Happy New Year - 2015 !!!

I always look forward to the New Year. New beginnings. New chances. New chapters. New adventures.  It's like being at the starting line. A chance for a do-over. An opportunity to do better. To be better.

There is really something quite magical about this time of the year. Anything is possible!

Today we are at the start line. A book of blank pages lay ahead for us to tell a story. The story of 2015, and oh what a best seller it is going to be!!

As you know, I have given up resolutions a few years ago. Instead, I select a word. A single word to focus on for the year ahead. One year health, than forgiveness ... last year was love. Love of everyone around me, and love of myself. To treat myself in a loving manner. Easier said than done - right?

I was worried that perhaps I did not succeed with my word during 2014.

Then I started to think about what love really meant. Love is compassion, it is patience, it is resilient, it is understanding, it is trusting, it is hopeful, it is faithful. And when I look back over all of the events of 2014, As I wrote my year in review, I realized that I did succeed. All of the challenges - the ups and the downs taught me to love and to be loving. Was I perfect? No. Alas, I am human. But I do believe in my heart that I benefited greatly from the lessons of LOVE over this past year. And have grown as a result of them.

That then brings me to the decision of what my word for the new year is going to be. I did entertain the thought of extending LOVE for another year. Then I thought of going broader. My word will be SPIRITUALITY.

Most everyone knows that I do not consider myself to be religious, but rather a spiritual woman. However, I am broadening the blanket term - or the most understood definition of spirituality to be not only my relationship with God, but my relationship with all things Godly. We know that He is everywhere, and so, spirituality in relation to people, places and things is in fact a relationship with the Lord. It is all encompassing.

And so, will be my word - as well as my mission for 2015.

It's interesting, because as I began to write this post I had no idea what my word would be. But I had a feeling that it would come to be when the time was right. The word I needed to focus on would present itself. And it has.

Thank You Lord!

I don't know if you write out a list of resolutions to better yourself at the beginning of a year, or if you have also chosen a word to focus on. Or perhaps you just take each day as it comes.  However you have decided to go into 2015, I want to wish you the very best.

Here is to a year filled with love, joy, laughter, success, good health, prosperity, and spirituality!

Happy New Year!!

Happy 5th Birthday To Enchanted Essence!!

My baby is growing up!!

Five years ago today I started this blog. Really not having any intention of how long I would keep it going, or of what shape it would take. So you can imagine my surprise that five years later EE is still here. With a presence on Facebook and Twitter, with 57,000 + page hits. I, more than anyone am surprised!

Someone said to me that the blog exists because I write. Well, yes. (lol) However, what good is the written word if no one is around to read it? So, as with every accomplishment and milestone EE reaches, I have to say Thank You!!  :-)

Thank you, wherever you are in the world, for checking in - be it on your computer or tablet or smartphone, you take time out of your day to click the links, to check in - whether you are reading my latest posts, checking your horoscopes, looking up a recipe, reading a movie review ... or however you spend your time visiting EE - what matters is you are here! And you are welcome!

Please join me in wishing a HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to EE!!!

God Bless.

-Laura

50,000 Page Hits!!

50,000 page hits!!  WOW!!  I am speechless.

I just want to say a big Thank YOU!!! To all of you who take the time to visit EE, whether you are viewing the Thursday VIDEO Spotlight, checking your Horoscopes, looking up Recipes, tapping in for some Spiritual Inspiration, or following along on my life's journey.  I am honored to have you as a part of my EE family!

Here's to the next 50K!!

God Bless!!

-Laura

Happy Birthday To Our National Anthem - O Canada!

Not only does Canada turn 147 years old on Tuesday, July 1st; Canada Day. But our National Anthem is also celebrating a birthday this weekend. O Canada turns 34 this year.

On this day in 1980, the current version of O Canada was officially adopted as Canada’s National Anthem under the National Anthem Act.

The Act was proclaimed by then Governor General Edward Schreyer in a public ceremony on Parliament Hill on Canada Day (July 1st, 1980).

Please join me in wishing our National Anthem a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Farewell, Barbara Walters

I just watched 'The View' honor Barbara Walters on her final day before she retires. Oprah Winfrey was a surprise/guest, leading the way, and opening a floodgate of love as ALL of the women in broadcasting (past and present) filed on to the stage. 

Such an amazing and beautiful moment. The look on Barbara's face was priceless! The moment was so delicious that I had to rewind and watch it twice!

And, YES! I cried! 

Cheers to you Barbara Walters!! 

35,000!!

Never could I have imagined that I would be making this posting. Which only proves that we are our own worst obstacle in life. Today I am marking the 35,000 visits milestone. And cannot wait until I am announcing the 50,000 milestone!  And then the 100,000!!  The sky's the limit!!

As always I could not be making these achievements without YOU!! World-wide friends of Enchanted Essence. Thank you for putting EE on the map!!

Love and Light,
-Laura

The "Count Your Blessings" Jar

One of the things that I am planning for 2014 is a Count Your Blessings jar and thought that I would share this not-so-new idea with those of you who may not have thought about this. Or maybe you have heard of this wonderful idea and have thought about doing it, and perhaps just never got it started.

2014 is 5 days away, which gives you ample time to find your Blessings jar.  Whether it is an old coffee pot, a vase, a canister, cookie jar, mason jar, a keepsake box, make it special, make it yours!  And as each day passes, keep your special jar in mind and jot down the special moments you experience throughout the year.

Special gifts you have received, "LOL" moments, achievements, trips you have taken, nature's beauty, memories worth saving, daily blessings. If it made you smile - jot it down and place that note into your jar.

December 31st of 2014 make yourself a hot chocolate and curl up with your jar and start reading through all of the beautiful moments that were given to you through the year.

What a wonderful way to mark the end of the year by Counting  Your Blessings!

Happy 4th Birthday to Enchanted Essence!!!

It's hard to believe that the first page of this blog - the little blog that could - was written 4 years ago today. When I look back through all of the postings, and more importantly - at the broad reach of people that this blog has touched, it leaves me truly humbled.

Thank you for accompanying me on the first four years of my journey. Together we have shared so much; Births, Deaths, Joy, Sadness, Scripture, Seasons, Recipes, Hopes, Dreams .... LIFE!! What a ride!!

I look forward to sharing so much more with you over the years - fasten your seat belts!!

Please join me in shouting out a big HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY to Enchanted Essence!!!!

God Bless,

-Laura

30,000

We've finally done it. 30,000 page hits. And it is all because of you!

I want to thank you for being such loyal readers and hope that you will keep visiting EE.

See you at 35,000 .... and until then ...

I wish you enough.

-Laura

135th Annual CNE!

It's that time of year once again! The CNE opens it's doors tomorrow morning and welcomes millions of visitors to the 135th year of attractions at the grand park. Anyone who grew up in the Greater Toronto Area has grown up attending the CNE every year as a child and has many, many wonderful memories of family fun time!

Last year I had attended the CNE with my Godson - for me it was the first time in many years since I had last been, and we had an amazing time!

With new attractions each year, I am going to include some info for those interested in attending this summer tradition!

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The CNE is held at Exhibition Place, which is a 192-acre site located along Toronto’s waterfront on the shores of Lake Ontario and just west of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit provide easy transportation to the CNE with stops at Exhibition Place.

The site features several buildings—many of which have been named significant under the Ontario Heritage Act—roads named after the Canadian provinces and territories, parks, fountains, plazas, a rose garden, statues and parking lots. The fair itself consists of a variety of pavilions, exhibits, shows, concerts, a working farm, horse show, casino, and a large carnival midway with rides, games and food. What used to be an exhibition just for agriculture and technology has now turned into an event for families and people of all ages to enjoy.

Entertainment, thrills, and the wide variety of international foods are just some of the attractions that the CNE has to offer. To many people in the Greater Toronto Area and the surroundings communities, the CNE is an annual family tradition.

Now in its 135th season, the 2013 CNE runs from Friday, August 16 until Labour Day on Monday, September 2. 2013 CNE highlights include:

• CNE Sky Ride
• Acrobatic Show
• Bandshell Stage concerts
• The Flying Wallendas
• Food Building
• Food Network Celebrity Stage
• Garden Show
• International Pavilion and International Stage
• Mardi Gras Parade
• Midway rides and games
• President's Choice SuperDogs Show

A variety of daily live performances like musical acts, dancers, comedy shows, and even magic shows
65th anniversary of the Canadian International Air Show on Labour Day weekend.

It was recently announced that a new zip line ride will be introduced during the 2013 CNE. Operated by Ziptrek Eco Tours, the CNE zip line will be the highest and longest temporary zip line in the world. The launch tower, positioned southeast of the Food Building, will be 180 feet high (approx. 55 metres). The landing tower, southwest of the Direct Energy Centre, will be 60 feet high (approx. 18 metres). The zip line ride will consist of four lines, each measuring just shy of 1,100 feet (approx. 335 metres). Zip line riders will travel at approximately 65 km/hour.

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Whether you are planning to play the games, or experience the thrill of the rides, hit the casino, sample all of the carnival foods, visit the horse shows, catch a concert or check out any of the other hundreds of attractions,, I know that you will have a fabulous family fun time!!

The 10th Anniversary of the 2003 Blackout

Do you remember where you were when the lights went out?

Today is the 10th anniversary of the 2003 Blackout, which sent a majority of the Northeastern Seaboard into darkness, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

I was among the lucky and got my power back after about 16 hours. Many people were not so fortunate and had to wait days for the lights to come back on.

There are many benchmark moments in our lifetime ... moments where you will forever remember where you were when an event took place.  Many will never forget where they were when they heard Kennedy was assassinated. Where you were when Princess Diana was killed.  When the planes struck the towers on 9/11. When the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded only seconds after launching into space.  And where you were on August 14th, 2003 when the lights went out during North America's largest blackout in history!

25,000 Worldwide Visitors!!

Dear Friend,

Because of YOU, EE has now reached 25,000 page hits worldwide!!  It still moves and humbles me to know that each of you have become faithful friends of EnchantedEssence.ca. 

Whether you follow The Soap Box, Movie Reviews, Weekly Horoscopes, Thursday VIDEO Spotlight, Current Events,  Spiritual Inspirations, or a variety of the other features offered here, I sincerely hope that you will continue to include EE in your daily schedule!

Be sure not to miss features exclusive to EE on Facebook and Twitter - by joining today! Links can be found on the side bar as well as the contact page.

Until next time friend...

Walk in Beauty, Love & Light

-Laura
♥♥

20,000 Page Hits!

Thank You Friend!!

Love and Light

~Laura.

One Year In The New Place

One year ago today I was sitting in my old place, surrounded by boxes! Is there anyone who loves a move? Well - the new place is great - but the actual packing, moving, unpacking of the stuff can only best be described as mental torture!  In fact, I honestly do not know which I dislike worse - packing or unpacking.  I suppose if I had to pick, it would be the packing - because with that comes the throwing away of all the stuff you didn't even realize you were holding on to in the first place. At least with the unpacking you get to decorate - and set stuff up and make the place look pretty.  I like that! lol

With all of that said, would you believe that I still have boxes in my walk-in closet that are yet to be unpacked? Ok - don't judge me! You see .... I still need to replace the bookshelves, which will house all of my books and knickknacks.  And ... well ... I haven't bought them yet. What can I say - life happened.  My TV died - had to replace that.  My computer died - had to replace that. And I really haven't found a set that I like. But it is on the list for this year! lol

All in all I do have to say that even though the actual move was stressful - aren't they always? I have been very happy in my new home.

And as you can see, my pets have adjusted quite well to their new surroundings. Exampled by Zoe who is pictured above, surveying the goings on from her spot on the back of my sofa as she takes in the rays of sunshine on a beautiful summer day.

The truth is, my new area is perfect for me. Almost as though this building was placed here with me in mind. Banking, shopping, and everything I could ever need is a stones-throw away.  Including family.  I have not been able to walk to a member of my family's home in decades.  It's pretty fabulous I gotta say!

The one thing that will make the entire picture complete is when my daughter gets her new place in this area. Then everyone I care about and everything I need will be accessible to me!

Time is a funny thing.  As I think about having moved here a year ago tomorrow - part of me says: "Has it been a year already?!?!"  And another part of my says: "Has it ONLY been a year?!?!" Sometimes it feels like I just got here, and sometimes it feels like I've always been here.  That of course may be due to the fact that I grew up a few short blocks from where I am now.  So there is the familiarity of the neighborhood.  Although a lot has changed!

Actually, the truth is that this is the first time I have lived on my own - by myself. I moved out on my own after my daughter was born - 6 days old in fact. And even though she moved out a year or so before my move - the place really wasn't ''mine" because her room was there. It was my place yes - but not the same as living on my own - in my own place. (Hope that makes sense.) I do remember how hard it was when my daughter moved out. She left with the truck and her stuff and I was literally shaking! Felt my arms suddenly empty. Like I didn't know what to do next!! It was actually quite surreal.

I had gone from being my mother's daughter - to being my daughter's mother.  Never really had the chance to find out who "Laura" is.  And I have to say that I am loving the journey of self-discovery! It is new. It is exciting. I am happy where I am.  Happy with my life.  And I look forward to only good things, and continued list of firsts in year two!!

I guess it is true what they say; that 45 is the new 25! And I look forward to my 25th birthday (the sequel) this summer!

EE ON FB

With the recent milestones that Enchanted Essence has achieved.  I felt like it was time to branch over to Facebook.  EE now has a Facebook page where postings from this blog will be posted. 

Please take a moment to visit and join the new page so you are sure not to miss any postings!

Simply CLICK on the link below and LIKE the page.

https://www.facebook.com/enchantedessence.ca

I do ask however, that you remain mindful that any acts of Unkindness will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate page ban.  Like this blog, the EE page on FB is meant to be a peaceful space. I ask that you honor this.

Thank you friend!

-Laura

15,000 Hits

That's right! We did it!  Since November 6th we've leaped from 10,000 to 15,000 hits!!

I hope you will keep reading and keep on sending your love, support, prayers - or requests to info@enchantedessence.ca


And remember to always walk in Beauty, Love & Light with
www.enchantedessence.ca


-Laura

Happy 3rd Birthday Enchanted Essence !!!

Please join me in wishing Enchanted Essence a Happy 3rd Birthday !!!!

It feels like just yesterday that I started this blog.  And now it seems to have taken on a life of it's own.  We have surpassed 10,000 hits ... soon coming up on 15,000!!  I can hardly believe it!!!

I am deeply, deeply moved to know that my words and thoughts are reaching people all around the world.

This milestone is because of YOU.  Thank YOU!!  For reading.  For following.  For emailing.  For sharing your thoughts, prayers ... and most of all your love!!

Happy 3rd  Birthday EnchantedEssence.ca !!!  And many more to come!!!

God Bless!

-Laura

Ten Thousand!!!

Because of you ...

With extreme joy; I've discovered that readers follow Enchanted Essence from all around our great world!

Canada, USA, Russia, France, UK, Germany, India, Ukraine, Australia and Japan!!!

I am speechless!!

Thank You!!! For vising this blog. For taking the time to accompany me on my life's journeys. For celebrating holidays and special occasions with me. For all of the wonderful and supportive emails - especially through this most difficult past year.  I can only hope you will continue to join me as I move forward - towards the holiday season and into 2013!!!

 Love and Blessings to each and every one of you!!

Here's to the next 10,000!!