We have an extra day! How will you use it?

Happy Leap Day!

Imagine that you were born on February 29. Now imagine having that day come around only once every four years.

Maybe you don’t have to imagine it at all, in which case … Happy Birthday!

How would you feel if you were a child whose actual birth date didn’t come every year? When would you have your birthday party .. February 28 or March 1? I read that in New Zealand if anyone is born on February 29, the legal date is to be recorded as February 28.

Would you consider yourself at age 20 to be officially only 5? A day is a day no matter what number is attached to it, so what would you do?

I thought you might like to know of a few famous people born February 29:

1692 – John Byrom, English poet

1792 – Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) 1904 – Jimmy Dorsey, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer and big band leader

1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer

1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player

1936 – Henri Richard, Canadian ice hockey player

1956 – Randy Jackson, American musician, record producer, television personality

1960 – Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker

1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player

1972 – Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor

1976 – Ja Rule, American rapper and actor

1980 – Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composer

Did you know that for flights on February 29 some airlines give a greatly reduced rate to people who were born on a leap day? That may be worth looking into for the next one.

Just for interest’s sake, here are a few of the past and upcoming leap years:

1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032 2036 2040 2044 2048 2052 2056 2060 2064 2068 2072 2076 2080 2084 2088 2092

Did you know that it is tradition in some countries for a woman to propose marriage to her man on Leap Day? And only then is it permitted.

My husband and I were married on a leap year (which is considered to be “bad luck” in some folklore – so it’s good we are not superstitious), although not on leap day – which apparently is even worse. We actually were married on Hallowe’en because, for a time, Nova Scotia did not allow it to be celebrated on a Sunday, so Hallowe’en was on October 30, a Saturday. Just another curious quirk.

If you want to know more about Leap Year and how it all began you can look here and here. It’s very interesting.

We have been given an extra day this year, how to you plan to use it? Do you have special plans for that extra 24 hours?

Do you know of any ‘specials’ offered to Leapers?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

My special birthday

I realize that not all who read this will understand the depth of what I’m saying, nor will all agree with me, and that’s okay. It is important to me, and is the life under-girding my own life.

Today, February 28^th, is a special day for me, an anniversary of sorts. Even more it is a special birthday.

On this day – thirty years ago – I began life as a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

I was brought up knowing about God, praying, believing in Him, experiencing His touch in my life, going to church and doing all those things, but I believe that it wasn’t until I was in a place of deep spiritual searching that I truly became a follower of Christ. Before then He was wooing me. When I understood my personal need of forgiveness and His saving grace, and when I reached out and asked Jesus to come into my life as my own Lord and Saviour, that is when my life really began. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9

It hasn’t been easy. Everything didn’t magically become sweet and problem free. People still hurt me. I still struggled with anger. Some things went from bad to worse. Some circumstances had to change, had to be let go. The many years of pain took many more years to heal, but they did heal. I am a better person now than I was then.

I had to relearn much since religion had trained me into false beliefs. It deeply troubles me when I hear it still preached and believed that God lays pain and suffering and death on us to teach us things. What?! What then of Jesus’ sacrifice? Was that not enough? Does His death become meaningless for those times? How foolish! “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins.” – 1 John 4:7-10

Suffering and pain happen in this sin-ridden world, and we will experience them until we leave here. To continually blame God for the things we don’t like and that are hard to accept is a dangerous thing to do. That is not faith. That is sin.

Now, if there is anyone left still reading this … “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Get e-book — Brevity of Roses — free today!

This is a quick post to let you know of a great book promotion — Brevity of Roses — by Linda Cassidy Lewis. This is her debut novel.

Right now … TODAY (February 24) … you can get Brevity of Roses in E-Book format for free on Amazon for a few more hours. If you want the digital version of this book then don’t wait … get it NOW for free HERE. There are only a few hours left to take advantage of this great offer.

If you don’t have a Kindle you can download one, also for free, off Amazon for use on your computer. Even though I prefer ‘real’ books, I do have a pc Kindle with a few books on it, including Brevity of Roses.

If you want to first take the time to read a chapter or two of this book by Linda Cassidy Lewis – you can do that HERE.

So hurry! there is not much time left. Go HERE to download Brevity of Roses for free.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Is that SPRING I see?!

Here in Nova Scotia we have had what we call an “open winter”, meaning we have not been buried under several feet of snow for most of it. We haven’t had major storm after storm, or ice storms, which we have suffered in past years. This year we have experienced very few snowfalls of any consequence.

Am I complaining? … Do pigs have wings?

No, I mean for REAL!

Of course not.

BUT … today I saw Spring. Yes, I did!

Look:

Did you catch that?

Look again:

ROBINS!

YAY! This to me is a sure sign of Spring. And not just one robin did I see, but a small flock of them – foraging on the ground and sitting in the trees.

Oh my gosh! Can it be true?

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! In February!

Now, I realize two things about the above. First: Winter is not officially over yet and we are sure to get more snow, but the robins are out in the open when usually we don’t see them until sometime in March. I have never seen them this early in the year. Second: It is not good writing form to use so many exclamation points, but … gosh dern it! I saw robins today! And that always makes me happy! 🙂

How about you? Have you seen any signs of Spring yet?

(Photos not mine)

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

When Sorrow Weighs You Down (warning: deals with death)

Warning: this is a sad post and deals with death. It is not the post I had in mind for today.

Please .. no more bad, sad news. Enough.

It seems every time someone calls with news this year it is sad.

Actually it started in November of last year when a wonderful friend, Linda, passed away quietly in her sleep. She was in a nursing home for the care needed because of her illnesses. She was only 60.

On the very first day of January this year, Cynthia, an elderly friend, passed away. She had Alzheimer’s, was in hospital after suffering a broken hip, and did not recover. Added to her husband’s pain, near the end of that month, their son James contracted Meningitis. All efforts failed to save him and he passed away in hospital.

News of two other deaths came this week. The husband of an acquaintance was found, having died suddenly, the cause yet to be determined. Then on February 1, the best friend of the boyfriend of one of my daughters came home and found his young wife had passed away unexpectedly due to a medical problem. He is left to raise their two small children.

All of those are so heart-wrenching, but what has personally hit me the hardest is the news I received this morning. Ruby, a long-time friend and my husband’s cousin, passed away this morning. She was a cancer survivor but the treatments seven years ago seriously damaged her heart so when more cancer was discovered in December there was nothing that could safely be done for her this time. She chose to not try it. Hardly out of her fifties, her spirit departed this life and her loved ones a few hours ago.

My heart is heavy. I have cried many tears, grief sweeps over me in waves. But even though I sorrow it is not without hope. I am reminded of the Scripture verse 1 Thessalonians 4:13 that says in part, “that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” I know for a fact that three I mentioned above knew the Lord Jesus, the others I cannot say for sure. But families and friends can find their comfort in the Lord, and will carry on – even with heavy hearts.

If you are a Believer I know your prayers would be appreciated for the spouses, families, and friends of the ones I mentioned – for comfort and strength. It’s a rough beginning to this year and a long road ahead.

If you yourself are facing difficulties .. be encouraged. There is One who knows and is ever-present and waiting to walk through them with you.

Life changes, brings circumstances that sometimes we wish we never had to face, but life still goes on. It is our choice what to do with the short time we have.

On the flip side there are exciting surprises and situations that come into our life path, things that make us dance or sing or jump up and down. And, I have found, that even when death comes .. for the one who has hope there is reason to rejoice.

Do you have any experiences that you would like to tell us of God’s comfort?

If you know of any books for children on this topic of death, mourning, grief, please let me know by leaving a comment. Thank you.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

News item: Cat delays flight

I heard on the radio this morning about a cat that escaped from its cage on an airplane – just before take off. It hid under the wiring under cockpit boards and the plane could not leave until the boards had been lifted, cat extricated, then all checked for possible damage before the boards were replaced.

I have to say, I sympathize with the owner of that cat. Talk about life’s embarrassing moments! It must have been stressful and so embarrassing, and frustrating when the animal would not come out. Also, think how it must have felt when dozens of people were delayed because of this situation. The airline ended up arranging new connections for inconvenienced passengers, some going on their vacations.

From the news clip I came up with this scenario and posted it as a poem (prose) in the Month Of Poetry challenge. And just an added note: I do not hate cats.

Here kitty, kitty
come back to your cage!
plane has to lift off now
everyone is waiting …
here kitty, kitty!

where did she go?
I’m so sorry, she’s afraid ..
here kitty, come back to me
(how embarrassing)
Time for take-off, Ma’am.

Under the cockpit boards?
oh dear, here kitty, come out!
please …. come out?
Get a maintenance crew in here!
departure now on delay

Up — the floor boards
Out — the terrified cat
Unhappy — full load of passengers
Missed — important connections
Take off — four hours late

Cat ..
– now travelling in baggage area
overheard passenger ..
– I hate cats!

Have you had an embarrassing moment anything like this?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

I received The Versatile Blogger award!

It is always nice to receive positive recognition and appreciation, isn’t it?

It was seven weeks ago (yikes! has it really been that long?) I learned that I was the recipient of a blogging award, given to me by a fellow blogger. That’s how most of them work.

This is my second Versatile Blogger award, but my first one is no longer prominent, it was moved to My Awards and Badges page because of the theme I was using. This one I will stick right on the front page for awhile.

You can read about my first one HERE. Laura Best gave that one to me when I was in desperate need of the encouraging boost it provided me – and didn’t even know I needed it. This second one serves as encouragement to keep on, even when things in my life get complicated and time for writing is harder to find.

There are rules to be followed for such awards, this one has three, so here goes:

Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.THANK YOU, Renee Johnson! I do appreciate it. Check out Renee’s blog: http://writingfeemail.wordpress.com
Reveal 7 things about yourself.

1. Thirty-five years of marriage and I love my beloved more now than ever. The trick is to never give up when the going gets rough.

2. I have always made my home in Nova Scotia, and love this beautiful province!

3. I love being able to access the Internet because of all the contacts I have made/am making and all I have learned/am learning that are helping me in my writing pursuit. Some of my dearest friends I have never met in person yet.

4. I love hilarious laughter and making people laugh.

5. I love the ocean – my healing place – the sounds, the smells, the awesomeness, but even though I love the water, I do not swim.

6. I’m discovering another good reason to never grow old is to be able to “think like a kid” when writing for children.

7. I am discovering my love of writing but have yet to mine the depths of what I can do, who I really am as a writer. Perhaps this is something about me we are discovering together .. you and I .. as time goes on.
Nominate and link to 15 bloggers. Then be sure to let them know! Now, this took me lots of time to choose people who have not already received this award and are deserving of it. First, I wondered how I would find fifteen, but then it was so hard to narrow it down! I hope you will visit each one, because they all have something great to offer, being writers. And even if you are not a writer and this would not interest you .. please check them out. They have more to say than just about writing, they are smart, creative people.