Link Ups, Photography, Reflection

White Reminds Us….

Retirement Reflections
A celebration is about to begin.
Beidaihe, Qinhaungdao, Hebei, China.
October 2004.
Liberation is found in being our true selves.
Cody in Beijing, China.
October 2005.
If you want a new friend, make one.
Community Park, Parksville, BC.
February 2021.
Play is good for the soul.
Winnipeg, Manitoba.
January 2019.
Stand apart from the crowd.
Boardwalk, Parksville, BC.
Feburary, 2021.
Enjoy nature in its many glorious forms.
Mt. Washington, BC.
December 2020.
“Every doorway, every intersection has a story.” (Katherine Dunn, novelist.)
Siem Reap, Cambodia.
February 2018.
Pause, relax, enjoy.
Val d’Orcia, Montaicino, Tuscany, Italy.
June 2019.
Small gestures can make a big difference.
Monterosi, Lazio, Italy.
June, 2019.
Use the good china.
Our dining room (before COVID).
Family is never too far away.
Community Beach, Parksville.
February, 2021.
Be kind, be smart, be safe.
Notch Hill, Nanoose Bay, BC.
July 2020.

Someone who we care about is watching.
Cody.
October 2005.
This will pass, and we will all travel together again soon.
Taj Mahal, Agra, India.
February 2008.

White can unify; it can also divide. It can bring isolation or a fresh start. The choice is ours. The same with this video–although it can spark much controversy and debate, hopefully, the deeper message is not lost. If you haven’t watched it in a while, or, as with Richard, you don’t remember having seen it before (#lifelivedunderarock), it is definitely worth the (re)watch!

Thank you for joining me at this week’s #SundayStills.

What photo or message was your favourite?

#SundayStills
#Thingsthatarewhite

Feature Photo: Duncan, BC. March, 2018.
If you have also joined #SundayStills this week, please leave your link so that we can visit you there!

Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

94 thoughts on “White Reminds Us….”

  1. Hi Donna – gorgeous photos and a lot of your memories on here today. I kept contrasting the two pics of you in the snow and Richard in Cambodia – different shades of white and different climates – but both still full of the pleasure of being outside and enjoying our world. And yes, let’s hope that travel becomes normal again before too long. x

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    1. Hi, Jill – Thank you for your kind comment (as usual)! That Tuscany drink is one that I bought for a fellow walker, Paulo, whom we meet on the Via Francigena trail. One of my favourite things about the Camino trails (and hiking in general) is the very cool and interesting people that you meet along the way!

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    1. Thanks, Frank – You are absolutely right. So many things that we refer to as ‘white’ are actually not white at all.
      Separate question – I have been trying to follow your blog by email but can only seem to follow it by Word Press Reader (which I always forgot to check). Is there a way that I can follow by email?

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    1. Hi, Ally – My apologies for the pressure ( 😀 ). No, you absolutely do not need to pick just one photo. Funny thing – I had wanted to have just 12 photos for this post (that seemed like a good max). So I had almost omitted the Cambodia Doorway one. I’m now glad that I went with 14 photos (plus cover). As my penance, I have reduced the number of photos that I will share next week! 😀

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    1. Hi, Katie – Richard and I have had dogs together for 18 years. Cody joined us in Beijing and then retired with us to Vancouver Island. Sadly, he passed away at 11.5 years. Since then we haven’t had a full-time dog family member. But we have had two foster dogs (Sadie and Bandit). And we do have a wonderful granddog (Nala). I am also a member of a dog walking group which I am just heading off to now (socially distanced and masked of course). 😀

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    1. Thank you so much for dropping by. I haven’t ice-skated in years. Like you, I have fond memories of skating as a child. In University, I lived near the Rideau Canal (Ottawa) and frequently skated for transportation! 😀

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  9. What a well-thought out take on this theme, Donna! I really enjoyed it. Hard to pick a favourite photo though….from a technical perspective my favourite is the 2 people on the beach in Parksville (coming back from a polar dip, I assume?). I love that they are reflected in the large puddle on the sand, and the shades of blue mountains in the background. From a non-technical perspective, I love the one of you enjoying nature on your snowshoes!

    Deb

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    1. Hi, Deb – Thank you for this very kind feedback. The girls in the hotel robes did indeed do a polar dip — and stayed submerged in the water for over five minutes. The weather was freezing that day. I had my parka on and was still cold. Not only did they do the dip, they then stood there with just their swimsuits on (dripping wet), chatting to someone who came by and asked to take their photo (which they agreed to). BRAVE souls!!

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  10. Thank you for sharing your wonderful world of white, Donna! I love that one of you on your snowshoes and your playful, can-do attitude! Your wanderings in the world depicted in these images are so inspiring and like most, I hope we can all begin to travel and reawaken our wanderlust again soon. I have always loved that Michael Jackson song. Our world is neither but exists in shades of gray.

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    1. Hi, Terri -Thank you for this feedback. I completely agree with your closing line. Our world in general and humanity, in particular, does not exist in black and white. Rather there is a diversity of shades — ever-changing, ever blending. We are always more alike than we are different.

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    1. Thanks, Tracey – Cody was a true character. He had an especially enduring ‘Mr. Curtain-Head’ routine, where he would frequently wrap his (white) head in our (white) curtains just to get a laugh. He’s been gone for over 3 years now. We still miss him dearly!

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  12. A wonderful collection of photos. I like the video that you choose to match your theme, Donna. I remember it well, though I don’t remember any controversy associated with it. I do have to admit that even though I still admire Michael Jackson’s talent, all of the pedophilia incidents make me look at him in a whole different light.

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  14. Donna – I love your photos and captions. I have to say – while I know the song, I’ve never seen the video! Makes me rethink the song a bit. I also found the first photo interesting. In my time in Taiwan, Hong Kong and a few visits to China in the 80s it was still uncommon to see white wedding dresses. Having “western” weddings was just becoming popular in HK. White was reserved more for funerals. Thanks for sharing all your memories of an interesting life – in white.

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    1. Hi, Janet – It’s awesome to hear from you. I’ve missed you. Have you been posting? I tried to reconfirm my blog subscription to ensure that I did not miss your posts, but could not get WordPress to cooperate. I will try again!
      You are right about Asian countries and white wedding dresses. When we first moved to Beijing, red was a common dress colour for the brides of weddings that we attended. But as time went on, white seemed to become a more popular choice for brides. I love discovering different cultural traditions and the meanings behind them.

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      1. I have been writing semi-regularly since January – about a variety of topics. Would love to have you come by and join the conversation. Did I ever share that I actually wore a red Chinese gown for my wedding dress instead of the traditional white dress?

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  15. Thank you, Donna. I haven’t seen Michael in a while, a true talent.
    So many beautiful pictures, hard to pick a favourite, but I’m going to go with the one from Italy. Is that gelato decorated with a heart? The cross-country skiing one of you decorated in snow flakes is pretty good too 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Aimer – That white drink from Italy is a bit of a frozen yogurt drink. I sadly did not taste it. I offered to buy a drink for a fellow hiker, and that is what he requested. The details on the drink were so pretty, I had to snap a quick picture!

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  17. Hey Donna! I’m loving all your photo retrospectives! I especially love the one of Richard in Siem Reap because I have one of me in probably the exact same doorway…Good memories. My other favorite is the smiles on your faces close together 🙂 ~Kathy

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    1. Hi, Kathy – I absolutely love when I see someone’s travel photo and think “I was in that exact same spot”. It reminds me that it truly is a small world.
      I greatly appreciate you following along with my photo retrospectives. I look forward to chatting together in person again soon!

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  18. Good afternoon, Donna,
    Great output! The ice rink, snowshoes, and Cody finished in my top three, but all are fun. Oh, since it’s wine-thirty here, the Tuscany photo got me out of the chair! Thanks, and have a great week! Joe

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    1. Hi, Joe – I absolutely love ‘wine thirty!’ I’m glad my post helped you to remember that. What I love most about the photos that you have mentioned here is that they all remind me of travel near and far. The ice rink photo was taken in Winnipeg. The snowshoeing photo was taken in Mt. Washington and both of the Cody photos were taken in Beijing. Enjoy Happy Hour!

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  19. Hi Donna I loved all of your images and memories in this week’s #SundayStills. I love how the prompts are giving us an opportunity to be creative. Like you and Richard, Mike and I have travelled and are missing the opportunities now. Still we make the best of life and we do have our photos and memories don’t we? Have a beautiful week. xx

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    1. Hi, Sue. On my Saturday (your Sunday) I anxiously await for the #SundayStills posts to start trickling in. I absolutely love them and the connection that they bring. And when a special friend shares her draft SS posts in advance, I LOVE that too! Wishing you a great week ahead. See you on Monday/Tuesday. I have my homework done!

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      2. Hi, Bernie – Sue Loncaric has WP.org (self-hosted) so she is able to send a link of her drafts. Unfortunately, this does not work with WP.com, so I simply copy and paste my drafts into an email when required. Hope this helps!

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    1. Thanks, Janis – I almost didn’t use that Cody shot (as I already had another one of him, and I was trying desperately to narrow down). In hindsight, I’m glad that I did. I believe it is a great message. I also agree with you about white wine in Italy. Shouldn’t we be there now enjoying a glass (or two) together?

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    1. Hi, Erica. Those two ladies in their robes still make me cold just thinking of them. They are VERY brave souls! Thank you for your kind feedback. I love how #SundayStills has been giving my creativity a nudge. It definitely needed the push! I hope that all is well with you and your family. See you Monday!

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    1. Hi, Kristin – Thank you for your positive feedback. My husband and I were last in Italy in June 2019. We hiked the Via Francigena Trail from Lucca to Rome (400 km). It was truly magnificent! If you were in Italy in summer 2019 perhaps we passed each other on the street or in a cafe! 😀

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  27. Beautiful ending message, Donna. Indeed white can go both ways on all human spectrums. Richard wins the prize in his monk-cum-guru duds. Second prize goes to Cody in Beijing for being a world class model, and third prize goes to you in the snowy blizzard — at least I think that’s you! – Marty

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    1. Hi, Marty – I did almost scrap the monk-cum-guru photo but decided at the last moment to keep it. I’m glad that I did. And yup, that’s me snowshoeing in the snowy blizzard. It was as cold as it looks! 😀
      Thanks so much for stopping by.

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    1. Hi, Suzanne – Truth be told, I am also not sure if she was a bride or a model. In Beijing, we frequently came across photo shoots on a diverse range of themes. I agree with your parting comment – a true shame all around.

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  29. I love all of these photos and thoughts Donna, especially the last one of the Taj Mahal as it brings back great travel memories for me too. You have done a great job of showing things that are white. And yes that music video has so much in it! I like your comment that white can unify; it can also divide. It can bring isolation or a fresh start. The choice is ours. So wise my friend 🙂

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  31. I love all of these photos, Donna, but if I were to chose a favorite, I think it would be the white wine. The message that jumped out at me this morning was “If you want a new friend, make one.” It gave me pause with it’s truthfulness, and your photo matching is very clever. Thank you for a wonderful start to my day!

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    1. Hi, Christie – I love that white wine shot – it brings back fond memories of our last Camino hiking adventure. As Frank pointed out, white wine is usually not white at all. But I believe that it still qualifies! 😀

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  32. Hi Donna, What a beautiful bunch of whites. I watched the entire video, too. My favorites were you in the snow, and your dog being himself. I loved the caption, “If you want a friend, make one.” I read that line before clicking on the entire post, and thought, about making a new friend – the advice my grandma always gave me. When I opened the posts, my eyes went to the two friends, and THEN I realized that they were MAKING a new friend. So slow!!! You keep me with it. 🙂

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    1. Hi, Marsha – Thank you for your warm and insightful comment. You were definitely not being slow — you were simply focused on wise words from your grandmother. Sounds mindful to me! Thank you so much for dropping by. I always love your comments.

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  33. All the photos are lovely Donna thanks for sharing them. Is the Taj Mahal white or pinkish? Maybe the colour shows differently according to time of day, sunlight etc. Have a wonderful weekend – things are probably/possibly greening – ?

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    1. HI, Susan – Great question about the Taj Mahal. It actually has a pearly white exterior – but it looks different in different lights. We are lucky that Vancouver Island stays green all winter long. But we did have two short dumps of snow. Just enough to have a bit of a play. Hopefully, we’ve had our last snow for this winter…but I hate to jinx anything! 😀

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  34. Donna, a beautiful post and celebration of white. Your wonderful eclectic mix of photos take us around the globe and back to the most welcome of dining table setting! Wow! That is a lot of snow last December and I hope you had a chance to enjoy the warm heart latte (?) afterwards. The snowman is brilliant and I’m almost waiting for it to come alive and greet the people nearby. I love the serenity of the bride in the first photo, she oozes calm and tranquility, gathering her thoughts and emotions for the amazing life-changing day ahead whilst those around wait, bustle. Her sheer white a stark contrast to the darker colours of the crowd. Wishing you a weekend with peace and joy! xx

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    1. Hi, Annika – I absolutely love the beautiful words that you have put with my photos. You are an incredibly talented writer and it shows in all words that you pen — even in comments! Thank you for sharing this. I too wish you great peace and joy ahead!

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  36. Hi Donna – desperately late as usual … but wanted to take my time going through and I hadn’t seen the video – so was pleased to see that … I guess I don’t watch many, because one can get overwhelmed and live in a never-ending-clip video-hole!
    Stand Apart from the Crowd at Parksville is perfect … but the one of you in the snow is a moving snowstorm … love them all though … carry on enjoying life – Hilary

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    1. Hi, Hilary – One thing that I love about blog posts – there’s no expiry date. I greatly appreciate you dropping by whenever you can. And I wholeheartedly agree — ‘stand apart from the crowd’ is a great life lesson!

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  38. Pingback: Sunday Stills: #Rain, Rain…Another Day – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
  39. Pingback: Rhythm of the Rain – Retirement Reflections

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