Since New Year's Eve is a significant date we often remember things that occurred on that date. Some of the things could be ordinary and if they happened on any other day they may be forgotten. However, the winners and losers really stick out.
A New Year's Eve that occurred in 1964 stands out in my mind as the one that goes down in my history. For a young guy New Year's Eve was a time to party. Few of us had steady girlfriends so a date for New Year's Eve was important. I was living in Inuvik at the time and the community population was about 1500 people. There was lots of coming and going. We had a 100 bed hospital so there were lots of nurses. The single guys kept close tabs on new staff who came in. There was lots of socialization. It was good fun.
However, on New Year's Eve a date was important. I had met a nurse in November when she arrived to work in the hospital. I tried to phone her a number of times to ask her to the New Year's Eve party, but I was not successful. A colorful Jamaican public health nurse lived in my building. When she found out that my friend and I were in a predicament for New Year's Eve she said , "I'll find somebody for you." She knew who we had been trying to invite. So New Year's Eve came and we appeared at the nurses residence to pick up our blind dates. Sure enough the girl I had tried to contact was there all dressed up for a party! Her best friend was there for my friend. We had a great time.
After that more dates occurred and lo and behold that young lady became my wife. So we always joke that we met on a blind date.
So I can look back on that New Year's Eve as a win! As in most relationships there have been ups and downs. On some days we would say that was a tragic night and most days that it was the greatest night ever.
How about your New Year's Eves? Have they all been eventful and memorable? Have some of them been tragic?
So here's a Happy New Year to all my readers. Have a wonderful 1012!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
My Scythe Becomes a Piece of Art
When it comes to art, my qualifications are pretty thin. I like art and appreciate it. However, I have no artistic skill and have never had any experience or training. All of this doesn't stop me from expressing my like of art.
A few months ago I did two posts on a scythe I had owned for many years. I made one post on my life with the scythe and another on the sale of my scythe. So a few months ago my scythe finally sold. The sale and what the scythe was to be used for was interesting. Robin Williams, the buyer, only wanted the handle. He explained to me that he was an artist and wanted a wooden scythe handle in a piece of sculpture that he was creating. He was extremely happy to find this scythe handle as he had been looking for a wooden scythe handle for a long time. Scythe handles for a long time have been made of metal. It's easy to bend the metal into the scythe handle shape. This artist had researched how wooden scythe handles were made. If it wasn't so complicated and the requirement for special tools, he would have made a scythe handle. The wooden handles were made by a process of soaking and steaming the wood. Then it was placed in a jig where it dried and retained it's shape. I found his description and ideas rather interesting.
He then went into more detail as to what his plan was for the sculpture. He described himself as a Gothic artist and he wanted to fashion a special blade with Gothic symbols and shapes. At the end he promised me he would send a picture of his sculpture because he knew I was interested to see what happened. Like many things in this aged brain I had forgotten that he would send a picture. So when the picture arrived a month ago I was pleasantly surprised.
Robin took the old blade off and cut a new piece of metal into the shape of a large blade. He then drew out a pattern on a piece of card board and probably traced it out on the blade. Then the hard work came to cut out the steel and then finish the steel.
All photos submitted by Robin Williams
It was interesting that he had taken steel and cut it for a blade with Gothic imagery. So my scythe lives on a piece of art.
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| The scythe before the handle was taken off. |
A few months ago I did two posts on a scythe I had owned for many years. I made one post on my life with the scythe and another on the sale of my scythe. So a few months ago my scythe finally sold. The sale and what the scythe was to be used for was interesting. Robin Williams, the buyer, only wanted the handle. He explained to me that he was an artist and wanted a wooden scythe handle in a piece of sculpture that he was creating. He was extremely happy to find this scythe handle as he had been looking for a wooden scythe handle for a long time. Scythe handles for a long time have been made of metal. It's easy to bend the metal into the scythe handle shape. This artist had researched how wooden scythe handles were made. If it wasn't so complicated and the requirement for special tools, he would have made a scythe handle. The wooden handles were made by a process of soaking and steaming the wood. Then it was placed in a jig where it dried and retained it's shape. I found his description and ideas rather interesting.
He then went into more detail as to what his plan was for the sculpture. He described himself as a Gothic artist and he wanted to fashion a special blade with Gothic symbols and shapes. At the end he promised me he would send a picture of his sculpture because he knew I was interested to see what happened. Like many things in this aged brain I had forgotten that he would send a picture. So when the picture arrived a month ago I was pleasantly surprised.
Robin took the old blade off and cut a new piece of metal into the shape of a large blade. He then drew out a pattern on a piece of card board and probably traced it out on the blade. Then the hard work came to cut out the steel and then finish the steel.
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| New blade and pattern plotted out on cardboard. |
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| New blade and pattern. |
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| Blade against a straw bale. |
It was interesting that he had taken steel and cut it for a blade with Gothic imagery. So my scythe lives on a piece of art.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas at Hiawatha House
Christmas is a pretty laid back affair around Hiawatha House. Nobody gets up at 4 AM and sneaks downstairs to see if Santa had been there. On the other hand nobody sleeps in. We get up at the usual time and have breakfast and get on with the first chores of the day.
Our daughter Skyped us from Chicago. We shared some Christmas chatter and showed various things we hadn't seen before. WE saw a Christmas present that we hadn't opened yet. She got the same thing we got although we hadn't opened it yet.
After the daughter's call we opened gifts.
The standard lunch was had by all!
Skyped with the grand kids in the afternoon.
Very good Christmas dinner. We had turkey breast. After we had eaten we noticed that a single neighbor was home alone so took a plate of our dinner over to him.
From 7-8 PM I went cross country skiing. I really needed to burn of those extra calories.
Our daughter Skyped us from Chicago. We shared some Christmas chatter and showed various things we hadn't seen before. WE saw a Christmas present that we hadn't opened yet. She got the same thing we got although we hadn't opened it yet.
After the daughter's call we opened gifts.
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| I did get my stocking hung up! |
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| The grand kids gifts |
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| Goofy grandpa with the grand kids gifts. |
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| Surprise! Surprise! I got a sweater for Christmas. |
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| A really silly self done photo. |
The standard lunch was had by all!
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| Had a nice two km walk around bower Ponds. Lots of skaters on this well kept outdoor pond. I was sorry I didn't take my skates. |
Skyped with the grand kids in the afternoon.
Very good Christmas dinner. We had turkey breast. After we had eaten we noticed that a single neighbor was home alone so took a plate of our dinner over to him.
From 7-8 PM I went cross country skiing. I really needed to burn of those extra calories.
Friday, December 23, 2011
LUCKY STREAK
I've been on a lucky streak recently! I've won two things in the last month. That's along streak of luck for me!
First I won a CD that the Musical Gardener was giving for a prize when he drew names from commenters on his blog. The CD was Susan Boyle doing mostly Christmas songs.
Yesterday I won a book when they drew my name. I was at an appreciation lunch for Kerry Wood nature Center volunteers. I received the book " The Sanctuary" written by Kerry Wood. Kerry Wood was a local Red Deer author who specialized in Natural history. Kerry Wood was prolific author as he wrote numerous books and radio clips when these were popular in the 40' and 50's Kerry Wood knew his subject from having hands on experience. These days we think we're awesome when we go off grid. Wood built a cabin and pretty well left society for a year when he lived off the land with little bought from stores. He made his own furniture. He collected plants and animals for food. Since I always liked Kerry wood I was happy to win a book of his.
So I consider myself fortunate in the lucky department for the last few weeks. Maybe I should buy a few lottery tickets since I'm on such a hot streak!
First I won a CD that the Musical Gardener was giving for a prize when he drew names from commenters on his blog. The CD was Susan Boyle doing mostly Christmas songs.
Yesterday I won a book when they drew my name. I was at an appreciation lunch for Kerry Wood nature Center volunteers. I received the book " The Sanctuary" written by Kerry Wood. Kerry Wood was a local Red Deer author who specialized in Natural history. Kerry Wood was prolific author as he wrote numerous books and radio clips when these were popular in the 40' and 50's Kerry Wood knew his subject from having hands on experience. These days we think we're awesome when we go off grid. Wood built a cabin and pretty well left society for a year when he lived off the land with little bought from stores. He made his own furniture. He collected plants and animals for food. Since I always liked Kerry wood I was happy to win a book of his.
So I consider myself fortunate in the lucky department for the last few weeks. Maybe I should buy a few lottery tickets since I'm on such a hot streak!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
Dec. 18 was the appointed day for the Christmas Bird Count(CBC) in my area. Out of the last 42 years I have missed the CBC maybe five times. It's a high light of the year for me.
I have done the same area for about 35 years. I know about what I'll find every year. So why do the same area? It's the surprises you get when you see something different. The last two years have been dismal as far as the species I've found and the number of birds counted. Last year was bitterly cold. This year we had an overnight snow fall and the birds weren't moving. Five species I expected to count, I didn't see. Ordinarily we see blue jays, white breasted nuthatches, pigeons and red breasted nuthatches every day. Usually I would see hairy woodpeckers and pileated woodpeckers but not Dec. 18.
The area I count is a fairly wide ravine with a variety of habitat. There can be old growth spruce,poplar willow and a variety of shrubs. It was used as pasture land until about 25 years ago. It has a wide variety of excellent habitat.
Our day was mild and calm. It was pleasant to be outside all day. In the evening we had a great potluck supper.
What was unusual on Dec. 18 was the number of little difficulties I encountered. I slipped on the side of a ravine and fell a few feet down the side. I got out and found my pant pretty muddy. Ten minutes later when I wanted to record some birds I found that my recording card was gone. So guess what? I lost it when I fell. Later I wanted to use my field glasses and hurriedly went into my back pack. The field glasses were not here. I was sure I had put them in but thought I left them by my back door. A little while later I wanted to record an bird and found that I had lost my pencil. So the comedy of errors is piling up.
I got home and no the field glasses were not in the doorway. I checked the computer room and bedroom...nothing! I rechecked everything again...nothing! So I was ready to drive back to where I fell. So one more look in the back pack. There they were. Had gone in the wrong pouch in my excitement to see the bird. Of course I caught it from the clothes washer person for getting my pants muddy.
So if the birds don't make your day, being a bumbling idiot will make for some excitement.
I have done the same area for about 35 years. I know about what I'll find every year. So why do the same area? It's the surprises you get when you see something different. The last two years have been dismal as far as the species I've found and the number of birds counted. Last year was bitterly cold. This year we had an overnight snow fall and the birds weren't moving. Five species I expected to count, I didn't see. Ordinarily we see blue jays, white breasted nuthatches, pigeons and red breasted nuthatches every day. Usually I would see hairy woodpeckers and pileated woodpeckers but not Dec. 18.
The area I count is a fairly wide ravine with a variety of habitat. There can be old growth spruce,poplar willow and a variety of shrubs. It was used as pasture land until about 25 years ago. It has a wide variety of excellent habitat.
Large old growth spruce
Our day was mild and calm. It was pleasant to be outside all day. In the evening we had a great potluck supper.
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| Mixed poplar and spruce |
What was unusual on Dec. 18 was the number of little difficulties I encountered. I slipped on the side of a ravine and fell a few feet down the side. I got out and found my pant pretty muddy. Ten minutes later when I wanted to record some birds I found that my recording card was gone. So guess what? I lost it when I fell. Later I wanted to use my field glasses and hurriedly went into my back pack. The field glasses were not here. I was sure I had put them in but thought I left them by my back door. A little while later I wanted to record an bird and found that I had lost my pencil. So the comedy of errors is piling up.
I got home and no the field glasses were not in the doorway. I checked the computer room and bedroom...nothing! I rechecked everything again...nothing! So I was ready to drive back to where I fell. So one more look in the back pack. There they were. Had gone in the wrong pouch in my excitement to see the bird. Of course I caught it from the clothes washer person for getting my pants muddy.
So if the birds don't make your day, being a bumbling idiot will make for some excitement.
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Other Shoe Has Dropped.
A couple of posts ago I told of raising the Christmas tree at our house. It's my job to put up the old artificial tree. It's my wife's job to decorate the tree. I was telling you that sometimes we don't get to putting up a tree.
Well, this year the tree is up and it's also decorated! How about that?
Well, this year the tree is up and it's also decorated! How about that?
So my wife's decorating job does wonders to my little old artificial tree!
To all readers, have a joyous Christmas season.!
I will be posting during the holiday period as there is so much going on.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Accidental Salesman
Today I was an accidental salesman for a few hours!
Our Nature Center has a bookstore as many nature centers do. They have tables in the various malls at Christmas. Of course these tables are manned by volunteers. I volunteer a couple of times each season for a few hours. It's interesting because people come to you with all kinds of natural history questions or comments. They will have a bird that comes to their yard that they can't identify. Somebody else wants to know about bats. Another person is totally absorbed by craters. I find these interactions very positive and many times I learn something new.
However, I'm supposed to be there selling books? Sales are slow but the main objective is to get the nature center book store name out there and hopefully people will visit the nature center. Any books I sell in the process will be completely accidental!
However, I'm supposed to be there selling books? Sales are slow but the main objective is to get the nature center book store name out there and hopefully people will visit the nature center. Any books I sell in the process will be completely accidental!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Great Times: Skater's Christmas Party
I have posted before about how I ice skate on a regular basis from the first Tues. in Sept. to the last Tues. in April. I started this year with a post called "Whee Skating Started Again!" I really feel that way.
As with many groups involved with an activity there develops a tremendous support for one another. In an urban setting people can sometimes become completely isolated.

So today the skaters had their annual Christmas party. We invite all the previous skaters who have for one reason or another stopped skating. Since we are seniors people can find themselves at an age where they cannot continue skating. These people love to join the Christmas party and meet with old friends who they skated with before. They support one another and meet new skaters. All present skaters and past skaters make an effort to meet and continue the relationship which comes through skating.
So today after skating we had a table laden with goodies and coffee supplied by club members . We meet after skating in a large reception room. Acquaintances are renewed and for many it's one of the major events they attend at Christmas.
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| Having fun before the party |
As with many groups involved with an activity there develops a tremendous support for one another. In an urban setting people can sometimes become completely isolated.

So today the skaters had their annual Christmas party. We invite all the previous skaters who have for one reason or another stopped skating. Since we are seniors people can find themselves at an age where they cannot continue skating. These people love to join the Christmas party and meet with old friends who they skated with before. They support one another and meet new skaters. All present skaters and past skaters make an effort to meet and continue the relationship which comes through skating.
So today after skating we had a table laden with goodies and coffee supplied by club members . We meet after skating in a large reception room. Acquaintances are renewed and for many it's one of the major events they attend at Christmas.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Just When You Think It'll Never Happen It Does
I have had an artificial Christmas tree since the "early stone age!" When my kids were little I would involve them in putting the tree up. I would ask for pink branch and they would both dive in the box to find a pink coded branch. When they got older my daughter branched off to the decorating of the tree with her mother. When ti kids left home and didn't always come back for Christmas the putting up of the tree was somewhat sporadic.
So I would ask my wife when she wanted me to put the tree up. I'm a big kid and to put the tree up Dec. 1 would be fine with me. My wife would sat, "I'll tell you when I want it up." So over the years I would wait until I received the request to put up the tree. Sometimes it would be so late it was only a few days before Christmas. One or two times it didn't get put up at all.
So this year on Dec. 13 I was requested to put up the tree. It's close to Christmas and to me it's just about not worth the time to raise the tree.
So I was hiding in the weeds and thinking ,"Maybe this year it'll never happen," and then oops! It does happen and the tree has to be put up.
So I would ask my wife when she wanted me to put the tree up. I'm a big kid and to put the tree up Dec. 1 would be fine with me. My wife would sat, "I'll tell you when I want it up." So over the years I would wait until I received the request to put up the tree. Sometimes it would be so late it was only a few days before Christmas. One or two times it didn't get put up at all.
So this year on Dec. 13 I was requested to put up the tree. It's close to Christmas and to me it's just about not worth the time to raise the tree.
So I was hiding in the weeds and thinking ,"Maybe this year it'll never happen," and then oops! It does happen and the tree has to be put up.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Hooked on Casinos
Now I don't gamble! So this does not cover a personal story of a gambling problem.
My concern is the other side of gambling where organizations depend on funds from casinos.
When Alberta legalized gambling and casinos were set up, charitable organizations complained as it would kill the bingo cash cow. Therefore, the Alberta Govt. set up a system where groups needing funds could volunteer in the casino and receive funds for their efforts. It's a good deal for non profits as for two days of effort you receive $20 000 to $30 000. You only get a casino once every two years so it's popular and why not?
I am on the board of an organization which has a casino. Why there's a bee in my bonnet is because we've recently been working on two casino reports which we must complete. The first report is an accounting of what we have done with casino money. We have to keep a separate casino account. The people who want the report decided the period should be from part of 2009, all of 2010 and part of 2011. So we had to go through files from 3 different years...not fun! It doesn't make you happy when the report is returned and they want different information.
Now because we have an upcoming casino, we must file a detailed budget of what we are going to spend the money on and the approximate time it will be spent. Most organizations have one big item to spend their money on and it's done. We have many smaller and different events. One thing we do is present about 8 speakers a year. We really have to work to get the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission to accept speakers.
So the two days of working at the casino are a piece of cake. The book work is a pain in the butt. You are limited in what the money can be spent on. It would be easier if you could spend the money on any of your groups on going activities.
Organizations have become dependent on casino funds. Your group is put in a schedule for a casino date. Other fund raising activities have become less lucrative so we work hard at participating in casinos.
So guess what? I will continue working to raise income from casinos???
My concern is the other side of gambling where organizations depend on funds from casinos.
When Alberta legalized gambling and casinos were set up, charitable organizations complained as it would kill the bingo cash cow. Therefore, the Alberta Govt. set up a system where groups needing funds could volunteer in the casino and receive funds for their efforts. It's a good deal for non profits as for two days of effort you receive $20 000 to $30 000. You only get a casino once every two years so it's popular and why not?
I am on the board of an organization which has a casino. Why there's a bee in my bonnet is because we've recently been working on two casino reports which we must complete. The first report is an accounting of what we have done with casino money. We have to keep a separate casino account. The people who want the report decided the period should be from part of 2009, all of 2010 and part of 2011. So we had to go through files from 3 different years...not fun! It doesn't make you happy when the report is returned and they want different information.
Now because we have an upcoming casino, we must file a detailed budget of what we are going to spend the money on and the approximate time it will be spent. Most organizations have one big item to spend their money on and it's done. We have many smaller and different events. One thing we do is present about 8 speakers a year. We really have to work to get the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission to accept speakers.
So the two days of working at the casino are a piece of cake. The book work is a pain in the butt. You are limited in what the money can be spent on. It would be easier if you could spend the money on any of your groups on going activities.
Organizations have become dependent on casino funds. Your group is put in a schedule for a casino date. Other fund raising activities have become less lucrative so we work hard at participating in casinos.
So guess what? I will continue working to raise income from casinos???
Friday, December 9, 2011
Can I Wear My New Sweater?
The other day we decided that it was time to wash the sweater that I wear around the house. So when I handed it to my wife I asked her if I should wear my new sweater. She hesitated and had a funny look on her face and then I said, "Or are you going to wrap it up for Christmas?" She freely admitted yes that's what her plan was.
For the last few years this has been a routine around here. Something that was bought during the year ends up under the Christmas tree.
Shopping with me goes like this. My wife will come home with a sweater. She will ask me to try it on and see if it fits. She will then ask me if I like it. I can't say no or I would hurt her feelings. So then the sweater is kept. It works like this for most of my clothes. She puts the item away and I soon forget about it and that's why it's so easy for her to put it under the tree. So if I have not been part of the decision it leaves my mind.
So I don't like shopping! I've told you that before. My wife loves shopping. She particularly likes watching for sales. She also likes looking around thrift shops, garage sales, craft sales and open houses. A place like Coombs market near Parksville, BC keeps her happy for hours.
So I dug around in the closet and found a sweat shirt of some kind to wear in the house. Sweater problem solved.
For the last few years this has been a routine around here. Something that was bought during the year ends up under the Christmas tree.
Shopping with me goes like this. My wife will come home with a sweater. She will ask me to try it on and see if it fits. She will then ask me if I like it. I can't say no or I would hurt her feelings. So then the sweater is kept. It works like this for most of my clothes. She puts the item away and I soon forget about it and that's why it's so easy for her to put it under the tree. So if I have not been part of the decision it leaves my mind.
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| the old sweater |
So I dug around in the closet and found a sweat shirt of some kind to wear in the house. Sweater problem solved.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
How Our Muscles Age
I read many excellent posts on aging. Topics covered are health, elder care and the loss of parents, siblings, children and friends. Volunteering to assist elderly people is another large issue that many people are involved in. People become acutely aware of their aging and begin to think of their own end. People look in the obituaries and start to see that many of the people who die are younger than they are.
But there's another factor I would like to look at. That is the process that gradually happens to our muscles. As we age we become weaker and this brings about difficulties in mobility and participating in daily activities.
Today I listened to a radio documentary on a 92 year old woman who trains and competes in all track and field events. She holds world records in her age category in all track and field events except one. If I considered doing long jump my body would be jarred so severely that I may not be able to move again. This 92 year old trains four or five days a week and travels all over North America to compete. She is compared to someone who would be twenty years younger than her.
Scientists are interested in this woman to see if there is a gene that allows her to be so strong at this age. They want to know why she is so very strong while others that age are very weak.
At about age 75 we lose a large percentage of our strength. Muscles are composed of particles which are like "trees". These particles are beside each other head to head and mesh with each other. This is what the process of stretching involves. We stretch the little particles to bring about better use of the whole muscle. As we age the "trees" move further apart. In our seventies the "trees" are actually beside each other and do not mesh. From this point on the "trees" move further apart and we steadily lose strength. Scientists know that his process happens but they don't know much else.
So that is why scientists are interested in the ninety two year old who competes in track. They want to know if there is a certain type of gene she has that the rest of us don't have that allows her this extraordinary strength.
If they find something, it's already too late for me. Getting up from the floor now takes me great effort!
But there's another factor I would like to look at. That is the process that gradually happens to our muscles. As we age we become weaker and this brings about difficulties in mobility and participating in daily activities.
Today I listened to a radio documentary on a 92 year old woman who trains and competes in all track and field events. She holds world records in her age category in all track and field events except one. If I considered doing long jump my body would be jarred so severely that I may not be able to move again. This 92 year old trains four or five days a week and travels all over North America to compete. She is compared to someone who would be twenty years younger than her.
Scientists are interested in this woman to see if there is a gene that allows her to be so strong at this age. They want to know why she is so very strong while others that age are very weak.
At about age 75 we lose a large percentage of our strength. Muscles are composed of particles which are like "trees". These particles are beside each other head to head and mesh with each other. This is what the process of stretching involves. We stretch the little particles to bring about better use of the whole muscle. As we age the "trees" move further apart. In our seventies the "trees" are actually beside each other and do not mesh. From this point on the "trees" move further apart and we steadily lose strength. Scientists know that his process happens but they don't know much else.
So that is why scientists are interested in the ninety two year old who competes in track. They want to know if there is a certain type of gene she has that the rest of us don't have that allows her this extraordinary strength.
If they find something, it's already too late for me. Getting up from the floor now takes me great effort!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Trouble with Free Lunches
Now I'll be up front. I don't like free lunches! Now before you leave and say, "Nut job!" I'll defend myself.
Home Farm Girl is absolutely obsessed with free stuff. She thinks she's died and gone to heaven when she gets samples of anything in the grocery stores.
So today a mall had an appreciation of seniors lunch. The lunch was free and the first 200 got a free gift. The mall is about 7km away so Home Farm Girl couldn't walk. The bus would take about the same time. So I was embarrassed into taking her to the mall. So guess what, I'll have to stay for lunch! Now we had to be there early so Home farm Girl would get the free gift. I was also lined up to get a free gift as well but we weren't too smart as they found out we were a couple so only one gift to a house hold. So what was the big free gift? A bag of candies! Just what all old folks would like! Oh and there was a ticket in the package for a free picture with Santa. So guess who had to get a picture with Santa?
Now I don't like crowds! Give me the wide open spaces. There are probably 500 people who take in the lunch so there's a mammoth line up. There's a rinky dink table where they serve you Cole slaw , potato salad, sandwiches that are flat,cookies and drinks. All of this on plastic plate! There are various musical groups which entertain you. There was some toe tapping old time music. Now to go through all this pain is not worth the free lunch. I would rather be out or just plain at home at the computer reading blogs.
So Home Farm Girl had great time! After I was dragged to the mall I actually did enjoy myself! You can't be that miserable that you wouldn't enjoy a free lunch.
Home Farm Girl is absolutely obsessed with free stuff. She thinks she's died and gone to heaven when she gets samples of anything in the grocery stores.
So today a mall had an appreciation of seniors lunch. The lunch was free and the first 200 got a free gift. The mall is about 7km away so Home Farm Girl couldn't walk. The bus would take about the same time. So I was embarrassed into taking her to the mall. So guess what, I'll have to stay for lunch! Now we had to be there early so Home farm Girl would get the free gift. I was also lined up to get a free gift as well but we weren't too smart as they found out we were a couple so only one gift to a house hold. So what was the big free gift? A bag of candies! Just what all old folks would like! Oh and there was a ticket in the package for a free picture with Santa. So guess who had to get a picture with Santa?
Now I don't like crowds! Give me the wide open spaces. There are probably 500 people who take in the lunch so there's a mammoth line up. There's a rinky dink table where they serve you Cole slaw , potato salad, sandwiches that are flat,cookies and drinks. All of this on plastic plate! There are various musical groups which entertain you. There was some toe tapping old time music. Now to go through all this pain is not worth the free lunch. I would rather be out or just plain at home at the computer reading blogs.
So Home Farm Girl had great time! After I was dragged to the mall I actually did enjoy myself! You can't be that miserable that you wouldn't enjoy a free lunch.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Old One Room country School
This was the fifth post I made when I started blogging. I was disappointed to find out that no one read it so I'm posting it again. When I read this about my life I find it hard to believe that this is my experience in school. It's long ago and far away.Red
Where in the world would I come up with a name Hiawatha House for my blog ? Did I see something like this somewhere else? Did I have a streak of creativity . Well, actually none of the above .
I went to a rural one room school for nine years from the mid forties to the mid fifties . Yes, you can think ahead and guess ... the name of the school ...Hiawatha School District #1720. I, like many others who attended such schools look back with fondness to such schools and therefore honor my old school a bit by naming my blog Hiawatha house .
I looked forward to going to school as we were somewhat isolated on prairie farms and therefore it was a place to have many playmates and fellow students . We were active on the playground before school began at nine AM. Games were played . Activities from the previous day were continued such as building a snow house or fort .There were chores to be done like putting the horse away for the day, starting a fire in the big stove or getting the day's supply of water . All of these things were done with other kids . It was like a very large family as the enrolment was from nine to seventeen students while I attended .The day proceeded with classes , recesses and noon hours.
Since there were one to nine or ten grades in a one room school, the teacher had to arrange to have all grades organized so that they were active in the learning process at all times . Much independent work was done by the students . Students helped one another . You couldn't help but hear other lessons or activities going on around you . If you were in grade one you could listen to a grade eight science lesson . By the time you got to grade eight you'd heard the lesson seven times ! Was it boring ? No, it was your turn to be involved in the lesson that you had waited so many years for . Teachers changed and the grade eight science lesson changed . Many activities involved the whole school ...Christmas concerts . All students performed and sometimes the little guys performed with the big guys as a school choir . Think how proud the little guys were to be in something with with the big guys . Our ball teams were made up from usually grade threes to nine. We were immensely proud of these teams when we played other rural schools .
From grade four to nine I was the only one in the class . I proudly claim that I was top of the class for five years in a row . Besides this I liked working independently . I would do my work fairly quickly , and behave myself so I was not noticed . Why? Then I could read . I loved to read . I would quietly chose a library book from the small book case we had and read . Some of the books I read many times . The school had encyclopedias which I would spend hours thumbing through . I'm sure that most of the time the teacher appreciated me getting lost and not being a nuisance . I'm sure some of the teachers were bright enough to realize that what I was doing was certainly contributing to my progress . I would read and have one ear on what was going on in the classroom ...multi tasking!!
So the country school was a very pleasant place to spend your time . I have always looked back with pleasure at the time I spent in a rural school . Was it a totally successful learning venue ? Not really . Apologies to those who look on country schools as great learning institutions . There were many positive things which occurred , but many things were absent . We learned the basics , but often not much more . I learned to be a good reader and independent , but didn't learn to be assertive or competitive . As a result when I went to a small high school and later university , I found it difficult to be very active and participate in learning activities . I had not learned to discuss , question or write with any degree of competence .
However , I do look back with fondness to the time spent in a rural school . We were more than a school ...more a large family with community involvement .
So here's to you Hiawatha school!
Hiawatha School closed in June of 1955 with only six students attending in the final year .
There are many interesting books written about the rural school . One author is John C. Charyk. He has written several interesting accounts of rural schools . Try "The White School House" or "Syrup Pails and Gopher Tails ."
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Where Are They Now?
I retired from teaching in 1997. I taught at the same school from 1969-1997. I didn't plan to stay in the same school that long. As it turned out it was an excellent school and the community was very supportive.
Over that time I had about 4000 students. About 20% of them stayed in the same district and sent their kids to me. It was a treat to teach children of your former students. So I always wonder where my former students have gone and what has happened to them. I certainly wouldn't recognize very many of them on the street and the same would be true for them in recognizing me.
In this morning's paper I happened to see an advertising feature for a business called Classic Dream Machines. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a familiar name so I looked and found another. So there were Alden and Anders working in this specialized auto shop. This shop would do as little as paint a stripe on your car or completely redo your car to make it some far out set of wheels.
Now I had Alden and Anders in Middle School and I didn't each them very much. I had them for language arts and they let me know very definitely that they had very little time for literature,grammar, spelling or writing. They did as little as they possibly could and still get by. Every day Alden would whine, "Why do we have to do this stuff?" They were both smart enough that they could get by with little effort.
What these two boys spent all their time on was drawing cars. They could both produce beautiful complicated drawings of specially designed cars as far as painting and shape was concerned. They also had a decent understanding of the power train of the cars in their imagination. They were always drawing cars and sharing with each other. They talked to me about the cars all the time. So there were times that I maybe didn't appreciate their cars as much as they thought I should. If I'd been smart enough to find material on cars they would have read and written all kinds of things about cars. Sadly by the time I figured that out I was retired.
So this morning when I saw the ad I thought how awesome that these two guys are able to make a living from their dreams as kids. They are both able to pursue their passion for cars to make a living. It doesn't get any better than that!
Over that time I had about 4000 students. About 20% of them stayed in the same district and sent their kids to me. It was a treat to teach children of your former students. So I always wonder where my former students have gone and what has happened to them. I certainly wouldn't recognize very many of them on the street and the same would be true for them in recognizing me.
In this morning's paper I happened to see an advertising feature for a business called Classic Dream Machines. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a familiar name so I looked and found another. So there were Alden and Anders working in this specialized auto shop. This shop would do as little as paint a stripe on your car or completely redo your car to make it some far out set of wheels.
Now I had Alden and Anders in Middle School and I didn't each them very much. I had them for language arts and they let me know very definitely that they had very little time for literature,grammar, spelling or writing. They did as little as they possibly could and still get by. Every day Alden would whine, "Why do we have to do this stuff?" They were both smart enough that they could get by with little effort.
What these two boys spent all their time on was drawing cars. They could both produce beautiful complicated drawings of specially designed cars as far as painting and shape was concerned. They also had a decent understanding of the power train of the cars in their imagination. They were always drawing cars and sharing with each other. They talked to me about the cars all the time. So there were times that I maybe didn't appreciate their cars as much as they thought I should. If I'd been smart enough to find material on cars they would have read and written all kinds of things about cars. Sadly by the time I figured that out I was retired.
So this morning when I saw the ad I thought how awesome that these two guys are able to make a living from their dreams as kids. They are both able to pursue their passion for cars to make a living. It doesn't get any better than that!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Ginger Carrot Soup Sequel
A few days ago I posted on making ginger carrot soup for the first time. It was a challenge of monumental proportions for me.
Since I have lots of carrots and I haven't learned the secret of storing them I decided to make another large pot of ginger carrot soup. I really liked the ginger carrot soup I made before and I thought that once I had done this recipe I would have an easier time making the soup.
Well, I certainly did have an easier time making the soup. I didn't grate the carrots this time I just sliced them. I had enough ginger root this time.
The part that was a mystery to me last time but worked well was my undoing this time. Since I had two measures in the margin for ingredients I got mixed up. I used twice the margarine so the roux did not get to a sandy texture. I used the flour mixture anyway and the soup thickened. I also used a power hand mixer to puree the carrots and that worked well.
By the time I finished my monstrous pot of soup, I was so happy that I forgot to add the half cup of cream. It was still good soup.
So I will include the recipe for you and you can try it.
RED’S “HOT “ (STOLEN) CARROT AND GINGER SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
5 lbs carrots, peeled and grated
2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh ginger; peeled and sliced across to cut through strings then pureed in a food processor
4 liters chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of cream
¼ tsp dry basil
½ pound of butter
½ pound flour
Salt and pepper
METHOD:
In a large soup pot combine the carrots, onions, celery, ginger and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender . Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and possibly more ginger.
In a separate pan melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux. Allow this to cook over a low heat so that it does not change color but cooks to the consistency of wet sand.
Using a blender, puree the soup and slowly ad spoonfuls of the roux a bit at a time until it begins to thicken.
Since I have lots of carrots and I haven't learned the secret of storing them I decided to make another large pot of ginger carrot soup. I really liked the ginger carrot soup I made before and I thought that once I had done this recipe I would have an easier time making the soup.
Well, I certainly did have an easier time making the soup. I didn't grate the carrots this time I just sliced them. I had enough ginger root this time.
The part that was a mystery to me last time but worked well was my undoing this time. Since I had two measures in the margin for ingredients I got mixed up. I used twice the margarine so the roux did not get to a sandy texture. I used the flour mixture anyway and the soup thickened. I also used a power hand mixer to puree the carrots and that worked well.
By the time I finished my monstrous pot of soup, I was so happy that I forgot to add the half cup of cream. It was still good soup.
So I will include the recipe for you and you can try it.
RED’S “HOT “ (STOLEN) CARROT AND GINGER SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
5 lbs carrots, peeled and grated
2 medium onions, diced
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh ginger; peeled and sliced across to cut through strings then pureed in a food processor
4 liters chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of cream
¼ tsp dry basil
½ pound of butter
½ pound flour
Salt and pepper
METHOD:
In a large soup pot combine the carrots, onions, celery, ginger and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender . Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and possibly more ginger.
In a separate pan melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux. Allow this to cook over a low heat so that it does not change color but cooks to the consistency of wet sand.
Using a blender, puree the soup and slowly ad spoonfuls of the roux a bit at a time until it begins to thicken.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Jenn Jilks Interviewed on CBC Radio
One of the blogs I follow is Cottage Country Reflections by Jenn Jilks. This lively, feisty blog deals with a fairly wide variety of topics. Jenn has a passion for health care, nursing care, volunteering, safety, environment and grandchildren. They are not necessarily ranked in this order and I've probably missed a few topics. .
Jenn researches thoroughly and then pours her heart and soul into the post. Jenn sometimes makes more than one post a day.
However. yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing her interviewed on CBC radio on a program called "White Coat Black Art." This program is hosted by Dr. Brian Goldman and he covers all health topics in Canada. It's I program that I try not to miss.
Yesterday was Jenn's turn to star on the program. Jenn was interviewed regarding the issue of volunteers in health care and their value and challenges.
So after following Jenn for a couple of years it was a pleasure to hear her voice and her comments on the value of volunteers in the health system.
As with her blog , Jenn did a knock out interview. Congratulations Jenn.
Jenn researches thoroughly and then pours her heart and soul into the post. Jenn sometimes makes more than one post a day.
However. yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing her interviewed on CBC radio on a program called "White Coat Black Art." This program is hosted by Dr. Brian Goldman and he covers all health topics in Canada. It's I program that I try not to miss.
Yesterday was Jenn's turn to star on the program. Jenn was interviewed regarding the issue of volunteers in health care and their value and challenges.
So after following Jenn for a couple of years it was a pleasure to hear her voice and her comments on the value of volunteers in the health system.
As with her blog , Jenn did a knock out interview. Congratulations Jenn.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Could the Approach of Winter Be Just a Little Kinder?
Now I know that asking the weather to do something is totally useless. As useless as my dog howling at the moon! As useless as a rain dance! (Although I could get a strenuous argument on this one. )
I would really like winter to approach a little meeker or a little kinder.
It seems that winter has to hit me with a big bang. Winter has to crash upon me and I don't have time to become accustomed to the harsh temperatures. Later in the winter minus 18 for a daytime high will not be noticed. All of a sudden in the last three days our daytime highs have been minus 18 C(minus 5 F), cloudy and a little wind. When you first go out in these conditions it hits you and makes your body hurt. I would prefer to have the days become gradually cooler and then I would automatically adjust to the temperature and be comfortable.
So to fight the harsh conditions head on I went out yesterday. I walked to the mall (1.625 Km or 1 mile) I found conditions to be quite reasonable. I was comfortable and enjoyed the walk. On the way I saw a high flying flock of geese as well as a very large coyote right on the trail less than 50 m (160 ft) from me. I respect coyotes and won't tempt them . This one hastily went into the bush and disappeared.
My walk took me to the local mall where I was volunteering to man the Nature Center's book store. My time at the mall was great fun. Four hours later I had the pleasure of walking home in the same conditions. There was camera in my pocket with the message "batteries too low." I guess the camera batteries didn't like the cold either.
Now when I really stop and think about winter coming with a bang the worst part is sitting in the house and watching it!
I would really like winter to approach a little meeker or a little kinder.
It seems that winter has to hit me with a big bang. Winter has to crash upon me and I don't have time to become accustomed to the harsh temperatures. Later in the winter minus 18 for a daytime high will not be noticed. All of a sudden in the last three days our daytime highs have been minus 18 C(minus 5 F), cloudy and a little wind. When you first go out in these conditions it hits you and makes your body hurt. I would prefer to have the days become gradually cooler and then I would automatically adjust to the temperature and be comfortable.
So to fight the harsh conditions head on I went out yesterday. I walked to the mall (1.625 Km or 1 mile) I found conditions to be quite reasonable. I was comfortable and enjoyed the walk. On the way I saw a high flying flock of geese as well as a very large coyote right on the trail less than 50 m (160 ft) from me. I respect coyotes and won't tempt them . This one hastily went into the bush and disappeared.
My walk took me to the local mall where I was volunteering to man the Nature Center's book store. My time at the mall was great fun. Four hours later I had the pleasure of walking home in the same conditions. There was camera in my pocket with the message "batteries too low." I guess the camera batteries didn't like the cold either.
Now when I really stop and think about winter coming with a bang the worst part is sitting in the house and watching it!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Baba Rocks
What or who is Baba you say? Baba is a radio host who has an amazing knowledge of music and who has an unorthodox presentation.
I do not listen to commercial radio. I listen to CBC and CKUA. CKUA is one of those special stations that is independent and listener supported. By listener supported I mean they have fund raisers and run the radio in that way. CKUA listeners are passionate about their station.
Now back to Baba. Baba has a thick east Indian accent that you might hear on a news interview , but here he is on a music program. Baba has an amazing knowledge of music when it comes to performers, writers and all trivia. So when you listen to a Baba show you hear about the singer and musicians. Baba is able to interview many of the musicians that he features. You get an idea of the background. What influences shaped the singer and musicians. When you know more about the music you can appreciate and enjoy the music much more. Baba is very able to cover a wide variety of music. So you will hear him on folk roots , blues, jazz rock... the whole gamut.
Listening to Baba read community messages and give the weather is a totally new experience. So here's someone who was not trained in broadcasting and he's out there having fun and providing listeners with a first class music experience.
CKUA is on the Internet. All you have to do is Google CKUA and you can enjoy this fine station.
I do not listen to commercial radio. I listen to CBC and CKUA. CKUA is one of those special stations that is independent and listener supported. By listener supported I mean they have fund raisers and run the radio in that way. CKUA listeners are passionate about their station.
Now back to Baba. Baba has a thick east Indian accent that you might hear on a news interview , but here he is on a music program. Baba has an amazing knowledge of music when it comes to performers, writers and all trivia. So when you listen to a Baba show you hear about the singer and musicians. Baba is able to interview many of the musicians that he features. You get an idea of the background. What influences shaped the singer and musicians. When you know more about the music you can appreciate and enjoy the music much more. Baba is very able to cover a wide variety of music. So you will hear him on folk roots , blues, jazz rock... the whole gamut.
Listening to Baba read community messages and give the weather is a totally new experience. So here's someone who was not trained in broadcasting and he's out there having fun and providing listeners with a first class music experience.
CKUA is on the Internet. All you have to do is Google CKUA and you can enjoy this fine station.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Sleep Clinic Challenge
When I started blogging, this as the fourth post I made. I found out that nobody read this post because I didn't have any readers so I decided to post it again.
Last Friday night I slept at the sleep clinic . Now sleep clinic is an absolute misnomer as you don't get much shut eye . However , the sleep clinic is the end of my story .
How did I get to the sleep clinic ? Was it when my daughter slept in the same hotel room and complained the next morning that she had a very poor sleep as one of us snored (my wife of course ) and the other choked . Was it when my children were infants ? Was it stress from my work ?
Well, let's start from the beginning . I was born in 1939 to a young farm couple who had a very meagre residence ...three rooms ...no insulation or central heating . Eleven and one half months later I had a baby brother and by the time I was two years old I also had a little sister . My poor mother ! But that's another story . This one's on sleep . I can remember the three of us sleeping in one bed which wasn't crowded as we were little . As children we slept soundly even though three little bodies rolled and thrashed around and occasionally fell out of bed .
Later a new house was constructed and we had our own rooms ! Sleep was great . I was young . The house had central heating and was insulated .
I left after high school to attend college and lived in various boarding houses with shared accommodation . I did wake up from time to time with noise from other roomers coming and going . I changed localities very often in my early twenties as I taught and went to university . I spent three years in a very noisy single staff accommodation were there was much coming and going through the night . I remember being awake as I would hear people coming and going in the hallways . Sometimes there were all night parties .
I lived in a remote northern settlement were my wife was the nurse . She was on call twenty four- seven . Many nights she was required to attend to a sick person . We weren't in the habit of locking the house door until people walked into the house and into the bedroom to get the nurse .
Children arrived and took my attention . I felt a great responsibility for the welfare of my children while they were infants .Hungry , cold or ill children had to be looked after . Teenage children were another thing . From a young age my son liked movies . He would try to sneak downstairs to watch a movie and would get caught . He said ,"Dad, I never got downstairs to watch a movie . You always caught me ."
My children left home , but my interrupted sleep became worse . For many years I have set my thermostat so that the furnace does not come on after bedtime as I found a running furnace always awakened me . Through all of my poor sleep patterns I never felt fatigued and was always a morning person . I never needed an alarm clock .
In January of 2006 I began to feel fatigue and found it difficult to rise in the morning . When my daughter made the choking observation , I could immediately think of sleep apnea as I would be waking up with a jump . In 2007 My family physician referred me to a sleep specialist . The sleep specialist ordered a sleep clinic experience .
So there I was last Friday evening . Now the sleep clinic really wants to see how badly you sleep so they wire you up from head to toe . They will miss nothing . Sensors are attached to your shins and arms . A belt is put around your chest and another around your stomach . A box about twice the size of a mouse is attached to each belt . All these gizmos are firmly attached with liberal amounts of plastic tape . They tell you you can sleep in any position ...just try it! Then they say ,"Have a good night!"
As you can well imagine I did not have a very successful sleep . It's not easy sleeping in a strange place with all kinds of material attached to you .
I have not received any results from this ordeal, but I would rather go through the investigation as it is well known , that sleep apnea can lead to many health complications . What happens with sleep apnea is you stop breathing and oxygen levels decrease and your blood pressure rises . The combination can lead to other health problems so I will put up with the discomfort as it may prevent other options which are not positive .
So , Friday night in a sleep clinic !!! Kind of a bad joke !!!!
Last Friday night I slept at the sleep clinic . Now sleep clinic is an absolute misnomer as you don't get much shut eye . However , the sleep clinic is the end of my story .
How did I get to the sleep clinic ? Was it when my daughter slept in the same hotel room and complained the next morning that she had a very poor sleep as one of us snored (my wife of course ) and the other choked . Was it when my children were infants ? Was it stress from my work ?
Well, let's start from the beginning . I was born in 1939 to a young farm couple who had a very meagre residence ...three rooms ...no insulation or central heating . Eleven and one half months later I had a baby brother and by the time I was two years old I also had a little sister . My poor mother ! But that's another story . This one's on sleep . I can remember the three of us sleeping in one bed which wasn't crowded as we were little . As children we slept soundly even though three little bodies rolled and thrashed around and occasionally fell out of bed .
Later a new house was constructed and we had our own rooms ! Sleep was great . I was young . The house had central heating and was insulated .
I left after high school to attend college and lived in various boarding houses with shared accommodation . I did wake up from time to time with noise from other roomers coming and going . I changed localities very often in my early twenties as I taught and went to university . I spent three years in a very noisy single staff accommodation were there was much coming and going through the night . I remember being awake as I would hear people coming and going in the hallways . Sometimes there were all night parties .
I lived in a remote northern settlement were my wife was the nurse . She was on call twenty four- seven . Many nights she was required to attend to a sick person . We weren't in the habit of locking the house door until people walked into the house and into the bedroom to get the nurse .
Children arrived and took my attention . I felt a great responsibility for the welfare of my children while they were infants .Hungry , cold or ill children had to be looked after . Teenage children were another thing . From a young age my son liked movies . He would try to sneak downstairs to watch a movie and would get caught . He said ,"Dad, I never got downstairs to watch a movie . You always caught me ."
My children left home , but my interrupted sleep became worse . For many years I have set my thermostat so that the furnace does not come on after bedtime as I found a running furnace always awakened me . Through all of my poor sleep patterns I never felt fatigued and was always a morning person . I never needed an alarm clock .
In January of 2006 I began to feel fatigue and found it difficult to rise in the morning . When my daughter made the choking observation , I could immediately think of sleep apnea as I would be waking up with a jump . In 2007 My family physician referred me to a sleep specialist . The sleep specialist ordered a sleep clinic experience .
So there I was last Friday evening . Now the sleep clinic really wants to see how badly you sleep so they wire you up from head to toe . They will miss nothing . Sensors are attached to your shins and arms . A belt is put around your chest and another around your stomach . A box about twice the size of a mouse is attached to each belt . All these gizmos are firmly attached with liberal amounts of plastic tape . They tell you you can sleep in any position ...just try it! Then they say ,"Have a good night!"
As you can well imagine I did not have a very successful sleep . It's not easy sleeping in a strange place with all kinds of material attached to you .
I have not received any results from this ordeal, but I would rather go through the investigation as it is well known , that sleep apnea can lead to many health complications . What happens with sleep apnea is you stop breathing and oxygen levels decrease and your blood pressure rises . The combination can lead to other health problems so I will put up with the discomfort as it may prevent other options which are not positive .
So , Friday night in a sleep clinic !!! Kind of a bad joke !!!!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
A Sad Encounter on Remembrance Day
On Remembrance day I met my neighbor in the back alley. He asked me if I had been to the remembrance day activities. I told him I hadn't been to the ceremonies. He then got on a rather nasty rant.
He stated that anybody who doesn't go to the Remembrance day ceremonies should not be able to take advantage of the day off and should remain at work. We had talked about Hitler and that Hitler had to be stopped because he was a threat to the world. If Hitler had taken over we would have lost all freedoms and would have had to conduct ourselves exactly to Hitler's wishes. I couldn't give any more points to my neighbor as by this time he turned on his heal and left as he does not like nor is he able to defend his views
Bloggers I follow who posted on remembrance made excellent points about remembering the men and women who fought to maintain our freedom. Each post was different. Each post was very significant. I'm sure that each blogger had their own way to remember and I would guess that very few attended a formal ceremony.
The sad thing that my neighbor had in his head was that all people should be forced to remember the same way. To me that's not what freedom is. With my neighbor's view, how long would it be before other forms of directed behavior would be prescribed? How long would it be before we would have another madman who would try to take our freedom away? How many people who would be forced to attend remembrance services would actually remember anything? How long would it be before we would lose other freedoms?
On a Remembrance day I was saddened to hear a rant about losing the freedom to remember in a variety of ways.
He stated that anybody who doesn't go to the Remembrance day ceremonies should not be able to take advantage of the day off and should remain at work. We had talked about Hitler and that Hitler had to be stopped because he was a threat to the world. If Hitler had taken over we would have lost all freedoms and would have had to conduct ourselves exactly to Hitler's wishes. I couldn't give any more points to my neighbor as by this time he turned on his heal and left as he does not like nor is he able to defend his views
Bloggers I follow who posted on remembrance made excellent points about remembering the men and women who fought to maintain our freedom. Each post was different. Each post was very significant. I'm sure that each blogger had their own way to remember and I would guess that very few attended a formal ceremony.
The sad thing that my neighbor had in his head was that all people should be forced to remember the same way. To me that's not what freedom is. With my neighbor's view, how long would it be before other forms of directed behavior would be prescribed? How long would it be before we would have another madman who would try to take our freedom away? How many people who would be forced to attend remembrance services would actually remember anything? How long would it be before we would lose other freedoms?
On a Remembrance day I was saddened to hear a rant about losing the freedom to remember in a variety of ways.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Remembrance Evolves Over a Life Time.
Remembrance of those who served our country goes back a long time and things change and evolve. On thinking about remembrance I began to think about the various stages that we have gone through.
I was born a few days after the WWII started. I can remember some things about the war through a young child's eyes. I had uncles who were overseas and my parents told me about them. My Mom was forever sending parcels to her brother and cousins. I was impressed with the many men I saw in uniform. We lived a short distance from a major training airbase and had many planes fly over each day.
I remember young men coming back home and trying to reestablish their life. Most of them left the district after a few years for better opportunities elsewhere.
My high school teacher was a navy veteran and some days I felt like he thought we were recruits he was training. He was an excellent teacher and influenced many a kid to do better.
The first Principal I taught under in 1959 was a veteran. He was an able administrator who cared for his students and staff. Since my teaching career began in 1958 , there were many veterans teaching in the school system. When I was in the Arctic many government people were former service people as they had been given employment by the government. Of course, there were the baby boomers who attended school and most of their parents had gone through the war.
Most of these veterans who went through my life contributed immensely to the communities they lived in. There was a job that had to be done in the community and they just went out and did it. For example, many indoor hockey arenas were erected. They had learned this attitude during their wartime experience. They had a job to do and they went out and did it whether it was extremely unpleasant or not.
Over these years of my contact with service people I did not hear very much about their war experience except for the hijinks they were involved in. Much of their memories and experiences were kept to themselves or sometimes shared with someone who had gone through the horrors of war with them.
My son was in the reserve forces in Canada and that influenced the way I thought about our forces. I attended one remembrance service with him.
Now many of the armed forces people from WWII have left us. Those who are still here are very elderly.
So over the years my remembrance of what occurred has changed as things are added to my experience and understanding.
I now have a friend who went through the war as a Flight Sergeant. He has been very good about telling of his war experiences. He has not shied away from telling of some of the horrors he experienced. The war shaped his life greatly. He had just finished high school and thinking about what to do with his life when the war came along and made that decision for him. He found his life's partner as he was training. They decided to marry after the war. The five years of war caused him to miss the normal experiences of life in a community. When he returned it was a struggle to become established. He worked hard and was successful in business, family and community.
Today at 89 he still contributes. He leads a senior skating group and is the driving force behind its success. It's still the same . A job has to be done and he just goes out and does it.
So I am thankful for all the people who went out and did the very nasty job of fighting in WWII. Their sacrifices were many. Many sacrificed their life. We owe our gratitude to the men and women who went out and "did the job."
I was born a few days after the WWII started. I can remember some things about the war through a young child's eyes. I had uncles who were overseas and my parents told me about them. My Mom was forever sending parcels to her brother and cousins. I was impressed with the many men I saw in uniform. We lived a short distance from a major training airbase and had many planes fly over each day.
I remember young men coming back home and trying to reestablish their life. Most of them left the district after a few years for better opportunities elsewhere.
My high school teacher was a navy veteran and some days I felt like he thought we were recruits he was training. He was an excellent teacher and influenced many a kid to do better.
The first Principal I taught under in 1959 was a veteran. He was an able administrator who cared for his students and staff. Since my teaching career began in 1958 , there were many veterans teaching in the school system. When I was in the Arctic many government people were former service people as they had been given employment by the government. Of course, there were the baby boomers who attended school and most of their parents had gone through the war.
Most of these veterans who went through my life contributed immensely to the communities they lived in. There was a job that had to be done in the community and they just went out and did it. For example, many indoor hockey arenas were erected. They had learned this attitude during their wartime experience. They had a job to do and they went out and did it whether it was extremely unpleasant or not.
Over these years of my contact with service people I did not hear very much about their war experience except for the hijinks they were involved in. Much of their memories and experiences were kept to themselves or sometimes shared with someone who had gone through the horrors of war with them.
My son was in the reserve forces in Canada and that influenced the way I thought about our forces. I attended one remembrance service with him.
Now many of the armed forces people from WWII have left us. Those who are still here are very elderly.
So over the years my remembrance of what occurred has changed as things are added to my experience and understanding.
I now have a friend who went through the war as a Flight Sergeant. He has been very good about telling of his war experiences. He has not shied away from telling of some of the horrors he experienced. The war shaped his life greatly. He had just finished high school and thinking about what to do with his life when the war came along and made that decision for him. He found his life's partner as he was training. They decided to marry after the war. The five years of war caused him to miss the normal experiences of life in a community. When he returned it was a struggle to become established. He worked hard and was successful in business, family and community.
Today at 89 he still contributes. He leads a senior skating group and is the driving force behind its success. It's still the same . A job has to be done and he just goes out and does it.
So I am thankful for all the people who went out and did the very nasty job of fighting in WWII. Their sacrifices were many. Many sacrificed their life. We owe our gratitude to the men and women who went out and "did the job."
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
More Positive Points for Bloggers
I recently did a post called "I Stand Up For Bloggers." I received comments on the blog, Face Book and on the street. I began thinking more about bloggers and what makes them tick.
Some blogs have gone on for two to five years or more. Other blogs wither and die. I have started to follow half a dozen interesting blogs only to have them fold up and disappear.
So what makes bloggers continue to make posts on a regular basis? Probably quite a few things motivate bloggers. These characteristics probably vary in levels of priority from blogger to blogger.
First, I think you would have to like writing as a way of expressing yourself. One needs to be able to write with a certain degree of ability. After that your purpose in writing is to communicate with others. There is the odd blog which is not open to the public for what ever reasons the writer may have. Most bloggers want contact with others through their writing. The comments allowed by blogging are what gives a blogger some idea as to whether his/her ideas are being appreciated by readers. Comments give a writer much more to react to as I have said at the start of this blog.
A blogger must have something which they wish to say. It's surprising how interesting people can make a post of their daily activities. Other bloggers have an interest which becomes the theme of their blog. I follow a great blog on weather , another one on birds and a third one on mountain hiking. Many artists have a blog to feature the art they produce. Some bloggers emphasize family activities. Some of my favorite blogs are where photography is well used to tell a good story. There are some extremely talented photographers out there.
Then you get a blog like mine that jumps all over the place. I cover past experiences, current experiences in my life, music and occasionally wander off into the political field.
So writing ability which is a basic talent for a blogger although I have seen some highly successful blogs which use the vernacular. What also makes a successful blog is to have some form of ability to make the page attractive. Pictures are extremely important.
So some bloggers combine a number of their abilities and churn out highly interesting blogs which are followed by many. So there's a wide combination of writing style, topics and photography that produces thousands of very active and successful blogs.
Some blogs have gone on for two to five years or more. Other blogs wither and die. I have started to follow half a dozen interesting blogs only to have them fold up and disappear.
So what makes bloggers continue to make posts on a regular basis? Probably quite a few things motivate bloggers. These characteristics probably vary in levels of priority from blogger to blogger.
First, I think you would have to like writing as a way of expressing yourself. One needs to be able to write with a certain degree of ability. After that your purpose in writing is to communicate with others. There is the odd blog which is not open to the public for what ever reasons the writer may have. Most bloggers want contact with others through their writing. The comments allowed by blogging are what gives a blogger some idea as to whether his/her ideas are being appreciated by readers. Comments give a writer much more to react to as I have said at the start of this blog.
A blogger must have something which they wish to say. It's surprising how interesting people can make a post of their daily activities. Other bloggers have an interest which becomes the theme of their blog. I follow a great blog on weather , another one on birds and a third one on mountain hiking. Many artists have a blog to feature the art they produce. Some bloggers emphasize family activities. Some of my favorite blogs are where photography is well used to tell a good story. There are some extremely talented photographers out there.
Then you get a blog like mine that jumps all over the place. I cover past experiences, current experiences in my life, music and occasionally wander off into the political field.
So writing ability which is a basic talent for a blogger although I have seen some highly successful blogs which use the vernacular. What also makes a successful blog is to have some form of ability to make the page attractive. Pictures are extremely important.
So some bloggers combine a number of their abilities and churn out highly interesting blogs which are followed by many. So there's a wide combination of writing style, topics and photography that produces thousands of very active and successful blogs.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
I Stand Up For Bloggers
This afternoon I was listening to Spark on CBC with Nora Young. I was only half listening with my worst ear while I was doing something else.
The topic was on social media on the net and if it was effective for communication. One of the speakers said that on Face Book he had publicized his birthday and received greetings, Three or four days later he put his birthday on again and received greetings. So he did this half a dozen times and his point was that there wasn't a real communication because people did not catch on that he was repeatedly having a birthday.
What really caught my attention was when he went on to say that personal bloggers were mostly blogging to themselves! He gave an example of his blog where he had blogged about five years and made about 1500 posts and had 5000 hits and of course half of them were his. He also only got 20 comments and some of them were his.
Now I realize that some blogs may be pretty dead as very few posts are made. Some blogs may have an extremely narrow topic which few people would be interested in. Blogging requires some work and talent. But I think that bloggers do much more than talk to themselves. Bloggers who consistently post interesting material will be read. Bloggers who work at setting up a blog with proper commenting facilities will receive comments. There are many bloggers out here who are trolling for interesting blogs to follow. Other people on the net like to read blogs. I have friends and relatives who amaze me by following me continuously. One friend lists off my posts every time he goes by me. Thanks Bob.
I see many very meaningful comments on the blogs I follow. I don't have enough time to read all the comments on blogs I follow. I would like to respond to more comments but I do have more of a life than just my blog.
I can certainly find lots of blogs to read that keep me busy. I keep looking for more local blogs to follow. I would also like to find some more blogs on education, seniors and music.
So I think the commentator was off base. He should read some of the great blogs that I follow.
The topic was on social media on the net and if it was effective for communication. One of the speakers said that on Face Book he had publicized his birthday and received greetings, Three or four days later he put his birthday on again and received greetings. So he did this half a dozen times and his point was that there wasn't a real communication because people did not catch on that he was repeatedly having a birthday.
What really caught my attention was when he went on to say that personal bloggers were mostly blogging to themselves! He gave an example of his blog where he had blogged about five years and made about 1500 posts and had 5000 hits and of course half of them were his. He also only got 20 comments and some of them were his.
Now I realize that some blogs may be pretty dead as very few posts are made. Some blogs may have an extremely narrow topic which few people would be interested in. Blogging requires some work and talent. But I think that bloggers do much more than talk to themselves. Bloggers who consistently post interesting material will be read. Bloggers who work at setting up a blog with proper commenting facilities will receive comments. There are many bloggers out here who are trolling for interesting blogs to follow. Other people on the net like to read blogs. I have friends and relatives who amaze me by following me continuously. One friend lists off my posts every time he goes by me. Thanks Bob.
I see many very meaningful comments on the blogs I follow. I don't have enough time to read all the comments on blogs I follow. I would like to respond to more comments but I do have more of a life than just my blog.
I can certainly find lots of blogs to read that keep me busy. I keep looking for more local blogs to follow. I would also like to find some more blogs on education, seniors and music.
So I think the commentator was off base. He should read some of the great blogs that I follow.
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