Visitors and the veil

Apparently I'm not the only one thinking that the veil is still thin even though Samhain is past. I mentioned it first several weeks before then, and wasn't alone, and now I'm not alone in that the other side is still restless, talkative - well except Olivia - and more visible than usual. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.....

It's actually been pretty quiet around here the last week or so, since Kody moved on. Don't think it was him i caught out of the corner of my eye this morning, which means that yes, it seems I have a new visitor.... kinda feels like being in Piccadilly Station some days ;) Not that I mind, mostly.
Olivia is still here on and off, although she's still not talking, although she seems oddly.... happier. Long story for another day i think. Pretty sure she actually spends much of her time next door, not that she's the only presence there, the other isn't nearly as quiet as she is but he stays there and hasn't come visiting yet. One day soon the neighbours and I will get our act together and try and figure something out with him :/

But I digress, the veil is still thin, they are still restless - I've had way more pop in visitors in the last month than in at least the six months before that. And now apparently another new visitor, life is anything but dull ;)

Backyard Wildlife

So the resident squirrels have been around again today, first Oh Henry and then White Ears .
No sign yet today of the third member of their trio, Bushy Tail but he'll be back sooner or later.
The magpies were around though as were the little sparrows .
And just for completeness, bunny pictures of the bunnies who live by the PLC.

Speaking of animals I shooed a spider outside earlier, no mean feat when you've had arachnaphobia since you hallucinated giant man eating spiders while under in intense fever at the age of 6 lol
Apparently however I am the spider wrangler even though I live in a house where even the dogs are male, testosterone drips from the walls - right up until a spider shows up!

WTF and DV

What is it with the world these days, is human life really that cheap now? Some guy has his throat slashed by three guys so they can steal his skates? Seriously?
Another guy gets shot and killed at work because he allegedly annoyed the wrong person and had a hit called on him?
Another guy gets shot multiple times at home, yet another at work?
A guy gets beaten with a bat by people who burst into his house in the early morning?

I mean, come on.... I know I've said before that the world is going to hell in a hand basket - between weather, earth activity, government, loss of liberty, wars, yadda yadda yadda, but apparently that's not enough, people are queuing up for those hand baskets to hell. Sheesh.

Oh and btw pretty sure I know why three cop cars and an ambulance were outside my place (not AT my place, using the parking lot outside) and it gives me reason to once again mention that Domestic Violence, by anyone, against anyone is NOT acceptable. Period. And every person who knows of, sees or suspects that someone is being abused or abusing someone else, and remains silent is enabling and validating the abuser and doing jackshit for the victim.

Calgary has one of the highest rates of Domestic Violence and abuse in Canada and everyone who stays silent or looks the other way is helping keep that record.

And don't give me crap about not getting involved.... Domestic Violence is not acceptable, Silence is NOT an option. Pet peeve ya know.

RAOK, Christmas and Operation Magic

I've always been a big believer that a little more kindness, compassion and community would be a good thing for this world, not least here in the middle of big ole cowtown. Random Acts Of Kindness, RAOK, can only be a good thing, surely? Anything that brings a smile to someone's face or a moment of joy can only be a good thing, right? Even when the person doing the act receives no tangible reward for doing whatever they did, nor even any acknowledgement if they did it anonymously.

My problem, as ever, is being perpetually broke and so many of the suggested RAOK or those performed by other people are simply out of my reach no matter how much I would love to be able to do them. Now before you say it, I know there are a lot of suggestions out there for things you can do that don't cost anything, yet a number of those are things that I do anyway - smiling and talking to people, holding doors open, sharing cookies with the neighbours - you get the idea.

Luckily with Christmas coming it's a little easier to think outside the box. So since I believe that Christmas is a time for a little magic and love, kindness and compassion, Operation Magic has been born. Last year I carried a handful of signed sealed Christmas cards in my pocket and gave them to people we saw all year, such as the lady in the ice cream store, just because. This year I'm going to expand that to people all over, people in stores, neighbours, including ones I don't, or barely know, the flier guy, and some of the other people who I see all year around. Gonna leave candy canes in neighbour mailboxes, share cookies when I start seriously baking cookies for cookie season - ok I bake cookies all year but not in quantity since someone in this house is diabetic and not SUPPOSED to eat cookies - unfortunately he LIKES cookies lol So the only time I make large batches is Christmas, and why not share?

Christmas cards, cookies, candy canes, messages in the snow - a little experimenting showed a way to colour the snow in much the same way as in the summertime I and the local kids drew pictures all over our sidewalks - nothing exciting or expensive or important, but maybe it'll raise a smile here or there. And that's really what it's all about.

Also going to register a handful of books with Bookcrossing and release them around the area and deliver stuff to the local Salvation army, and anything else I can think of. Suggestions are always welcome.

I wish I could buy coffees and sandwiches or hand out gift cards or whatever, it's just beyond my means, so I'll do the best I can with what little I have to bring a little Christmas magic to my part of Rundle and Sunridge this year.

Merry Christmas Calgary. May there be plenty of RAOKs this year - all year long. Here's to a #BetterYYC #YYC #RAOK

Colour me crazy, as long as that colour is purple.