Marie Florence Wright

I have mentioned before how Aunt Marie always smiled no matter what.

I never saw Aunt Marie angry.  I never heard Aunt Marie complain.  She always smiled and was always pleasant.  The recurring words, at her funeral today, were about her glowing smile and pleasant disposition despite her serious illnesses.

Some people reporting about their near-death experiences say how they rose out of their bodies, and unconditional love and eternal peace surrounded them.  They wanted to stay out of their bodies, but a voice said, “Go back.  It’s not your time yet.”  How disappointed they were when back in their bodies.  They said that their bodies were like prisons.  They longed for freedom, and no longer feared death.

Aunt Marie suffered all those years with various illnesses, operations and finally cancer.  Not once did she complain.  She always smiled and was pleasant. This is what she was like with her failing body.  Can you imagine the glowing smile on Aunt Marie’s face now that she is free of her failing body, and surrounded by unconditional love and eternal peace?

From my perspective, I will miss Aunt Marie.  But from her perspective, she has never felt better.

Years ago, I read a Buddhist Saying in a book.  I don’t remember the name of the book.  I googled the saying and found different versions of it from various sources.  I’m not sure of the source, but the version I read said,

“When we are born, we cry and the world rejoices.  When we die, the world cries and we rejoice.”

JOYFUL NO MATTER WHAT

Thoughts On Good Friday

Good Friday.  Jesus suffered and died on the cross.  Thinking about this made me think about income taxes.

My taxes are done!  I delivered them to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on April 6, 2017.   They weren’t due until the end of April, but I got them in early.  Did I mention that my taxes are done?

I got called “stupid” by several friends because I declared cash income.  I don’t mind being stupid because I don’t have to think.

If I lie about my income, then I have to remember that I lied and what lie I told.  I have to worry whether there is any way CRA can discover the cash I received if they audit me.  This is too much thinking for my pea brain.  How much easier being honest and not having to think or worry.

How ironic that friends who called me stupid, for not hiding cash income, are patriotic. They’re proud Canadians!  Yet at tax time, they replace their patriotism with thoughts of Canada engaging in sex all by itself.

I don’t like paying taxes and will avoid paying them if I can do so legally.  But taxes have been around since before God created the world, and will be around after the world ends.  Why get upset, and put so much effort into cheating to avoid them?

By the way, the Roman government rejoiced when Jesus rose from the dead.  That meant that they could tax him for eternity.

Not Enough Ears

Sometimes I want an ear.  All I need is an ear.  But I get a mouth, and the mouth is full of shoulds and more shoulds and still more shoulds.

The mouth means well, and wants to help.  But if the mouth understood boundaries, then it would change into an ear.

The problem with this world is that there are too many mouths and not enough ears.

Three Instances of Nonsense

I get letters, from various agencies, with the above stamped on the envelope.  Who thought that red letters stamped on an envelope would stop anyone, except the addressee, from opening the envelope?  Can you see a thief seeing these red letters and saying, “I can’t open this.  I’m not the addressee.”?

 

What’s with the pre in front of plan and order?

What does it mean to pre-plan?  To plan before you plan?  Aren’t you planning if you plan before you plan?

It’s the same with pre-order.  To pre-order means that you order something before it’s available.  Aren’t you still ordering something when you order it before it’s available?

 

 

 

Wow!  The Oreo Cookie package has a new look.  How exciting!

 

Look!  The weight is new, too.  It used to be 350 grams with the old package.  Now, with the New Look, it’s 303 grams.

Why worry about the loss in weight, for the same price, when the cookies come in a new package?

It’s Been Ten Years

(November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007)

It’s been ten years since Kurt Vonnegut left his body.  On Wednesday April 11, 2007, Kurt shuffled off his coil mortal—or something like that.

“That’s right.  Ten years ago I learned that there was an afterlife.  I was 84 years old, but never too old to learn.”

Kurt Vonnegut!  What are you doing here?

“I heard you were writing about me so I thought I’d stop by.”

Really?  I’m honored!

“Don’t get too excited.  You could be hallucinating because you’re insane.”

You look real for a hallucination.

“I do my best no matter what I do.”

You’re doing a great job at appearing real.

“Thank you.”

I’m at a loss for words.

“You want me to write your blog?”

Uh-er-uh-No-uh-It’s just that I am at a loss for words over being in your presence.

“Have you noticed that you are never at a loss for words when you tell someone that you’re at a loss for words?”

Uh-yes.

“Isn’t there anything you want to ask me?”

Yes, lots.  But I wouldn’t know where to begin.

“May I ask you a question?”

Sure!

“How do you plan to end this blog?”

THIS JUST IN!

In the wee hours of Monday April 3, I was up listening to what my ideas had to say.  At 2:30 am, the power went off.  I turned on my portable radio.  The 24-hour news station, which updates news reports every half hour, would tell me why the power was out, and the area covered by the power outage—or so I thought.

I listened.  The lead news story was about the Toronto Blue Jays playing the Baltimore Orioles, on Monday afternoon, for the first game of the 2017 Season.  This is sports, but it was the lead news story.  The second news story was about who won at the Juno Awards on Sunday April 2.  This is entertainment, but it was the second news story.

I listened for the half hour and no news about the power failure.  I listened at 3:00 am and heard about the Blue Jays and Juno Awards, but no news about the power failure.  I fell asleep sometime after 3:30 not hearing any news about the power being out.

BOOM!

Well, it wasn’t exactly a boom that blasted me out of bed at 5:00 am.   It was the tumultuous sounds of electrical stuff coming back to life.  The radio was still on with the another newscast starting with its breaking-news music.

“This just in!  The power is out in the area bounded by Broadview to the west, O’Connor to the north, Main Street to the east and Danforth to the south . . .”

This just in two-and-a-half hours later?  I’m hearing breaking news about a power failure AFTER it is over?

“This just in!  Blogger blogs about a power failure that happened 6 days ago . . .”