Go to the Water

When I listen to the morning news, the only thing I really enjoy is the human-interest stories. I loved the story I am about to share; it just made my day and many days to follow. I am not sure where this is happening, but the concept is what is important, it is heart-warming. A humane society is pairing cats with seniors. It is like a foster situation, the senior doesn't have to pay for the litter or food, and the cat gets a loving home. The program is called "Silver Whiskers".   I read an article some time ago when a similar initiative was done with dogs. Every inmate in a federal prison was given a dog as a companion. They were responsible to look after them and look after them they did. What a win-win situation. A dog gives unconditional love, and an inmate is in need of love. What a beautiful way to teach an inmate how to love and care for something. A dog would have no judgement on their owner except to do their job, be devoted and show them love.   A dog gives...

Being busy is how we spend our time.  Being productive means being able to complete a task  or get something done.  "Being busy" is an individual behavior.  What is busy for some people, is just an average day for others.  Now that I am retired, I notice how people perceive "being busy". The first people that come to mind are the people that constantly say how busy they are. Some do it in a complaining way and others just comment that is part of their life right now. There is another group of people who are obviously very busy, but they would never say they are. They go about their lives making time for others, and accomplishing what is expected of them. They have their busyness under control.  A workplace is where you will often hear people say, "I'm so busy". We have all worked with people whose work area is a mess because as they say, they are "so busy". Somehow, they are comfortable in the disarray. Their time management is off, they seem...

We all know people that are always traveling somewhere. When they aren't on a trip they are  dreaming of or making plans for another one. When they do travel, they hit the ground running. Every second of every day is planned so they can see as much as possible. They finish off each day by posting pictures on Facebook. I am positive when they get home, they don't put their suitcase away, they just set it in a place where it can quickly be packed for the next impending trip. They have an insatiable desire to travel, which is nicely defined as "wanderlust". Wanderlust is more than just loving to travel; it is a deeply personal experience. It's a mix of psychology, biology and culture. My google search provided the following information of the traits that wanderlusts possess.    1. The Dopamine effect. Dopamine is what makes us "feel good". Wanderlusts feel good when they step into the unknown, experience new cultures and meet new people. The excitement of a...

We are not even at the end of the second month of the new year, and I already have learned some new and valuable lessons. The first lesson came the day I went to do a load of wash; I pushed the button and there was nothing. My washer was dead. I have a stackable, and the dryer worked, so there was power. This is my second set of stackable washer/dryer in 18 years. Some of my neighbors are still using the original set that came with the condos. Several years ago, my original poured all of its oil out on the floor, and I got a new set. So, there I stand looking at set #2 and thinking this can't be happening again. I am not a family of 15, it doesn't run constantly, how could it be worn out. I went to a google search and literally found nothing. I decided to put my search aside and have a long phone conversation. I then reworded my google search and this time it said to "unplug" it. Even though my washer didn't have any visible electronics, it apparently did. As I pl...

From February 6th to February 22nd, the Olympic Winter Games are taking place in Milano Cortino, Italy. The Olympics are steeped in history, beginning in Athens in 77 BCE. The revival of the modern Olympics took place in Athens in 1896. The revival was aimed to promote international peace and understanding through sports. There were 280 athletes from 12 nations competing in 43 sports. Since the revival the winter Olympics were introduced in 1924. They have alternated between summer and winter games every 2 years since 1994. This year Canada sent 207 athletes: 108 women and 99 men. This is the first time in history that Canada has sent more women than men. They will compete in 14 sports and 16 disciplines.   The opening ceremonies are spectacular, and this year was no different. When the athletes start to come in all dressed the same, representing their countries, you can sense the excitement. Canada arrives early in the parade of athletes, and I am always excited to see them. ...

I am starting this post with a quote from Jeff Prost, the host of Survivor. He said, "everyone has a story, and once you know their story, they make sense".  When you think about it, the adversities a person faces during their lives, is their story. It is how a person molds and adapts to the challenges that they have faced in their lives that makes their story make sense.    When I worked in Palliative Care, I would often say to a patient, "tell me your story". People's lives are fascinating, and at the end of life, it can be releasing to be given an opportunity to share about their life. As we age, we start to feel like our stories aren't very important. It is just an old person talking about the past. It is unbelievable what some people have been through in their lives. To be given an opportunity to share their story makes them feel like they made a difference, their life was worthy.       Story tellers come in a variety pack. There are good story te...

Today we are putting January 2026 in the past. Anyone that has made the decision to live in the Canadian prairies knows to brace themselves for January. This year, each day seemed to hold its own little weather adventure, most of which were not that much fun. I have to admit I am looking forward to turning the calendar to February.   January is a special birthday month for my family. My Mom has a daughter, a grandson, a great grandson and great granddaughter and now a great great grandson that celebrate their birthdays in January. We are a small family, but one quarter of our family celebrate their birthdays in January, three on one day.  My Irish twin sister turned 70 and we spent some time together that day. She came home from Pheonix to celebrate with her family. She has a grandson and a granddaughter born on her birthday, so why not! I told her that she could check out how being 70 works, and then, when it is my turn in November, I can decide if I am going to do it or...

January 21, was the 16th year for Bell's "Let's Talk Day". The day is identified as a way to come together to make mental health a priority. The annual awareness campaign and day is to help reduce stigma associated with mental health and to promote awareness and understanding. Break the silence and talk about it. Bell is investing $10 million in Canadian mental health initiatives, making a total of $194 million since 2010. The third Monday of January is identified as "Blue Monday" or the most depressing day of the year. The "Monday Blues" is a day where someone experiences negative thoughts about Monday. It is a common feeling of unhappiness as people face the work week. This year Blue Monday was on January 19th. The weather that day had a real feel of -35 with the rest of the week even colder. It doesn't take long to get down when the frigid cold goes on for days. I have heard that "Talk therapy" is the best therapy for mental healt...