Musings
About retirement… and random other things!
These blogs first appear as weekly columns in the Red Deer Advocate
Choose the right attitude, which is always kindness
We’ve all seen the signs: ‘Be kind to our staff - abuse in any form will not be tolerated.’ It seemed confusing to me when they first started popping up. I would be waiting in reception at the dentist’s office and think it must be a notice for people who are anxious about their appointment. Isn’t fear of dentists right up there on the list? Then...
Just open up and sing!
I surprised a lot of people a few weeks ago when I mentioned I wanted to join a community choir – especially my friends who have heard me sing! Before they start planning on how best to console me when the rejections start coming in, I have since experienced another epiphany. I think what I might actually be looking for is opportunities to sing...
Harvesting a grateful heart this Thanksgiving
(Harvesting my little carrot bowl on the patio!) I distinctly remember my ah-ha moment of making a personal connection to where food comes from. It was in the early 60s in Vancouver, when my family stayed at great-aunt Bella’s house while on vacation. When we arrived, this ancient stranger asked me to go out to the back garden to bring in some...
Aging well all life long
The course of a person’s whole life determines healthy aging outcomes, not only the things that happen in older age. Makes perfect sense, but now the concept is supported by a ream of data which was part of a summer newsletter from RTOERO (formerly the Retired Teachers of Ontario). The group held a Future of Aging Summit in Toronto last month,...
Lost and Found
I am navigationally challenged and have been my entire life. The first time I was allowed to take the bus to my gramma’s by myself, I needed to transfer to a route going to Calgary’s southwest. Me and Mom practised this and I thought I had memorized it adequately, but I needed to phone her later to confess I was lost in the city’s northwest. Yup...
The long arm of the law
The long arm of the law seems to have wrapped itself firmly around my shoulders this summer. You may recall me writing (okay, possibly complaining) a few columns ago about getting two speeding tickets in exactly the same spot two weeks apart. Well, I promptly paid the first one and then figured I would wait until a bit closer to the cut-off date...
Back to school rituals
This is the week when kids are turning the corner from summer freedom to school routines. Parents are trying to break the habits of late nights, uncombed hair and spontaneous shenanigans, as they attempt to set the tone for the business at hand. So many common rituals mark this time of year – first day of school outfits have been purchased,...
Time to try something new!
Many people’s mindset runs on the school calendar instead of the regular calendar. This is the time of year when kids are going back to school, the peak vacation season draws to a close and the falling leaves remind you the times they are a changing. If you’re retired, especially newly retired like I am, you might be feeling a bit left out right...
My Gramma – an Alberta Pioneer
Jack Windle tied the leather straps of his boots and hoisted a rifle over his shoulder. It was time for the winter kill and Jack was on his way to help his neighbours butcher three of their pigs and salt the meat to preserve it for winter storage. Eventually freezers would be invented, but in 1899 the salting method was most effective. Jack’s...