Go to the Water

Today is my birthday and I am now 68 years old. It was like Mother Nature sent me a gift of beauty. I love hoar frost, and it is beautiful this morning. Last night I guess I forgot to turn the lights out on my Christmas tree and when I walked out to make coffee, there it was in all its glory. What a great way to start the day.  I like to embrace the saying, "you are only as old as you feel". I feel very fortunate that I have had very few health struggles in my life. I can basically eat whatever I want. I am strong and can move about with ease and my mind overall is usually sharp. What more can one ask for as I close in on 70?  I experienced a moment of harsh reality when I heard a young woman express concern over her dad's health. She said, "he's really old". I asked her how old he was, and she said, "65". She felt bad when I told her my age. I do remember when 65 was really old, but I don't think of it like that anymore.  I was born under the ...

They, as in the "Weather Alert" people promised a massive storm for Tuesday. I prepared all day Monday for what I thought would be an exciting time of storm watching. I love a good ole storm, I was even up in the night to check out what was happening. There was nothing then and when I got up on Tuesday morning, it was the same, still nothing. I was overcome with disappointment. The weather alert continued and at noon the torrential rain started. An unbelievable amount of rain for November 19. The snow settled in around 5:00 pm and it was finally happening. By Wednesday morning, it was a true winter storm.  Wild and crazy wind with snow and blowing snow. The snow was piled up in a hard barrier on my driveway. I believe it was so I wouldn't leave my garage, which I did not, it was storming. I get pleasure out of enjoying the retirement perk of not having to go out in bad weather!!!  Part of my preparation for a storm, is to make a list of the things I am going to do while s...

I simply love mantras. Whenever an article appears with the word, "Mantra" in it, I am all over it. Mantras are words or phrases that you repeat to yourself. They can help to calm down your thoughts and replace them with a strong belief. Mantras can aid in meditation and prayer.  There were several mantras in the article that I appreciated. One stood out in my mind, "don't be quick to give your opinion". It is good to get other people's opinion before you give yours. In other words, listen before you speak. When I worked at the university, we had lots of meetings. A discussion could take on a life of its own and go on for some time. At the end, one of my favorite people, who had worked at the university for a long time would give her opinion. She had listened to the discussion without saying a word. Of course, time stood still as we all listened to her wisdom and the discussion was done. We all agreed that her opinion was now our opinion because it made so m...

November 11th has come and gone for another year. I find Remembrance Day a day of strong emotion for me, I feel so proud to be a Canadian. I just love how people come together to honor the meaning of November 11th. It starts several weeks before the date, when people start to wear poppies. Tables are set up with Legion members patiently selling poppies. Small towns adorn their main streets with banners of the community veterans. Towns and cities have their own service, and at the end of the day the cenotaphs are laden with wreaths.  T here are very few veterans still living, their average age is 95 years. Just image what those wonderful old soldiers have seen and done in their lifetime "No stone left alone" is a program between educators, students and community members. They work together to honor the veterans and hold their own services at their community cemeteries. What a tremendous effort that shows respect and gratitude for fallen military veterans, while honoring living...

Welcome to my new expressive word, "Staggering".  I like to use interesting words; I get that from my dad. He used to read the dictionary, yep, page by page. When he would use his new words, we struggled to understand what he was talking about. When questioned he would repeat the meaning, word by word from memory. Dad struggled with reading, so his solution to improve was to read the dictionary. I have never nor will I ever read the dictionary. I just like to use a word that to me has an expressive meaning. Dad would have just loved the availability of using a google search for everything his mind was curious about.  One day, when I looked at the same red sign on the highway, I thought, it is staggering how long they leave those signs up. You know the red signs that make drivers aware they are about to hit a bad spot and to slow down or get into another lane. There is no way of knowing how bad the spot is, that remains a mystery until you are there. I am curious what determin...

I once heard that you have just 8 seconds to make or break a first impression. When I enter a new situation, I am aware that the first 8 seconds are paramount. A bad first impression often sticks with a person and there are times when you just can't get past it.       When you run a business of any kind the first 8 seconds are very important. This is especially true in small business. It all starts with that first phone call. I am not a fan of pushing a number, then another number, and possible another to leave a message. If you get a real person to answer the phone that wins points in my world. If that person is easy to understand and is understanding, another point. If that person, is personable I am in.  I support small business as much as I can. I recently took my computer for a check-up. It was suggested by a friend that I chose one of the first computer repair businesses in Brandon. Sadly, the owner of this business died last year at a young age, but his w...

Seventy years ago, on November 6, 1954, my parents were married. It was a small wedding in Mom's family home. The bridesmaid was Mom's best friend, and the best man was Dad's brother. The weather was nice for November as witnessed in the picture. Grandma Dempsey had made Mom's dress and her going away suit. Grandma was such an accomplished seamstress. She even made the pattern for the suit, and probably the wedding dress.   Mom and Dad stayed true to their marriage vows for 52 years. They did love and cherish each other through sickness and health until death, did they part. We said good-bye to Dad in 2006. Dad was a World War II veteran and a TB survivor. He had extensive damage to his lungs, but that never stopped him from living life to the fullest. For the last 10 years of his life, he depended on oxygen to help him with the quality of his life. For Dad t o live to be 84 years old and  celebrate his 52nd Anniversary was just short of a miracle.  Mom has gone on a...