Living Life in Spring

I'm 99% over my cold. I sometimes can't tell if I've lingering sickness or just older age and bad attitude. 
Today I was thinking about gratitude and feeling really grateful.  I'm grateful for the day and my dog and my family and friends of course. I'm grateful for my relationship with God too.  But today I was just thinking of the joy I have had in life's activities.
I'm thankful for work.  In the east work is called 'dharma' a term for prayer and royal blessing.  Work is so often under appreciated in Canada. There's this association of happiness with the 'idle rich'.  I've never met the 'idle rich' and indeed the rich people I've met have been anything but idle.  Whether people are rich or poor there seems to be a separation between those who are living life and those who aren't.  Much of this can be explained by 'depression' and commonly by drugs and alcohol.  There's a kind of soul sickness sometimes, an isolation and withdrawal as compared to participation and celebration.
Now that winter is letting up I'm enjoying that spring is upon us with it's inherrent celebration.  Sometimes I'm just holding on in winter but with spring I feel the renewal and life happening again. I've been enjoying taking Gilbert for walks and seeing more and more plant life awaken. There's yellow daffodils and blue crocuses, and lots of green sprouts.
Today I was just thankful for the activities I'm blessed to participate in. We've been fixing up my sailboat and planning the first spring sail.  Down on the docks all the guys are working away, sanding, painting, roping and generally doing spring cleaning for the day when they're start getting out on the water.  My boat is ready. I would have been out this weekend if it weren't still a tad chilly and I had a touch of cold. 
Meanwhile my other friends have their motorcycles spruced up and they're out on the highway in growing numbers. Just talked to a fellow whose birthday it is this week and for his birthday he was getting his harley out of storage at Trev Deely. My harley is stored there and due to come out to play in the next weeks.  In years gone by Gilbert and I have taken a ride out to Harrison's or Squamish on the bike by now.  This year we'll be cruising on the highway in April for sure.
Each year I get seasons tickets in the fall or book shows way ahead of when they're coming.  I never feel like going out on a friday night and wouldn't if it weren't for my foreknowledge. I feel so much better if I participate in the arts in Vancouver rather than just going home and watching netflix or NCIS. I love tv and I love take out but know that the years I didn't make the effort to take in the creative works of my community I felt the year was some how less satisfactor.
This year again I've so enjoyed the works of BC Ballet and am looking forward to another production coming up.  Pacific Theatre is my favourite theatre company and this month's Whipping Man was just sensational.  The acting and images of that show linger with me.  Early Music Vancouver's Bach production still remains in my mind as a thing of wonder and beauty which has made me more intent on getting to more of their productions. I must get out to the symphony so perhaps next year.  We are booked for U2 as I so enjoyed going to Fleetwood Mac a couple of years back.  These are events.  I loved the opera this year, the performance and singing though I really am wondering about the 'story content' of the average opera.  I love the Canadian Author's Association and the literary events I've been to in Vancouver. I wish I had more time.
I've been out target practicing and hunting and fishing are calling my name.  I'm just really busy with alot of activities.  Some are expensive but it didn't start out that way. I attended free concerts of the pianists, church productions and fringe theatre productions. If a person is interested it isn't money that keeps them from participating especially in Vancouver. I don't know how anyone can afford housing here but there's always been a whole lot of activities going on that do not require alot of money to be apart of. I used to enjoy going to the Vancouver Art Gallery on their low cost admission day. Now this last year I  was at the Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art and the Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art and the L'Hermitage. These cost money to get to and I'm very thankful and grateful and blessed to have been able to work as much as and as long hours and as many years that I've been able to experience these wonderful places and exhibits.  But it didn't cost me anything to visit a friend's show years ago. 
I'm looking forward to a Canucks game soon but remember all the rural hockey games I attended for free or minimum admission. I've got older and older I'm more established and thankful for this but remember it's been ongoing. Even in high school there were those of us who 'participated' and those who avoided.  I went to the games and I playeed on the games. Friends took part in clubs and some of us continued so today a high school friend is a chemist, another a doctor, another a lawyer, another a playwright, another heading a university  but all of us actively involved. 
I guess I look at life as a story to be written or a canvas to paint a life on. I'm trying to learn more and grow to.  I'm looking forward to learning more about autism in a course I booked recently as I saw an autistic man and wondered about some of his behavours.  Curiosity just keeps me asking questions and continuing forward and wanting to be around others who are so motivated. I just don't have the time I'd like to have.  Saw a facebookpicture of 100 year old lady skydiving for the first time and I want that to be me. 
I can get so easily distracted by fear and self pity and become bitter about world affairs and politics but there's so much better to focus on. I loved the St. Patrick's Day celebrations yesterday.  A couple of Irish girls sold me a hat for $2 and I really did have a lot of fun wearing it and getting the feedback I caused by playing along.  I loved the Rocky Horror Picture show toilet rolls we'd take with us to throw at the stage.
I'm just thankful for all there is to do and all I'm enjoying participating in.  I'm thankful for the health and life I have.  So much I look forward to doing.  Just have to get more time.There's the book I'm working on and how I really want to draw.  Joyce's drawings were so inspiring. Listening to Ruel's guitar playing made me want to play my guitar more. By being around people who are active and stretching themselves and learning and growing I want to grow and learn. I'm so thankful for the people I have like that in my life. From my parents and family to present day I've been so blessed with so many extraordinary and gifted people.
All I can say is thank you.