still available today, I don't believe that this particular flavour is, though.  Root Beer!

Thanks so much for visiting me today!  Please feel free to share your own memories and thoughts by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of my post.

Vintage Chewing Gum

I think that some of the things I share here, as far as memories go, will largely depend on what part of the world my readers are from.  However, please don't let this stop you from sharing your own memories, as it will be fascinating to learn about things as they are in different parts of the world.


I thought it would be interesting to make a post about vintage chewing gum.  When I was a little girl, I remember Thrills chewing gum.  It looked like Chiclets but it was purple and seriously tasted like soap!

Here is a photo of the old Chiclets.  As you can see on the packages in this photo, the price was 10 cents per package back then.

Next up is the Bazooka bubble gum, which was 5 cents then...and there was a comic inside each one as well.

Then there was Wrigley's...it came in Spearmint, Juicy Fruit and Doublemint.

I remember Doublemint well.  I have fond memories of the old TV ads for this gum.  The jingle was a catchy tune, and in every TV ad they had a set of female twins.  The jingle went, "Makes your mouth feel fresh and clean...after meals and in between.  Doublemint adds to your fun.  Doublemint chewing gum!"  I am amazed that I remember this so vividly after all those years!  :)

Thanks so much for visiting me today, and please feel free to share your own thoughts and memories by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of my post.

Vintage Toothpaste 2

I did a post on vintage toothpaste and mouthwash a while back, but I have found a couple more things that I didn't share in the last post...so here they are!


I remember Pepsodent toothpaste back in the 60's, but I haven't seen it around in a very long time...at least not in my area.  In my last post about toothpaste someone commented about tooth powder, which I had totally forgotten about.  Well, I have a couple of photos of Pepsodent toothpaste, in paste and powder form!

On my first vintage toothpaste and mouthwash post I talked about Lavoris mouthwash.  However, I just found this ad that shows both the toothpaste and the mouthwash.  I don't recall ever seeing the toothpaste sold here (Canada)...Lavoris mouthwash is still available here after all those years, but this is the first time I had seen the toothpaste...in this photo.

Thanks so much for stopping by and please feel free to share your memories and thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

About Me (Part 3)

Hi everyone,


I thought I would, from time to time, share a little about myself so that you can all get to know me.


I have always been fascinated with the Titanic (the real one, not the movies).  This was a disaster waiting to happen, sadly.  Not enough lifeboats, ship was going full speed ahead in spite of iceberg warnings.  It was a beautiful ship, one of the largest and most luxurious of its time.  I have read many books about it.


Books that I have read (well, some of them).  
Under Two Dictators:  Stalin and Hitler by Marguerite Buber-Neumann.  This book was written in German initially and then translated to English.  I thought it was a very well written book and that the author shared her feelings and experiences in such a way that I felt I was right there.  Although I don't consider myself someone who really enjoys reading books about the war, I have to say that this is one book that kept my interest and that I highly recommend.  Another book I really like is "Bringing out the Best in People" by Alan Loy McGinnis.  I also like the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.  Yet another book is "The Diary of Anne Frank."  Great book!


I do my best daily to live my life where I "enjoy the moment."  I try to appreciate the beauty in people and in things around me.  I enjoy walks in nature, talking to people and really try to focus on the positive side of things.


I love the snow, rain, sunshine, rainbows and the four seasons.  I love the sound of the rain on an umbrella or a window, the smell and sound of the ocean, hearing birds chirping and singing and I love animals and people.


That's enough for this time, I will keep it short and sweet.  Thank you all so much for visiting me, and I look forward to your responses...please feel free to share your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.


Have a wonder filled day!

Vintage Cameras

I remember the old cameras when I was growing up.  In those days you had to load the camera with film, take the photos, and then when you were finished, you had to take the film out of the camera and bring it back to the store to be developed.  It could take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.


Whilst doing a search for photos of vintage cameras I came across a couple of photos of cameras that my father had when I was a little girl!  I wasn't sure I was going to find them, because I didn't remember the companies that manufactured them.


The first one was very tiny and had a leather case.  The second photo was another camera my father had...only difference is that his was beige.

Thanks so much for visiting me, and please feel free to share your memories by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of this post.

Vintage Talc

I found some photos of vintage talc, and I really don't remember these particular ones, so if any of you do, please feel free to share your memories.
Even if you don't remember the ones I am sharing here, please share any memories you have on vintage talc.  I would enjoy hearing your memories.  Just click on the "comments" button at the end of my post.


I do remember Johnson's baby powder, Yardley talc and Avon's products.  However, I don't remember Johnson's baby powder like this!  

I also found this vintage Colgate's talc powder and it makes me wonder if it is the same Colgate as the toothpaste.

Here is a talc from Nivea.  I have seen their products such as creams, lotions and lip balm, but I had never seen a talc until I found this vintage one.

Last for this post is the Palmolive after shaving talc...another thing I didn't know about until I saw this photo.  

It is quite possible that these products were not sold here in Canada;  however, if they were, I really don't remember them.

Thanks so much for visiting me here and I look forward to hearing your memories!

Vintage Bedding

I remember the sheets, pillow cases and blankets on my bed...and my parents' bed when I was growing up. Here in Canada there was a product line by Texmade.  They sold blankets and sheets and they were a good quality.


I have to say that I did like the blankets and sheets, as I found them warm and comfortable.  However, one of the blankets reminds me of hospitals, as they do use them on hospital beds.  Here is the one I mean. This is a Texmade blanket.

As I recall, these were also sold in the following colours:  green, pink and yellow...if my memory serves me accurately.  


Here is a photo of a set of Texmade sheets.

I remember that my mother had a few sets of pillow cases like these...

My mother made a few blankets for our beds when I was a little girl, and they looked similar to the one I am sharing a photo of here...she made them herself.  

Thanks so much for visiting me here, and please feel free to share your own memories by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of this post.

Old Time Customer Service

There is a grocery store in my area that I love to shop at!  The staff are kind and friendly and they always have a good selection of items at very good prices.


I moved just a few months ago to the area where I am living now and to be honest, when I first walked into this store I was shocked.  I was warmly greeted by an employee "Hello.  How are you today?" accompanied with a friendly smile.  I very much appreciated this.  You see, this is a rare thing today, unfortunately.  Most stores that I have shopped at, it is very difficult to find anyone on the floor, let alone someone taking the time to greet you like this man did.  Needless to say, I was very impressed with the service as well as the store itself.  Fantastic first impression which has made me want to shop at only this grocery store whenever possible.  


Sadly, today it has practically become a thing of the past...this great customer service of days gone by.  A lot of stores have almost nobody on the floor, and when they do, often the person acts as if you are bothering them when you ask about the location of an item or the availability of it.  


Something that is becoming more and more common in my area is the automated cashes.  The grocery store that I talked about above, though, and thankfully, has NO automated cashes.  Every cashier is human, and they are all friendly and nice!  I just love shopping at this grocery store, because if I have a question about something there is always a staff member around on the floor that I can ask.  The person is always friendly and helpful, never treating me as if I am an annoyance for asking questions (unlike other stores where they act annoyed and roll their eyes when you need to ask something).  


Thank you all for visiting me here, and please feel free to share your own thoughts and memories by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of my post.

My Favourite Classic TV Shows

I have so many favourite television shows from days gone by!  I will share just some of them here, and I hope you will share some of your favourites as well by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of this post.


The TV shows I am sharing here were fun and family friendly.  The Andy Griffith Show....

My Three Sons....

The Waltons....

Bewitched....

Green Acres....

Thanks so much for stopping by and please feel free to share your memories!

Vintage Telephone Ad

I found this vintage telephone ad, which is great, because you not only see the exterior of the rotary phone, but how it looked inside!  This photo reminded me of a friend of mine from decades ago who used a trick to lower the sound of the phone's ring.  She opened it up and put a kleenex between the bells...sure enough, this resulted in the phone ringing not as loudly.  


I liked her idea so much that I did the same thing, as I found the ring way too loud.  :)


In those days we had party lines, which means that you shared your telephone line with someone else...mostly with someone you didn't know.  I do not miss that, this is for sure.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and please feel free to share your vintage phone memories by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of the post.

Beautiful Day!

It is a beautiful day today!  50F in Montreal, which is almost unheard of at this time of year.  The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be a huge hit I am sure.  I won't be attending, though, as I am not really fond of large crowds.  Sometimes violence occurs and I don't wish to be around that.


Instead, I will take the bus in my area and enjoy the scenery and fresh air.  I will also take a walk and enjoy nature.


Hope you all have a great day!  Thank you so much for visiting me here, and please feel free to click on the "comments" button to share your thoughts.

Pinterest Test Post

Hi everyone,


I am using this post as a test to share a photo that I found and liked on Pinterest.  Please feel free to comment if you like by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of my post.  :)

Source: stellaresque42.tumblr.com via Gatti on Pinterest

About Me (Part 2)

I thought it would be good to share with you all more about myself so that you can get to know me better and see who I am.


I love colours, rainbows, the ocean and mountains.  I love the four seasons.  I love sunsets...my favourite time of day is dusk! I have a good rapport (especially) with senior citizens, children, animals and the disabled.  I love people and I like to encourage others and to make them smile.  I love animals and nature, and enjoy taking walks in nature parks and just "enjoying the moment."  I try to see beauty in everything and everyone.  I am sensitive, a bit shy, more of a listener than a talker, (except with my close friends, then I suppose I talk more...LOL!).  I am gentle and like to see people get along with each other and I love music, especially from the early 1900's to 1940's.  


I made the background on my blog here to be easy on the eyes and I hope this makes it easier for you all to read and explore.


For those of you who are new to my blog, please feel free to look at "About Me" in the archives for the first part of my bio...if you so wish.


Thank you all for your love and support, I truly appreciate you checking out my posts here.  Please feel free to comment on any post by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of the post.

1950's and 60's Toys

For those of us who grew up in the 1950's and 60's, we know that toys back then were simple, yet lots of fun.  I found this vintage "frontier cabin" ad and as you can see it was just $1.00.  To be honest I don't remember this at all, but perhaps it was just sold in the U.S. (I am in Canada).  If any of you remember it or have any memories to share please feel free to!

Then there was Spirograph.  This I remember well and spent hours happily creating different designs with it.

I also had a yoyo, a few dolls, pick-up-stix, Slinky and Etch-a-Sketch.

Short post for today, but I am hoping that what I have shared in the way of vintage toys will spur your memories.  I look forward to hearing your own memories, so please feel free to share them by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of this post.  

Thank you so much for visiting me here.  I hope you all have a fabulous, wonder filled weekend!