I spent a beautiful afternoon walking across the city on Wednesday. It was finally one of those spring days that I feel completely content to just be outside in, to drink up the air and sun. After what seemed like a long winter this was refreshing and very welcome. The necessity of errands drew me out of my den and weather-influenced good spirits kept me moving along the sidewalks and paths.
When I woke that morning and moved my laptop from beside my bed to my livingroom desk the mouse I used for several years fell and was damaged, leaving it unable to be clicked. I wrapped it in its cord and disposed of it. After mailing an overdue package to a friend of mine I set out to find a new mouse.
Initially I thought I would try out a trackball mouse. I have a laptop so I figured that would be the best option for travelling, seeing that I would not need a surface to use it on. At the store I tried a couple out but was quite let down. The trackball mice were both uncomfortable and lacking in accessable scroll buttons.
I spent some time looking at conventional mice before finding a nice wireless mouse. I’ve always assumed that a wireless mouse would not be best for use with my laptop, thinking that the receiver would be too clunky to be practical. However, this mouse had a very small receiver (about the size of a key drive). What made this mouse the one I would choose were the other features, though. The comfort of holding the mouse was a major selling point. It felt completely natural in my hand and the buttons were easily accessable. 15 different buttons and scroll directions has expanded the range and ease of tasks I can do with just a mouse (I can adjust volume levels, play / pause, move forward and backward on a playlist, launch a media player, return to the top of a website or go back in a browser, all with the press of just one button). The new mouse combined with ObjectDock and a new WindowBlinds skin has my computer feeling like a brand new environment.
With that major errand accomplished I wove my way through downtown Halifax, stopping at several stores and the library. By the time I made my way to the most enjoyable leg of my wandering I was carrying some fine books, a magnetic hematite ring and a bookmark depicting Green Tara, Mother of all the Buddhas. The hematite ring was quickly useful, allowing me to return casheer-spilled change to my hand through the wonder of magnetism.
I have a great love for cemeteries. Many are among the most peaceful places I’ve encountered. The interplay of nature’s trees and human stonework is a wonderful contrast and sometimes surprisingly complementary. On my way home I walked through my favourite cemetery here in Halifax and took some time to snap some photos in it (you’ll find those in my photo section). There’s a remarkable serenity I feel whenever I venture inside its gates. No matter my mood I always leave in at least a slightly better headspace. It’s as though the monuments to other lives that have passed give my own as sense of context and a motivation to do what good I can in the time I’m allowed in this life. The trees, as always, grant me a humbleness beneath their age, strength and beauty. I stepped through the cemetery and walked on through the city, enriched and contemplative as I finished my errands.
29 comments on “A Wednesday”
Ooh, I love hematite. That shouldn’t be too surprising, though.
We have a cemetery here that’s well over 100 years old. It’s in the old part of town, where everything is so peaceful and full of history. It’s pretty much the only place you can go where you no longer hear the sounds of the city, so it’s great for clearing your mind. There’s a stillness and beauty in cemeteries that you can’t find anywhere else, I think.
I think there are some maintained cemeteries here that are a couple hundred years old. Of course this area has been settled longer, so that’s not surprising. Cemeteries really are unique places.
That’s appealing to me as well. Forests and rocky beaches would also be settings I’d approve of.
I remember a tiny family cemetery at a coastal cabin I visited a couple times. It was only a few meters square but had very old graves in it. It was surounded by trees and within hearing distance of the ocean. It seemed especially sacred to me.
As much as I’d love to get married outdoors, I’m afraid my allergies would never allow it. I’d rather not be sniffling and sneezing through the whole event. It’s hard being a nature lover who’s allergic to most of what nature has to offer.
My ancestors have a small family plot out in the country here, but it’s not nearly as nice as the one you described sounds.
Do allergy meds not help you?
They do their bit, but I try not to rely on them too much. I tend to be very sensitive to meds, and I hate feeling spaced out.
I’d love to get married barefoot, but I’ve got a terrible allergy to grass, if you can believe that. If I were to go barefoot outdoors, I’d have an incredibly itchy rash all over my legs : /
There aren’t that many bees here, so the forests are safe – especially in the autumn, when it’d be best for a ceremony. Colored leaves would make for a beautiful contrast with most wedding attire.
Rocky beaches can be troublesome to walk on. There’s one in Parsboro that has sand along the tide line, so if the ceremony was held at mid to low tide there’d be no danger of hurt feet, and it could be a calm day wind-wise. (Hey, I’ve gotta defend my choices, damnit.)
No, Autumn usually isn’t bad here. Late September or early October would be fine weather-wise.
Ok, so with the tide coming in! The sand would be dry then. 😛
Nah, it’s just the one I chose at random. This one means something. 😉
Way to dash my prefect vision of a beach wedding.
*sniffle*
It’s ok. It’s not like I’d ever find a lass to marry anyway.
*sob*
I want a magnetic hematite ring!
My hematite ring is breaking 🙁
That is sad.
It is! 🙁
Hematite tends to do that if it isn’t kept cleansed and cleared of negative energy. I wrote an entry about it here in my community that you might find interesting. The first comment is especially worth reading : )
Or if you hit hematite on things, which I’d think would be a more likely cause (sorry for the realist pang there, I just can’t help it).
I had a piece of hematite crumble to pieces in my hand, after someone had handled it and handed it back to me. It hadn’t been hit or dropped at all, it simply fell apart. The person who had picked it up had something about them that made everyone in the room feel ill : /
I’ve also seen pieces of quartz suddenly develop black swirls on the inside after being handled by certain people. A friend of mine gave me a rainbow moonstone ring that was always very dull when she wore it, but flashed a bright blue as soon as I put it on. I think stones can be just as sensitive to our energies as plants and animals can be. It’s wise to be a little skeptical, but seeing things like this for myself, I can’t help but wonder.
Of course, you don’t have to believe what I believe. I wouldn’t expect you to : )
I’ve never seen anything like that but I have had experiences with stones that suggested they held something of their former owners. I just like to play the realist card in everything. If something isn’t questioned it’s not worth having any sort of faith in.
heheh yes, that has something to do with it, I’m sure…
I think it’s also partly because I keep dropping it on the bathroom floor- which is tiled- when I shower 😀
My bathroom floor is carpeted. I have no clue why.
that must make for squishy showers.
No, the shower are is not carpeted.
I tend to take baths anyway and dry off enough so I don’t drip much.
ahh, smart thinking!
I think that would be really lovely : )
*Happysqueaks* Oh sweet girl, I would be honoured to attend : )
I take it my usual black attire would be okay? ; )
Well then, I’ll wear this outfit for the occasion, whenever it may be. The Chinese blouse is embroidered with cherry blossoms, naturally : )
I’m always around if you want to email and catch up. choebe@execulink.com
It’s good to know you’d accomodate your black-wearing friends. 🙂
Oh, so your wedding will be a mass murder and you’re just making it easier to prepare us for that last (very crowded, assuming we’ve all gotta fit in one hearse) ride? 😉
*Blush* Well, thank you very much : )
I will try to send a note your way soon. I’ve been feeling a bit blocked lately, when it comes to writing, but I’ll give it a try : )
*Hugs back*
Ok, that’s good to know.