One song seemed to suit the events of today. A Canadian singer-songwriter with an anthem fit for a trip such as this one. Enjoy!
Life is a Highway -- Tom Cochrane
Friday 30 June 2017
Day 4 - 181 -- Travel, Food & Friends
Today I was reminded of the many trips I've taken to travel this country. A colleague and graduate of our program launched a cross-Canada tour to discuss food systems, food security, sustainability, and our relationship with food. She's named the endeavor Let's Taste Canada! I envy her the drive and discovery. I've been from Mile zero in Victoria BC to Mile 1 in St. John's, Newfoundland -- the anchor points of the trans-Canada Highway system. About 8000 km in length, I've traveled most of it, with the exception of the 9 hour trip across the island of Newfoundland. That one is still in the works. Of course, there were many trips that occurred off this major highway system in all ten provinces. This system goes from Atlantic to Pacific coasts, but does not reach the Arctic coastal areas. Other highways do that and they, too, are on my travel 'to do' list.
One song seemed to suit the events of today. A Canadian singer-songwriter with an anthem fit for a trip such as this one. Enjoy!
Life is a Highway -- Tom Cochrane
One song seemed to suit the events of today. A Canadian singer-songwriter with an anthem fit for a trip such as this one. Enjoy!
Life is a Highway -- Tom Cochrane
Day 4 - 180 -- Choices
Choice entered the conversations and thoughts of the day from many directions. A conversations with an acquaintance who has incorporated new habits into a healthier lifestyle, brought forth the idea. In the middle of the produce section of the grocery store, we discussed the activity component of the new habits. To bring that into life was difficult to do -- the exact phrasing was that it was hard to "find the time." Their face changed and then they said, "no, hard to make the time." That small word change carried a world of meaning -- meaning that encompassed the choice of the lifestyle change. It isn't visited upon us, but is our choice.
This fits so many aspects of daily life. Food, activity, leisure time activities -- all become our choices when we view them as ours to do. Being proactive rather than reactive can be a key idea here. How we choose to react to events around us is a choice, yet it can often feel like it isn't. Of course there are things that are outside our control like will it rain on our fireworks event on the weekend <smile>. I did hear another conversation about this aspect of choice. A young woman noted that her parents had been planning to move from their home country when they heard a former Prime Minister of Canada speak in their nation. This sparked their decision to move to Canada. The young woman was born here, so she said it wasn't her choice, but that it was a choice she was happy her parents had made. That made me think of my family. My grandfather emigrated in the early 20th C. and the other side of the family emigrated in the mid-19th C. Without their choices to move here, I would not likely have been born, and certainly wouldn't have been born a Canadian. I've met many people who have moved here from all over the world to build a life for them and their families. In so doing, they've further built a nation.
Gratitude for my ancestors' choices isn't a new feeling, but the conversations today made me think through it all again. Several songs fit with the various parts of the theme of the day. One I've used several times before in the blog, so I chose <smile> to use a new song today. It is by a first generation immigrant and has been used around the world in various forms. I use it here for the messages of hope, peace and strength. Enjoy!
Wavin' flag -- K'Naan
This fits so many aspects of daily life. Food, activity, leisure time activities -- all become our choices when we view them as ours to do. Being proactive rather than reactive can be a key idea here. How we choose to react to events around us is a choice, yet it can often feel like it isn't. Of course there are things that are outside our control like will it rain on our fireworks event on the weekend <smile>. I did hear another conversation about this aspect of choice. A young woman noted that her parents had been planning to move from their home country when they heard a former Prime Minister of Canada speak in their nation. This sparked their decision to move to Canada. The young woman was born here, so she said it wasn't her choice, but that it was a choice she was happy her parents had made. That made me think of my family. My grandfather emigrated in the early 20th C. and the other side of the family emigrated in the mid-19th C. Without their choices to move here, I would not likely have been born, and certainly wouldn't have been born a Canadian. I've met many people who have moved here from all over the world to build a life for them and their families. In so doing, they've further built a nation.
Gratitude for my ancestors' choices isn't a new feeling, but the conversations today made me think through it all again. Several songs fit with the various parts of the theme of the day. One I've used several times before in the blog, so I chose <smile> to use a new song today. It is by a first generation immigrant and has been used around the world in various forms. I use it here for the messages of hope, peace and strength. Enjoy!
Wavin' flag -- K'Naan
Wednesday 28 June 2017
Day 4 - 179 -- Ignoring the Signs
It was another day of disparate activities to keep me occupied. The sky was cloudy until late afternoon, when the clouds disappeared to leave clear blue sky -- like a wand waved across the sky. I was behind on one project that I presented to a colleague today. The rest of the story will be completed by tomorrow to share. Other work duties intervened on my planned to do list timing, so I'm about a week to week and a half behind. I'll be working tomorrow to catch up on parts of several projects so I can add the next major summer project next week.
While working through events of the past week, I realized today that there had been several signs that I'd missed along the way. When reexamining events, I realized that several were clearly related to a single topic area. It took me reviewing the major events to recognize the relationships. The signs were there, yet I was not fully connecting the dots between them. It seems I was caught up in what was happening inside me instead of outside -- so reacting rather than understanding. It seems to occur when I'm tired or feeling overwhelmed.
The song for today came to mind when I realized I'd missed the signs. This is performed by a Canadian band from the '70s. Enjoy!
Signs -- Five Man Electrical Band
Tuesday 27 June 2017
Day 4 - 178 -- Micro-moments to Relax
This has been a day with almost every minute tagged for some activity or meeting. It began with meetings to organize meetings <smile>, followed by a dental visit for the regular cleaning and check. After a quick lunch, I listened to a great conference call with an amazing food advocate from the UK. I've used his writing in classes before and a recent paper was the subject of the food sustainability talk today. I had to leave during the questions to run across campus to a short meeting about an event being planned for the end of the week. Back to my building to observe a presentation by a student. Then a youth organization worked in our food labs to prepare dinner. I floated around to help where I could and to get the food loaded for delivery to the dining area.
To be truthful it was all fun. Also, it left me a bit tired at the end of the day. <smile> There were moments when I just wanted to sit for 5 minutes and gather my wits about me. This occurred when things seemed to be flying in multiple directions and I just needed to re-centre. Recognizing this seems a good step forward. Also, finding a way to do this recentering quickly worked well, so I could continue to help those working in three different areas get what they needed.
While escape may be too strong a word for the feeling, this song seemed to cover part of what I faced today. The music has a calming effect. The vocals by a Canadian singer aid in the relaxed focus of the song. Enjoy!
The Great Escape -- Patrick Watson
To be truthful it was all fun. Also, it left me a bit tired at the end of the day. <smile> There were moments when I just wanted to sit for 5 minutes and gather my wits about me. This occurred when things seemed to be flying in multiple directions and I just needed to re-centre. Recognizing this seems a good step forward. Also, finding a way to do this recentering quickly worked well, so I could continue to help those working in three different areas get what they needed.
While escape may be too strong a word for the feeling, this song seemed to cover part of what I faced today. The music has a calming effect. The vocals by a Canadian singer aid in the relaxed focus of the song. Enjoy!
The Great Escape -- Patrick Watson
Monday 26 June 2017
Day 4 - 177 -- Highs and Lows
Two great get-togethers occurred in the past two days. A friend from home came by to visit before heading back west. It was good to see them and get caught up on key parts of our lives. I wish we lived closer so the conversations occurred more often. Today a colleague from another university was in town so we met to chat about our respective research programs and interests. Again, a great experience. Both of these left me feeling very good -- dare I say happy <smile>. Well, be careful what you dare say. Later today a group of us met and one colleague seemed unsettled and left in mid conversation. So, now the highs of the day had been replaced by lows.
I've spoken about communication that works and that just as easily can fail miserably. Reflecting on the communication failure, I've decided that nothing I did or said would have changed the negative outcome we experienced today. It was not of my making and to be truthful, I have no idea where it all when sideways. Rather than feeling like I did something, I need to choose to let it go and realize that many other things were in play that none of the rest of us were privy to today. Besides, there were many more positive communications than the one negative one.So, I'm trying to switch focus back to them.
The song lyric that fit this best today comes from a band from Saskatoon -- closer to my home town. It seemed to bring wisdom to my thoughts tonight. I love the sound of this band. Enjoy!
I'm gonna be myself -- The Sheepdogs
I've spoken about communication that works and that just as easily can fail miserably. Reflecting on the communication failure, I've decided that nothing I did or said would have changed the negative outcome we experienced today. It was not of my making and to be truthful, I have no idea where it all when sideways. Rather than feeling like I did something, I need to choose to let it go and realize that many other things were in play that none of the rest of us were privy to today. Besides, there were many more positive communications than the one negative one.So, I'm trying to switch focus back to them.
The song lyric that fit this best today comes from a band from Saskatoon -- closer to my home town. It seemed to bring wisdom to my thoughts tonight. I love the sound of this band. Enjoy!
I'm gonna be myself -- The Sheepdogs
Sunday 25 June 2017
Day 4 - 176 -- History of Nation Building
Today I found myself pondering the history of this country. So many ways one could go with a short post. Many interesting events led to the country we know today -- and not all were positive events. Glossing over the negatives feels like revisionist history. We do need to understand the good and the bad and all the in between in order to understand how we came to be who we are today. I love history. I bring it into all my courses and many conversations. My research at present has a strong historical focus. I love it all. For today, I chose three parts of the national history -- and it pretty much came down to drawing out of a hat since there are many that would fit.
In the mid-1700s, French settlers known as Acadians refused to pledge allegiance to the King of England and some kept supply lines open to French forts in the region. The land known as Acadia is where present day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are. The order to deport those who wouldn't sign was given and Acadians were rounded up and shipped out to the 13 colonies, France and Britain. Families were split apart, some never knowing where each other were sent. At present, Acadians in the Maritime provinces often come from families who hid in the woods and partnered with local aboriginal groups to learn how to live -- hiding from the British souldiers who worked to find Acadians for about 9 years. New Brunswick is now the only province in Canada that is officially bilingual. Large areas of NS and PEI are known as Acadian settlements today while many groups in the USA such as the Louisiana cajuns claim roots to those moved during Le Grand Derangement. A dark story in our history.
The country was opened by fishers, trapper, loggers and farmers. Many people who traveled inland to work in the various primary production industries were Europeans. Some made the country their home. Settlers arrived looking for a better life, moving from oppression, famine and disease. Often, immigrants were misled and found only forest where the promised cleared farmland was supposed to be. Unlike today, moving elsewhere or back where they came from wasn't easy, so they stayed and worked to make a life for their family and the generations that followed.
When working in the 1800s to build one nation that spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the dream of a railroad linking the country came to be. This opened the country for communication and economies. The third group that moved to this country to assist with the building came from Asia, mostly China. These workers were not treated well, often seen as disposable. Men came to work to get money to bring their wife and families over. A great number died while doing the dangerous work of clearing lands, blasting through mountains and building tressles. Their work stands today as the main lines across the country are still in place, linking the nation and getting products to ports for export and bringing imports from ports.
So -- given the three ideas that were chosen from the many that came to mind today, there will be three songs to match each one. First, one comes from a Canadian stage play based on Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline. This story follows the lives of Evangeline and Gabriel who were separated during the deportations.It is an amazing and gritty production. The second is a folk song that addresses the lifestyle of some of the early inland workers. I heard this often as a child as it was a short film that appeared on television during program breaks. Love the music royalty who sang this one. The third is a song about the rail line that brought the west coast into confederation. The song was commissioned for the centennial celebration of confederation in 1967. I've loved this song from the first time I heard it. The tempo changes and mimics a steam engine. My family worked in the railway for three generations -- my grandfather's cousin, my father, and my brother -- so this one means a lot to me. Each song is sung by wonderful Canadian artists. Enjoy!
I Only Hear Your Voice -- Ryan Silverman & Danielle Wade (by Ted Dykstra)
Log Driver's Waltz -- Kate and Anna McGarrigle & the Mountain City Four (from a National Film Board vignette)
Canadian Railroad Trilogy -- Gordon Lightfoot
NOTE: the photos of those building the railroad show no Chinese men -- not a surprise given the times. On the bright side, their contribution has been recognized after a century.
In the mid-1700s, French settlers known as Acadians refused to pledge allegiance to the King of England and some kept supply lines open to French forts in the region. The land known as Acadia is where present day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are. The order to deport those who wouldn't sign was given and Acadians were rounded up and shipped out to the 13 colonies, France and Britain. Families were split apart, some never knowing where each other were sent. At present, Acadians in the Maritime provinces often come from families who hid in the woods and partnered with local aboriginal groups to learn how to live -- hiding from the British souldiers who worked to find Acadians for about 9 years. New Brunswick is now the only province in Canada that is officially bilingual. Large areas of NS and PEI are known as Acadian settlements today while many groups in the USA such as the Louisiana cajuns claim roots to those moved during Le Grand Derangement. A dark story in our history.
The country was opened by fishers, trapper, loggers and farmers. Many people who traveled inland to work in the various primary production industries were Europeans. Some made the country their home. Settlers arrived looking for a better life, moving from oppression, famine and disease. Often, immigrants were misled and found only forest where the promised cleared farmland was supposed to be. Unlike today, moving elsewhere or back where they came from wasn't easy, so they stayed and worked to make a life for their family and the generations that followed.
When working in the 1800s to build one nation that spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the dream of a railroad linking the country came to be. This opened the country for communication and economies. The third group that moved to this country to assist with the building came from Asia, mostly China. These workers were not treated well, often seen as disposable. Men came to work to get money to bring their wife and families over. A great number died while doing the dangerous work of clearing lands, blasting through mountains and building tressles. Their work stands today as the main lines across the country are still in place, linking the nation and getting products to ports for export and bringing imports from ports.
I Only Hear Your Voice -- Ryan Silverman & Danielle Wade (by Ted Dykstra)
Log Driver's Waltz -- Kate and Anna McGarrigle & the Mountain City Four (from a National Film Board vignette)
Canadian Railroad Trilogy -- Gordon Lightfoot
NOTE: the photos of those building the railroad show no Chinese men -- not a surprise given the times. On the bright side, their contribution has been recognized after a century.
Saturday 24 June 2017
Day 4 - 175 -- Thinking of Home
I've been thinking of home the past few days. Talking to family and friends out there gets me wishing the country were smaller so I could drive out for the weekend. Canada is huge -- the second largest nation in the world. I've traveled from the far west to the far east and hope to get north someday soon. That means I've been to all 10 provinces from BC to Newfoundland and Labrador. I've lived in four of these. There are many places I'd like to visit again or for the first time in each province along with getting to the three territories.
I grew up, went to school and worked in Saskatchewan. It is still home in my heart. I've said many times that I'd rather have the -30C weather in the winter than the meter deep snow falls of the Maritimes <smile>. I do like having a full three months for each season, though. The prairies see Spring and Fall for only a few weeks. Having three months of each season is great, since Spring and Fall are my favourites. I miss being able to see great distances. Even looking out on the water one can't see as far as on land in a drier climate. The sky is huge -- about 75% of the view. The lights of towns and cities are visible at night so as one drives along the highway, the settlements can be seen. I never felt alone with that. I've seen the lights of Regina and Moose Jaw from just south of Saskatoon. It is a 2-3 hour drive to get to either city from there. So, while people make fun of the flatness and insist it is nothingness, there are amazing things to see and do on the prairies. Watching storms move across the horizon, coming across an enormous river valley while driving along (there are several of these that just appear -- gorgeous), and seeing the aurora borealis dance across the sky -- are but a few things I miss. Listing them all would take a lot of space and you'd stopped reading before I stopped writing. <smile>
Tonight I'm sharing two songs with lyrics that describe the prairies. The first one is about Saskatchewan (with a few Alberta places mentioned). This one is performed by a group of young men from Winnipeg, though they did live in Regina for a while when getting established. The second is about Alberta, sung by a fellow from that province. This one deals with traveling for rodeo events. The performers for each song have won several Juno Awards. The music genres are decidedly different, yet each song encompasses the love for the land. Enjoy!
Running Back to Saskatoon -- The Guess Who
Hurtin' Albertan -- Corb Lund
I grew up, went to school and worked in Saskatchewan. It is still home in my heart. I've said many times that I'd rather have the -30C weather in the winter than the meter deep snow falls of the Maritimes <smile>. I do like having a full three months for each season, though. The prairies see Spring and Fall for only a few weeks. Having three months of each season is great, since Spring and Fall are my favourites. I miss being able to see great distances. Even looking out on the water one can't see as far as on land in a drier climate. The sky is huge -- about 75% of the view. The lights of towns and cities are visible at night so as one drives along the highway, the settlements can be seen. I never felt alone with that. I've seen the lights of Regina and Moose Jaw from just south of Saskatoon. It is a 2-3 hour drive to get to either city from there. So, while people make fun of the flatness and insist it is nothingness, there are amazing things to see and do on the prairies. Watching storms move across the horizon, coming across an enormous river valley while driving along (there are several of these that just appear -- gorgeous), and seeing the aurora borealis dance across the sky -- are but a few things I miss. Listing them all would take a lot of space and you'd stopped reading before I stopped writing. <smile>
Tonight I'm sharing two songs with lyrics that describe the prairies. The first one is about Saskatchewan (with a few Alberta places mentioned). This one is performed by a group of young men from Winnipeg, though they did live in Regina for a while when getting established. The second is about Alberta, sung by a fellow from that province. This one deals with traveling for rodeo events. The performers for each song have won several Juno Awards. The music genres are decidedly different, yet each song encompasses the love for the land. Enjoy!
Running Back to Saskatoon -- The Guess Who
Hurtin' Albertan -- Corb Lund
Friday 23 June 2017
Day 4 - 174 -- Misunderstanding Summer
The end of the week arrived with much of the 'to do' list completed, but certainly not all that had been planned. More development for other courses will be done next week. As long as the main pieces are ready on time, the rest can be filled later -- much easier than inventing things. <smile>. The day had many disruptions that took me away from my main projects. While I found this frustrating today, in the end, several things had been accomplished.
Summer brings with it major wish lists. Everyone has more to do than there is time. For some reason the season carries a type of seduction -- one that can pull us into a mesmerized feeling that makes us believe it will all happen. When Fall arrives and everything we wanted to do or wanted to happen clearly didn't occur, we feel cheated. I'm not fully convinced that it is the hot, sunny weather that people want -- they want to have the time to do nothing or only their favourite things. Given our school system, I wonder if what we all are looking for isn't a return to the summer vacation of school -- that two month period that seemed to go on forever. Remember the days when we were bored? The days seemed so long. Even when summer romances entered the scene time seemed to last. Once the work force got hold of us, these leisurely summers became a dim, distant memory. Just another viewpoint to help me understand the angst of summer <smile>.
A song with lyrics that reflect summer as a false friend holding power over us, presented itself today. A Canadian singer performs this with her unique style. Enjoy!
Gatekeeper -- Feist
Summer brings with it major wish lists. Everyone has more to do than there is time. For some reason the season carries a type of seduction -- one that can pull us into a mesmerized feeling that makes us believe it will all happen. When Fall arrives and everything we wanted to do or wanted to happen clearly didn't occur, we feel cheated. I'm not fully convinced that it is the hot, sunny weather that people want -- they want to have the time to do nothing or only their favourite things. Given our school system, I wonder if what we all are looking for isn't a return to the summer vacation of school -- that two month period that seemed to go on forever. Remember the days when we were bored? The days seemed so long. Even when summer romances entered the scene time seemed to last. Once the work force got hold of us, these leisurely summers became a dim, distant memory. Just another viewpoint to help me understand the angst of summer <smile>.
A song with lyrics that reflect summer as a false friend holding power over us, presented itself today. A Canadian singer performs this with her unique style. Enjoy!
Gatekeeper -- Feist
Thursday 22 June 2017
Day 4 - 173 -- Losing Focus
I keep expecting things to slow a bit this week, but Thursday is almost over and things are still running at a frantic pace. Registration brings many glitches that need to be dealt with by faculty or technology people. It is frustrating from this side and from the student side. The good news is classes don't begin until September, so there is time. Preparing for classes now for the Fall, provides time to get things in a type of order that will allow it all to begin and develop further once classes begin. Yet, for some reason, tasks such as these take on a strange sense of urgency NOW. <smile> I find myself trying to deal with all the little details now rather than just those that really need to be done. The latter would allow me to address the needs for now and September as well as get to the other piles on the desk that can only be addressed when classes are not in session. If, then, some extra time were found, I could begin to deal with the details not yet completed.
I keep coming back to Einstein's definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I've dealt with preparing for Fall courses for many years now. Why do I still think that it can all get done -- like everything -- during the summer months? It never has been completed. What has happened is that vacation time is used for course prep and the writing needs for research and such don't get fully addressed. I'm trying to stick to a more sensible approach this year -- but today turned into one of those days when I jumped around from fire to fire trying to extinguish them all, while ignoring the big blaze sneaking up on me from behind. I lose focus, which leads to frustration and exhaustion with no feeling of accomplishment. It is not an unfamiliar feeling. My goal is to learn to recognize when I am headed off the rails and try to avoid a complete derailment.
A long drawn out word ran through my head near the end of the day. The context of the lyrics is different than my experience today, but the one word was really all that was needed to explain my dilemma. Enjoy!
Crazy Love -- Paul Anka
I keep coming back to Einstein's definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I've dealt with preparing for Fall courses for many years now. Why do I still think that it can all get done -- like everything -- during the summer months? It never has been completed. What has happened is that vacation time is used for course prep and the writing needs for research and such don't get fully addressed. I'm trying to stick to a more sensible approach this year -- but today turned into one of those days when I jumped around from fire to fire trying to extinguish them all, while ignoring the big blaze sneaking up on me from behind. I lose focus, which leads to frustration and exhaustion with no feeling of accomplishment. It is not an unfamiliar feeling. My goal is to learn to recognize when I am headed off the rails and try to avoid a complete derailment.
A long drawn out word ran through my head near the end of the day. The context of the lyrics is different than my experience today, but the one word was really all that was needed to explain my dilemma. Enjoy!
Crazy Love -- Paul Anka
Wednesday 21 June 2017
Day 4 - 172 -- Triple Treat Day
Another year and another day with three things to celebrate -- my best friend since infancy has a birthday today; it is the first day of summer; and it is National Aboriginal Day in Canada. Today the temperatures and humidity moderated, so it was more bearable outside and inside <smile>. I had a wonderful conversation with my friend who is geographically far, far away. The meeting today spent time discussing indigenous programming in our department. All three events falling on this date gave me something to smile about today. The day ended with a light supper at the pub with a colleague and friend. So, many things to smile about today.
Stresses in one part of life can cross over easily to other parts. Trying to focus on the positives can be challenging. Sadly, it is often easier to obsess on the negatives. It takes great strength of will to pull out of that downward spiral to see the bigger picture and move to a better place. Today, this made me take time to look at the sky and flowers when walking and take a moment here and there to check in with myself to be sure I was moving up and not heading into the abyss. Some days this works better than others -- today was one of the good days.
To welcome summer I thought of many songs, but wanted one by a Canadian -- part of my challenge to myself to use Canadian songs and artists in honour of the sesquicentennial. So -- only one stuck with me for very long and I'll share it with you all today. The lyrics seem to embrace the ethos of trying to cram a full year of living into the 3-4 months of summer-ness. Enjoy!
Summer of '69 -- Bryan Adams
Stresses in one part of life can cross over easily to other parts. Trying to focus on the positives can be challenging. Sadly, it is often easier to obsess on the negatives. It takes great strength of will to pull out of that downward spiral to see the bigger picture and move to a better place. Today, this made me take time to look at the sky and flowers when walking and take a moment here and there to check in with myself to be sure I was moving up and not heading into the abyss. Some days this works better than others -- today was one of the good days.
To welcome summer I thought of many songs, but wanted one by a Canadian -- part of my challenge to myself to use Canadian songs and artists in honour of the sesquicentennial. So -- only one stuck with me for very long and I'll share it with you all today. The lyrics seem to embrace the ethos of trying to cram a full year of living into the 3-4 months of summer-ness. Enjoy!
Summer of '69 -- Bryan Adams
Tuesday 20 June 2017
Day 4 - 171 -- Water Running Everywhere
Dark cloud filled the day along with a warm, heavy air mass . It seemed claustrophobic and suffocating. The big wind today was cooler than yesterday, making walking to work and back easier. Registration for fall courses began this week. Many people have been working to smooth over the software glitches that make this process less easy than planned for the students. The morning involved much of this paper work.
By early afternoon, I packed up the work to complete for tomorrow and headed home. The plumbers came to investigate and fix the leaky pipe in the basement ceiling. Luckily, most of the dripping was over the bathtub. Some, though, ran inside the wall and out onto the floor in the room next to the bathroom. From there, gravity took over and it ran into the hallway and under the opposite wall. The leak was in an area that was not easy to access -- directly above the wall behind several other lines. The guys managed to replace the area in less time than I expected. Ceiling tiles will need to be replaced once things have a chance to dry out, which seems impossible given the humidity level at present. While they worked, I got through most of one large assignment I'm altering for Fall. I finished that by supper after the workers were gone. The other task was done after supper. So -- I should be all ready for tomorrow.
Heavy rain showers arrived just after supper and lasted for a couple of hours. That event along with the leak downstairs made me think of a band from decades back. While the song lyrics may not fit the topic of the day, the Canadian band definitely does. Enjoy!
Anything You Want -- A Foot in Cold Water
Monday 19 June 2017
Day 4 - 170 -- Gusty Day
Summer weather visited with a vengeance today. The temperature was 20C (68F) this morning, but with the heavy humidity it felt like 28C (82F). By mid-afternoon, it reached 28C but felt like 36C (95F). A mix of sun and cloud helped the sun to be hidden at times, so the oppressive heat of the sun wasn't fully in play when outside. I walked into the office today, thinking that I'd walk out to a meeting for 3 PM. Luckily a friend offered me a ride to the building so I didn't have to do the 30-40 minute walk uphill in the heat. The downhill walk home took about 20 minutes. Thankfully, there was a major wind blowing that helped keep the sweat from just sitting on the skin. Evaporation helps with cooling of the body. As I walked east, the wind was in my face. As I walked south, the wind was in my face. Even walking west it was in my face. While it was recorded as a southerly wind, it seemed to be an all direction wind. Inside the house this evening, it is still hot and humid -- I've retrieved the electric wind machine from storage to make things a bit more comfortable to sleep.
Wind is often a metaphor for difficult things that impede forward movement. The actual wind today was strong enough for that, yet without it, the air would have been entirely oppressive. So, wind can be a positive thing. I understand wind having lived most of my life on the prairies and the last almost 19 years on the Atlantic coast. I am familiar with destructive winds -- tornadoes, wedge, straight line, hurricanes. I've encountered them all over the years. So, I can see where the negative connotation comes from. Most would agree that a gentle breeze can be positive, but for me, today the major head wind, regardless of direction, was helpful. Perhaps this means that when we expect negative things, we may miss the positives that are present, too. Hmmm.
A folk song by a Canadian singer-songwriter came to mind today. The harmonies are lovely with the two young voices performing in the version shared here. The lyrics do speak to changing fortunes, both positive and negative and mentions the wind I encountered in my sojourns today. Enjoy!
Four Strong Winds -- Ian and Sylvia
Wind is often a metaphor for difficult things that impede forward movement. The actual wind today was strong enough for that, yet without it, the air would have been entirely oppressive. So, wind can be a positive thing. I understand wind having lived most of my life on the prairies and the last almost 19 years on the Atlantic coast. I am familiar with destructive winds -- tornadoes, wedge, straight line, hurricanes. I've encountered them all over the years. So, I can see where the negative connotation comes from. Most would agree that a gentle breeze can be positive, but for me, today the major head wind, regardless of direction, was helpful. Perhaps this means that when we expect negative things, we may miss the positives that are present, too. Hmmm.
A folk song by a Canadian singer-songwriter came to mind today. The harmonies are lovely with the two young voices performing in the version shared here. The lyrics do speak to changing fortunes, both positive and negative and mentions the wind I encountered in my sojourns today. Enjoy!
Four Strong Winds -- Ian and Sylvia
Sunday 18 June 2017
Day 4 - 169 -- My Dad
Today is Father's Day. I've been feeling unhinged for a few days and this may be one reason why. I've come to realize that the body clues into things that the conscious mind has to catch up with -- but not until physical and psychological signs have made themselves well known. I haven't slept well for several days -- getting to sleep late and waking early, so never getting the needed amount of restful sleep. There is also a house issue that needs tending and it looked like it might be minor, but it isn't getting any better -- a constant drip from an unexpected place. This one is a job for the plumbers to discern the source of the water <sigh>. I dislike calling landlords with bad news -- it is the only time they hear from me <bigger sigh>. And on Father's Day :(
I miss my dad every day. From infancy he was there for me, helping me see the world from differing perspectives. He was kind and generous. His gift giving was always amazing -- he knew each person well and knew what suited them best. I hope that my sense of humour does him justice. He had a bit of Irish leprechaun prankster in him <grin>. He loved to wrap gifts in artistic packages to disguise them -- made it difficult to guess most times. Other times there was no way to make it look like anything but a pillow, for example, but the creativity made it fun. Once our neighbour wasn't sure a newly planted tree would grow well. They had a bet with my father as to how well it would grow. A stake was placed by the tree to measure the growth. It did seem to grow more quickly than the neighbour expected. All were pleased, until Dad noted that he'd been changing the stake to make it look as if the tree was growing more quickly. For weeks, under cover of darkness he'd enter their yard and altered the stake. Imagine! <smile> If there were problems with the car or the house, I'd always be able to call and he'd have an answer -- I miss that a lot and very often find myself thinking that he'd know the answer. It was a type of differential diagnoses process so that I could explain things better to whoever needed to fix things. Dad designed and built our home, several camping trailers, research instruments for my masters' thesis work and so much more. The garden was a favourite pastime for him with specialties being tomatoes, raspberries and cucumbers along with the rose garden and ever present gladiolus. I planted the Canada 150 variety of glads and have 21 spikes that have emerged from the 24 corms. I look forward to these growing and some blooming. Dad and I would stand at the plant store and look at all the new colours and bloom shapes to pick new corms each spring that were added to those from the previous years. I loved our time together -- discussing movies and books, going out for meals, or just chatting. Having someone who really understood who I was, was such a gift.
The song shared today is one that mom liked and one that Dad and I played -- he on sax and me on piano. This song from the early 1900s was covered by a Canadian singer that Dad enjoyed from her first barefoot tour across Canada in the early '70s. The arrangement for this cover is wonderful. Enjoy!
NOTE: The video for the only version I could find today is a tribute to someone else's family members. Feel free to turn off the screen and just listen to the song. Oh, and Dad's nickname was Bud <smile>.
My Buddy -- Anne Murray
I miss my dad every day. From infancy he was there for me, helping me see the world from differing perspectives. He was kind and generous. His gift giving was always amazing -- he knew each person well and knew what suited them best. I hope that my sense of humour does him justice. He had a bit of Irish leprechaun prankster in him <grin>. He loved to wrap gifts in artistic packages to disguise them -- made it difficult to guess most times. Other times there was no way to make it look like anything but a pillow, for example, but the creativity made it fun. Once our neighbour wasn't sure a newly planted tree would grow well. They had a bet with my father as to how well it would grow. A stake was placed by the tree to measure the growth. It did seem to grow more quickly than the neighbour expected. All were pleased, until Dad noted that he'd been changing the stake to make it look as if the tree was growing more quickly. For weeks, under cover of darkness he'd enter their yard and altered the stake. Imagine! <smile> If there were problems with the car or the house, I'd always be able to call and he'd have an answer -- I miss that a lot and very often find myself thinking that he'd know the answer. It was a type of differential diagnoses process so that I could explain things better to whoever needed to fix things. Dad designed and built our home, several camping trailers, research instruments for my masters' thesis work and so much more. The garden was a favourite pastime for him with specialties being tomatoes, raspberries and cucumbers along with the rose garden and ever present gladiolus. I planted the Canada 150 variety of glads and have 21 spikes that have emerged from the 24 corms. I look forward to these growing and some blooming. Dad and I would stand at the plant store and look at all the new colours and bloom shapes to pick new corms each spring that were added to those from the previous years. I loved our time together -- discussing movies and books, going out for meals, or just chatting. Having someone who really understood who I was, was such a gift.
The song shared today is one that mom liked and one that Dad and I played -- he on sax and me on piano. This song from the early 1900s was covered by a Canadian singer that Dad enjoyed from her first barefoot tour across Canada in the early '70s. The arrangement for this cover is wonderful. Enjoy!
NOTE: The video for the only version I could find today is a tribute to someone else's family members. Feel free to turn off the screen and just listen to the song. Oh, and Dad's nickname was Bud <smile>.
My Buddy -- Anne Murray
Saturday 17 June 2017
Day 4 - 168 -- Struggles and Strategies
A bit of work got done today, but most of the day was spent avoiding tasks and thoughts. While trying to get through the weekend 'to do' list, without much success, I chose to think through several things that seemed to be impeding progress today. My mind went back to two interviews I'd watched recently. Each dealt with mental health from a different perspective. The first was a video of the young royals discussing the importance of mental health, with Prince Harry noting that it took him years to face the loss of his mother. This video presented their new project "Heads Together", to help reduce stigma of mental health difficulties. The other was an interview with Lisa LaFlamme speaking with Prince Harry about the Invictus Games -- games for veterans with physical and psychological injuries. The third games will occur in Toronto in late September this year. Prince Harry noted that he felt it was his leadership role to face his demons when he was encouraging others to face theirs. He stated that it was OK to struggle and be brave enough to ask for help -- a sign of strength not weakness. Reading materials for educators recently, from Canadian data, it appears that the stigma is being lifted, yet support programs have not kept pace. Projects like Bell Let's Talk, Heads Together and Invictus games are helping for both stigma and services. It will take time.
Invictus -- it is a word that I've heard several times and not fully studied. It comes from the Latin for 'unconquered.' In the latter half of the 19th century, William Ernest Henley wrote a poem that he left untitled. A quarter century later, an editor of a poetry anthology gave it the title, Invictus. The themes expressed in the poem involve the struggles of life and not letting these be dominant. No matter how big or how small, we all have struggles. Addressing these in ourselves or helping others to see they are not alone are important roles everyone can play.
The song chosen for today is by a Canadian artist. The lyrics describe a struggle and the will to fight to be free. Enjoy!
You Can't Take Me -- Bryan Adams
Invictus -- it is a word that I've heard several times and not fully studied. It comes from the Latin for 'unconquered.' In the latter half of the 19th century, William Ernest Henley wrote a poem that he left untitled. A quarter century later, an editor of a poetry anthology gave it the title, Invictus. The themes expressed in the poem involve the struggles of life and not letting these be dominant. No matter how big or how small, we all have struggles. Addressing these in ourselves or helping others to see they are not alone are important roles everyone can play.
The song chosen for today is by a Canadian artist. The lyrics describe a struggle and the will to fight to be free. Enjoy!
You Can't Take Me -- Bryan Adams
Friday 16 June 2017
Day 4 - 167 --Friendship
Today was filled with laughter with friends and colleagues. From meetings in the hallways, to a travelogue to dinner out -- friends were an integral part of the day. One provided guidance on a presentation. Another listened to my frustrations and helped me see the absurdities of situations. At dinner we celebrated the accomplishments of one of our own. The evening was filled with laughter -- lots of laughter <smile>. The food, the wine and the friends made the evening extraordinary. These are people who are there when we need each other -- that reciprocal nature of social support at play. We have seen each other through negative times and are together to mark the milestones together.
Friends are the icing on the cake of life. Without them, we'd be alone in times of sorrow and merriment. Such times would be much less without friends to share the moments. A group or just one or two friends can help make the day manageable and help us to see things from many different angles -- true gifts in life.
A song that notes the power of friendship is shared today. It is a duet showing the contributions of each person as part of the pairing -- like a friendship. Written by Canadian Paul Brady, this version is sung by two stellar voices, with one being the songbird of Canada. Enjoy!
Another Pot of Tea -- Anne Murray & Emmylou Harris
Friends are the icing on the cake of life. Without them, we'd be alone in times of sorrow and merriment. Such times would be much less without friends to share the moments. A group or just one or two friends can help make the day manageable and help us to see things from many different angles -- true gifts in life.
A song that notes the power of friendship is shared today. It is a duet showing the contributions of each person as part of the pairing -- like a friendship. Written by Canadian Paul Brady, this version is sung by two stellar voices, with one being the songbird of Canada. Enjoy!
Another Pot of Tea -- Anne Murray & Emmylou Harris
Thursday 15 June 2017
Day 4 - 166 -- Pointing out Inconsistencies
Work was fairly mundane today. Worked on course materials for Fall and a presentation for later this month. Several research projects were addressed in a small way to get things moving. The day ended with my questioning a procedure that seemed to be contrary to accepted policy. Not sure how that one will go, but we'll see.
Putting yourself out there to try to right a wrong can be very difficult to do. Even if it is something small, making waves isn't comfortable or well accepted by others. Sometimes it feels easier to walk away and let it be -- not my circus, not my monkeys. Yet, it can still grate if the situation is repeated. Rather than feel the frustration, why not politely point out the issue. It may be rectified or it may be left as is. Either way, you tried and that should mean something.
Thinking through the process today, brought a song to mind. Imagine <grin>. The lyrics outline a philosophy of trying to leave the world a better place. The title phrase indicates why it can be difficult to try to bring something forward -- no one wants the reputation of being a rabble rouser, after all. A great Canadian band sings this one. Enjoy!
Raise a Little Hell -- Trooper
Putting yourself out there to try to right a wrong can be very difficult to do. Even if it is something small, making waves isn't comfortable or well accepted by others. Sometimes it feels easier to walk away and let it be -- not my circus, not my monkeys. Yet, it can still grate if the situation is repeated. Rather than feel the frustration, why not politely point out the issue. It may be rectified or it may be left as is. Either way, you tried and that should mean something.
Thinking through the process today, brought a song to mind. Imagine <grin>. The lyrics outline a philosophy of trying to leave the world a better place. The title phrase indicates why it can be difficult to try to bring something forward -- no one wants the reputation of being a rabble rouser, after all. A great Canadian band sings this one. Enjoy!
Raise a Little Hell -- Trooper
Wednesday 14 June 2017
Day 4 - 165 -- Blocked Skyview
Temperature dropped overnight and cloud entered the sky. A heavy, foreboding type of cloud that just seemed to hang there, despite the wind present lower to the ground. As the day wore on, some sun tried to peek through the thick grey barrier. Some spitty rain tried to engage by mid-afternoon but appeared to give up after a few minutes without much success.
While clouds clogged the sky, my brain felt a bit cloudy as I worked through the last of major course materials for one Fall course. I'll revisit these in a day or two to ensure things were done as clearly as they should be. <smile> I walked to a meeting and it was pleasant and refreshing compared to the past two days -- clearing my mind a bit. Hot humid days like earlier this week make me feel unable to breathe adequately, so the fuzzy thinking may be due to lower oxygen load available for those neurons. <grin>
A song about clouds seemed fitting for today. Two versions are shared here since the song was co-written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley (Seekers). The arrangements are different. While I like them both, I lean towards the first version as a favourite of the two. What do you think? Enjoy!
Cloudy -- Simon and Garfunkel
Cloudy -- Judith Dunham and The Seekers
While clouds clogged the sky, my brain felt a bit cloudy as I worked through the last of major course materials for one Fall course. I'll revisit these in a day or two to ensure things were done as clearly as they should be. <smile> I walked to a meeting and it was pleasant and refreshing compared to the past two days -- clearing my mind a bit. Hot humid days like earlier this week make me feel unable to breathe adequately, so the fuzzy thinking may be due to lower oxygen load available for those neurons. <grin>
A song about clouds seemed fitting for today. Two versions are shared here since the song was co-written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley (Seekers). The arrangements are different. While I like them both, I lean towards the first version as a favourite of the two. What do you think? Enjoy!
Cloudy -- Simon and Garfunkel
Cloudy -- Judith Dunham and The Seekers
Tuesday 13 June 2017
Day 4 - 164 -- Needing a break
The day began with a failed alarm -- TV came on but not with any volume to wake me. Since the sun comes up early at this time of year, it took a while for me to realize there was a light in the room from opposite the window. Thankfully, there was nothing urgent scheduled for the morning. By lunch time, I had a pain that hasn't visited for a long time. Again, thankfully, I travel with a mini-pharmacy so could take the requisite med for this. Sadly this can take two days to get the blood levels high enough to manage the problem. In the meantime, I do my best to carry on. While I was tired to begin the day, this visitation didn't help me feel any more perky. A technological help session didn't run for the full afternoon as advertised, so I missed that. There will more sessions in the coming weeks, so things will be explained as I need them before Fall. Another tech desk visit helped with the difficulty with the phone connecting to e-mail. It now does. The IP address and mail server have several names and have changed in the past year, so I'm glad they understood which to try as I'd never have gotten the nuances straight.
Thunder storms swirled around us in late afternoon. I headed home before things got into full motion. It seems the worst cells of the storm moved south of town, so we had only a bit of thunder and a short downpour. Weather forecasters tell us that tomorrow will be cooler, but they have said that for today and we were still at 28C or more -- feeling like mid 30s with the humidity. I hope that things do cool off outside and inside. I know I complain about the piles of snow in winter, but the heat of summer is unbearable and makes me so uncomfortable. Spring and Fall are the best in my books. <smile>.
Thinking of my physical situation today I smiled at the song title that came to mind. It also fit my psychological place today. The singer is a keyboardist from New Orleans area. Enjoy!
Sick and Tired -- Fats Domino
Thunder storms swirled around us in late afternoon. I headed home before things got into full motion. It seems the worst cells of the storm moved south of town, so we had only a bit of thunder and a short downpour. Weather forecasters tell us that tomorrow will be cooler, but they have said that for today and we were still at 28C or more -- feeling like mid 30s with the humidity. I hope that things do cool off outside and inside. I know I complain about the piles of snow in winter, but the heat of summer is unbearable and makes me so uncomfortable. Spring and Fall are the best in my books. <smile>.
Thinking of my physical situation today I smiled at the song title that came to mind. It also fit my psychological place today. The singer is a keyboardist from New Orleans area. Enjoy!
Sick and Tired -- Fats Domino
Day 4 - 163 -- Re-establishing Routine
The first day back to work after a week away can be overwhelming. I had tried to clear out unnecessary e-mails while away, but there were still so many to go through when I arrived at work today. It took much of my day to delete most and deal with the few that needed my attention. I had been at a conference, so the pace there had been frenetic. Early starts over breakfast and late endings with later dinners. It isn't a relaxing vacation. It is a change, but not a rest <smile>. This means that I come back to work in a somewhat fatigued state. The conference ended Saturday, when I traveled back home and spent Sunday catching up on home chores. That was the closest to a day 'off' as I've had in two weeks. Getting back into the swing of the usual non-teaching routine seems to take some time. Today, I was very weary likely due to the heat and humidity at home disrupting sleep patterns.
As much as I like to think of myself as a bit spontaneous and flexible, it seems I, like those around me, am a creature of habit. Some have a much more rigid schedule but we all seem to have a rhythm that works best for each of us. Disruptions to such patterns from weather changes, travel or unexpected events create increased stress levels. These, in turn, result in further disruption feelings. It seems to take a fair amount of work to find the normalcy we crave. The work can be difficult to do when tired and agitated from a forced change of pace and routine. Understanding our need for a day or two to recentre and then return to the usual work and personal routine may help. Sadly, it may be that many of us feel we can just 'do it' without realizing we may be part of the problem we are working to solve. <smile> Mindfulness may be needed here to remember to be kind to ourselves.
The song phrase that ran through my mind when pondering the work situation is one of my dad's favourites. It is one from his youth and one that I heard as a youngster, too. The lyrics present the feeling of calm once one gets back in the game. Enjoy!
Back in the Saddle Again -- Gene Autry
As much as I like to think of myself as a bit spontaneous and flexible, it seems I, like those around me, am a creature of habit. Some have a much more rigid schedule but we all seem to have a rhythm that works best for each of us. Disruptions to such patterns from weather changes, travel or unexpected events create increased stress levels. These, in turn, result in further disruption feelings. It seems to take a fair amount of work to find the normalcy we crave. The work can be difficult to do when tired and agitated from a forced change of pace and routine. Understanding our need for a day or two to recentre and then return to the usual work and personal routine may help. Sadly, it may be that many of us feel we can just 'do it' without realizing we may be part of the problem we are working to solve. <smile> Mindfulness may be needed here to remember to be kind to ourselves.
The song phrase that ran through my mind when pondering the work situation is one of my dad's favourites. It is one from his youth and one that I heard as a youngster, too. The lyrics present the feeling of calm once one gets back in the game. Enjoy!
Back in the Saddle Again -- Gene Autry
Sunday 11 June 2017
Day 4 - 162 -- Navigating the Greyness
A conversation last week dealt with navigating the greyness of life. Humans seem prone to dichotomize the world -- good/bad, black/white, right/wrong and so on. Professionally, we run into this in terms of healthy/unhealthy or eat/don't eat lists. Neither of these are as clear cut as people try to make them. I spoke of the challenge of facilitating critical thinking as an educator. The dichotomy would be easier to explain and manage, yet it just doesn't exist. I've heard people tell me that they dislike the grey zone and just want to work with black and white. This is where wants and needs don't mesh well, since as a health professional it will be like the rest of life -- varying shades of grey. Definitive answers would be helpful for health professionals to provide and others to receive. Yet, most situations deal with multiple factors, so a single response that fits all situations is impossible.
In many areas of life a simple yes/no choice would be so much easier. I understand the frustration of people with minimal science background to begin to understand the complexities. If a health professional is telling us about a health problem, emotions cloud understanding. When it is more complex and less either/or understanding just becomes more difficult. Learning ways to communicate clearly is a key for those holding the information. That can be challenging but necessary.
There are many songs that deal with the complexities of life and how these increase as we age. I will share my favourite here today. It is written by Mann and Weil a songwriting team from the '60s. One other song has lyrics that note that the more we learn the less we know -- how true. I'll share that song today, too. Enjoy!
Shades of Grey -- The Monkees
Shades of Grey -- Billy Joel
In many areas of life a simple yes/no choice would be so much easier. I understand the frustration of people with minimal science background to begin to understand the complexities. If a health professional is telling us about a health problem, emotions cloud understanding. When it is more complex and less either/or understanding just becomes more difficult. Learning ways to communicate clearly is a key for those holding the information. That can be challenging but necessary.
There are many songs that deal with the complexities of life and how these increase as we age. I will share my favourite here today. It is written by Mann and Weil a songwriting team from the '60s. One other song has lyrics that note that the more we learn the less we know -- how true. I'll share that song today, too. Enjoy!
Shades of Grey -- The Monkees
Shades of Grey -- Billy Joel
Day 4 - 161 -- Bidding Farewell
I've written before about the difficulty I have leaving home to go somewhere else for several days or weeks. I realized that this same feeling happens at other venues. I often feel a bit teary when the professional conference ends. I know it will be a while before I see many of my friends and colleagues again. That, and this group of people have taken on a 'family' feel with me, so again, the end of the gathering can feel like the end of a reunion. The conference for me has felt like coming home for many years now. I still need to unpack that one <smile>. Leaving as well as knowing others are going in many directions and won't be in one place again for a year or more can challenge those emotions. I've had this feeling for places I've found comfortable and might even envision myself being able to live there. I've had this occur in many places, but not all, throughout my travels. So -- again I need to reflect on this to get the emotions unpacked a bit more, but for now I just accept that is who I am <smile>.
When leaving the conference yesterday before the final session had occurred, I did feel those same emotions and felt a tear or two. I thought through several songs to get to what was said as we took our leaves. I generally say 'see you soon.' It is what I hope or wish for in my heart. Goodbye seems rather formal and final and actually difficult to say. The selection shared here put that feeling into words well. The composer and lyricist did a fine jobs as does the singer who was part of that pairing. Enjoy!
Friends Never Say Goodbye -- Elton John
When leaving the conference yesterday before the final session had occurred, I did feel those same emotions and felt a tear or two. I thought through several songs to get to what was said as we took our leaves. I generally say 'see you soon.' It is what I hope or wish for in my heart. Goodbye seems rather formal and final and actually difficult to say. The selection shared here put that feeling into words well. The composer and lyricist did a fine jobs as does the singer who was part of that pairing. Enjoy!
Friends Never Say Goodbye -- Elton John
Day 4 - 160 -- Lingo and Foodstuffs
I'd be remiss after a trip to the rock (Newfoundland and Labrador) without highlighting some of the uniqueness of the island. The local lingo can be difficult to follow for the uninitiated. The lyrical lilt of the accent can also be difficult to follow. I recall my first day on campus when the custodian stopped by my office to introduce himself. I got the basics and then he began to tell me something that to this day I don't understand. I just recall thinking that he was speaking English, but I didn't have a clue what was being said. I got better <smile>. I was reminded of that while in St. John's for the conference. Some of the unique sayings include:
-- Watta y'at? -- a standard greeting meaning what are you up to?
-- Stay where you're to 'til I comes where you're at -- stay where you are until I get there.
-- who knit ya? -- who are your parents? (an important question when many last names may be the same and one wants to know what arm of the family you belong to. On Cape Breton they ask "Whose your fadder?") <g>
Locals will mess with come from aways during the screeching in ceremony by getting them to say:
'Yes me old cock and long may your big jib draw.' This translates to "yes my old friend and may your future be good." One explanation of the first is that many cockney people moved to Newfoundland and referred to each other in this way. The latter phrase refers to the jib sail on a ship, so in effect is saying that wind be present to get you to your destination.
That brings me to food and drink. I mentioned the screeching in -- a ceremony for visitors to become honourary Newfoundlanders. Skreech is a version of dark Jamaican rum. Initiates must eat a piece of NL steak (bologna), drink a shot of Skreech and talk like a Newfoundlander as above. The ceremony ends with kissing something from Newfoundland -- generally this is a cod fish but I've also seen it with a stuffed toy puffin (the provincial bird) and 'kissing the puffin's arse' -- either way it can be a fun experience. A scoff is a feed of something -- a dinner. Local meals include Jigg's dinner, consisting of boiled salted beef with root vegetables and peas pudding (yellow peas cooked in a cloth bag suspended in the cooking water, which ends up as a thick puree of peas). A local treat is chips and dressing -- seasoned bread crumbs (like poultry dressing) covered with fries and served with lots of gravy. Another use of 'dressing' is to coat a piece of cod before pan-frying. Toutins -- these were served for breakfast on the last day of the conference -- leftover small bits of bread dough flattened into disks and pan fried with butter (not a lot). These are served with molasses (and wild blueberry sauce for the conference goers).
Standing on the most eastern tip of North America was wonderful as was seeing my first real icebergs. The waves were huge even on the calmer day we were there. Seeing two of the bird islands in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve was breathtaking. Millions of birds -- puffins, awks, murres, and kittiwates -- use this area as a nesting ground. Each bird laying a single egg on land and then spending much of the rest of their life at sea until returning to nest each spring. There are millions of birds in the area (and that is counted) with about a half-million puffins. These are small birds with about four nesting pairs per square foot! The cliffs are literally covered with birds -- an amazing scene. So, today will be another song from NL. It deals with the local lingo and is sung by a group from the rock. Enjoy!
What are You At -- Great Big Sea
-- Watta y'at? -- a standard greeting meaning what are you up to?
-- Stay where you're to 'til I comes where you're at -- stay where you are until I get there.
-- who knit ya? -- who are your parents? (an important question when many last names may be the same and one wants to know what arm of the family you belong to. On Cape Breton they ask "Whose your fadder?") <g>
Locals will mess with come from aways during the screeching in ceremony by getting them to say:
'Yes me old cock and long may your big jib draw.' This translates to "yes my old friend and may your future be good." One explanation of the first is that many cockney people moved to Newfoundland and referred to each other in this way. The latter phrase refers to the jib sail on a ship, so in effect is saying that wind be present to get you to your destination.
That brings me to food and drink. I mentioned the screeching in -- a ceremony for visitors to become honourary Newfoundlanders. Skreech is a version of dark Jamaican rum. Initiates must eat a piece of NL steak (bologna), drink a shot of Skreech and talk like a Newfoundlander as above. The ceremony ends with kissing something from Newfoundland -- generally this is a cod fish but I've also seen it with a stuffed toy puffin (the provincial bird) and 'kissing the puffin's arse' -- either way it can be a fun experience. A scoff is a feed of something -- a dinner. Local meals include Jigg's dinner, consisting of boiled salted beef with root vegetables and peas pudding (yellow peas cooked in a cloth bag suspended in the cooking water, which ends up as a thick puree of peas). A local treat is chips and dressing -- seasoned bread crumbs (like poultry dressing) covered with fries and served with lots of gravy. Another use of 'dressing' is to coat a piece of cod before pan-frying. Toutins -- these were served for breakfast on the last day of the conference -- leftover small bits of bread dough flattened into disks and pan fried with butter (not a lot). These are served with molasses (and wild blueberry sauce for the conference goers).
Standing on the most eastern tip of North America was wonderful as was seeing my first real icebergs. The waves were huge even on the calmer day we were there. Seeing two of the bird islands in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve was breathtaking. Millions of birds -- puffins, awks, murres, and kittiwates -- use this area as a nesting ground. Each bird laying a single egg on land and then spending much of the rest of their life at sea until returning to nest each spring. There are millions of birds in the area (and that is counted) with about a half-million puffins. These are small birds with about four nesting pairs per square foot! The cliffs are literally covered with birds -- an amazing scene. So, today will be another song from NL. It deals with the local lingo and is sung by a group from the rock. Enjoy!
What are You At -- Great Big Sea
Day 4 - 159 -- Inspiration
The annual conference for the professional association was held last week (hence these posts being later getting put up to the blog). I've always found conferences to be uplifting. They fill me with ideas of actions that can be put in place or improve existing practice. Being with a group of like minded individuals can be inspiring. Well -- like-minded in terms of similar training and background that has led individuals to many very different careers. Again, inspiring. The conference sessions are interesting -- highlighting the latest practice tools, professional concerns, and practice-based research findings. However, the real excitement occurs in the hallways and meals. Meeting new people and reuniting with colleagues and friends is my favourite part of the conference. Termed networking, this communication can lead to new viewpoints of shared challenges. I always find great ideas to bring topics into classrooms and in good years, conversations inform my research directions. I find people to work with and others find me for their projects. Helping each other move the topic and profession forward is my biggest take-away from this conference.
I had been unable to attend for the past two years, so this year may have felt more intense. I encountered more current and past students and interns than I ever remember from past conferences. Being in Atlantic Canada may have had something to do with that, but not everyone was from this end of the country. I planted a seed of having a group photo done and we had 20+ involved and still had many more who were unable to be at the photo op. It was fantastic to see so many people who had sat in my classrooms over the years -- to hear how their careers and lives have progressed. Learning of the contributions they are each making to the profession is heartening. Connecting with colleagues from across the country(former areas where I've worked) and catching up with old friends is rejuvenating. This week we had many chats, meals, and tours together -- all treasured moments.
The reunion aspect of the conference is special. It feels like a family to me. The profession has provided me many careers, each with unique skill sets and joys. The members of the association as a whole and as individuals have been the supports that helped me to maintain focus and move forward. The song for today may seem a bit schmaltzy but to me the 'you' it refers to is a plural pronoun for the profession. While not perfect, it is one of the most amazing fields to work in, providing many different career options -- just as a friend would. Enjoy!
Wind Beneath my Wings -- Bette Midler
I had been unable to attend for the past two years, so this year may have felt more intense. I encountered more current and past students and interns than I ever remember from past conferences. Being in Atlantic Canada may have had something to do with that, but not everyone was from this end of the country. I planted a seed of having a group photo done and we had 20+ involved and still had many more who were unable to be at the photo op. It was fantastic to see so many people who had sat in my classrooms over the years -- to hear how their careers and lives have progressed. Learning of the contributions they are each making to the profession is heartening. Connecting with colleagues from across the country(former areas where I've worked) and catching up with old friends is rejuvenating. This week we had many chats, meals, and tours together -- all treasured moments.
The reunion aspect of the conference is special. It feels like a family to me. The profession has provided me many careers, each with unique skill sets and joys. The members of the association as a whole and as individuals have been the supports that helped me to maintain focus and move forward. The song for today may seem a bit schmaltzy but to me the 'you' it refers to is a plural pronoun for the profession. While not perfect, it is one of the most amazing fields to work in, providing many different career options -- just as a friend would. Enjoy!
Wind Beneath my Wings -- Bette Midler
Saturday 10 June 2017
Day 4 - 158 -- Wonderful Remembrance Exhibit
Earlier this week I visited an excellent museum exhibit dealing with the World War 1 battle at Beaumont-Hamel -- part of the Battle of the Somme. It was here that the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was decimated. After a 30 minute battle, only 68 of the 801 troops answered the roll; over 700 were killed, injured or missing. The regiment came from the Dominion of Newfoundland and consisted mainly of volunteers. The battle occurred on July 1, 1916. Since joining Confederation in 1949, the current province of Newfoundland and Labrador remembers this sacrifice in the morning and celebrates Canada Day in the afternoon. The symbol of remembrance is a blue forget-me-not. The regiment was known affectionately as the Blue Puttees. When making uniforms for the many volunteers, it is said that the khaki material was in short supply so navy fabric was substituted to make the puttees, the wrapping used on the lower legs from boot to mid-calf over the trousers. Thus, the addition of the navy puttees led to the nickname and the choice of a blue flower of remembrance. The museum exhibit began at the end of a path of forget-me-nots along the ceiling -- the rest of the section lived up to this creativity and attention to detail.
I visited The Rooms to experience the exhibit. Interactive aspects allowed visitors to hear the stories of several soldiers, officers, nurses, and family members. Recorded voices were included along with touch-screens to hear more of specific stories. This brief battle changed the island forever. Having a population of 240,000, the losses were significant and nearly wiped out a generation. Luckily a photography business in St. John's took photos of all who deployed, so families had those for remembrance. If the chance presents itself, I recommend a visit to this and the other historical exhibits at The Rooms. There is a wonderful cafe with excellent views of the narrows leading into the harbour.
In 2016, a song and video commemorated the 100 years since the battle. A musical family from NL (Newfoundland & Labrador) provided a stirring song with a video made especially for this milestone event. Enjoy!
I will Sing You Home -- Ennis Sisters
I visited The Rooms to experience the exhibit. Interactive aspects allowed visitors to hear the stories of several soldiers, officers, nurses, and family members. Recorded voices were included along with touch-screens to hear more of specific stories. This brief battle changed the island forever. Having a population of 240,000, the losses were significant and nearly wiped out a generation. Luckily a photography business in St. John's took photos of all who deployed, so families had those for remembrance. If the chance presents itself, I recommend a visit to this and the other historical exhibits at The Rooms. There is a wonderful cafe with excellent views of the narrows leading into the harbour.
In 2016, a song and video commemorated the 100 years since the battle. A musical family from NL (Newfoundland & Labrador) provided a stirring song with a video made especially for this milestone event. Enjoy!
I will Sing You Home -- Ennis Sisters
Wednesday 7 June 2017
Day 4 - 157 -- Water Tours
Seafaring, I am not. I have been on many ferries from the tiny ones at Englishtown, to the bobbing little boat to Coupville from Bremerton, to larger ferries for car passage from Nova Scotia to PEI or the large passenger ferries across Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Touring travels have gone around Hong Kong Island and to the outer islands, a high speed ferry to Macau, small boats through the bayou of Lourisianna, paddlewheeler down the Mississippi, a speed boat down the Chao Phrya in Bangkok, and to see bird sanctuaries in Newfoundland. Only a few of these created the dreaded motion sickness that I've lived with since forever. It is interesting that so many travels have involved water craft of one sort or another. Knowing my tendency to nausea or dizziness, I'm surprised how willing I seem to be to give it a try.
Anti-nausea meds work for me, though it can take a while for the feeling of being in motion actually leaves the brain. Vestibular difficulties along with visual inputs can be the source of this frustrating sensation that the world about you is moving and you are not. There can be moments when I try to will a transporter machine to pick me off the ship and plant me onto the ground. Fighting the sensations leaves one exhausted and wishing it would all just stop. Much of the scenery outweighs the risk of feeling yucky <smile>.
A song by a Newfoundland band tells about a water journey. Some of the lines make me laugh as I've felt like shouting the same words a few times in my life. Enjoy!
Excursion Around the Bay -- Great Big Sea
Anti-nausea meds work for me, though it can take a while for the feeling of being in motion actually leaves the brain. Vestibular difficulties along with visual inputs can be the source of this frustrating sensation that the world about you is moving and you are not. There can be moments when I try to will a transporter machine to pick me off the ship and plant me onto the ground. Fighting the sensations leaves one exhausted and wishing it would all just stop. Much of the scenery outweighs the risk of feeling yucky <smile>.
A song by a Newfoundland band tells about a water journey. Some of the lines make me laugh as I've felt like shouting the same words a few times in my life. Enjoy!
Excursion Around the Bay -- Great Big Sea
Monday 5 June 2017
Day 4 - 156 -- Carrying On
While driving down the highway today, through the woods filled with flowering trees of pink and white, the iPod died. While charging it in the car, I moved on to radio. CBC was airing today's Q show, which covered a lot of musical topics. It was quite interesting to listen to parts of a new album and the journey of the artist involved, Perfume Genius. The show wrapped with further discussion of the large concert in Manchester on the weekend mentioning the many performers involved. It was heartening to hear that the audience was huge -- both in person and via radio around the world -- and that emotion was involved when remembering those involved with the last concert.
Reflecting on my recent bout of anxiety felt like it had come from the 'all about me' world. In the real world others encounter real events that can cause major fear. I wouldn't blame someone for choosing to hide at home for a day or two after a major episode. The concert occurred a day after another attack in London. I've walked across London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. They were always filled with folks on their way to or from work or touring about the city. The concert said to me that today, people would be going about their usual routines, not that they'd forget about the various events, but they will move forward. For that seems to be the way to say that those perpetrating such acts will not win, if we carry on. Or as Churchill was reported to say, KBO.
Q wrapped today with a song suggested by one of the producers, who is from the UK. It really was a perfect song for the situation. The lyrics note that people can feel safe while moving through their routines in the city. Enjoy!
Waterloo Sunset -- The Kinks
Reflecting on my recent bout of anxiety felt like it had come from the 'all about me' world. In the real world others encounter real events that can cause major fear. I wouldn't blame someone for choosing to hide at home for a day or two after a major episode. The concert occurred a day after another attack in London. I've walked across London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. They were always filled with folks on their way to or from work or touring about the city. The concert said to me that today, people would be going about their usual routines, not that they'd forget about the various events, but they will move forward. For that seems to be the way to say that those perpetrating such acts will not win, if we carry on. Or as Churchill was reported to say, KBO.
Q wrapped today with a song suggested by one of the producers, who is from the UK. It really was a perfect song for the situation. The lyrics note that people can feel safe while moving through their routines in the city. Enjoy!
Waterloo Sunset -- The Kinks
Sunday 4 June 2017
Day 4 - 155 -- Spinning in Circles
Getting ready for next week took most of the day. Meeting preparation seems like a struggle today. Anxiety took over early after waking. I'm trying to focus on some of the other things planned for the week such as visiting with a couple of friends. It has been a long time between sit downs together, so that thought makes me smile and breathe <smile>.
Anxiety makes even little parts of a plan difficult. What should I wear? Will it rain? What if we run late? Some things we have control over and others we don't. Worrying about things outside our control seems a waste of energy, yet it still seems to happen -- regularly. So, knowledge alone can't change how we feel or act. Moving thoughts to the rational part of the mind and away from the emotional part can help. This takes a lot of practice to learn, but it can help people caught up in the circular thinking of anxiety.
The song line I heard repeating in my head today is from a song first heard in the '60s. The version shared here, successfully combines two musical genres. Enjoy!
Don't Worry Baby -- Lorrie Morgan & The Beach Boys
Anxiety makes even little parts of a plan difficult. What should I wear? Will it rain? What if we run late? Some things we have control over and others we don't. Worrying about things outside our control seems a waste of energy, yet it still seems to happen -- regularly. So, knowledge alone can't change how we feel or act. Moving thoughts to the rational part of the mind and away from the emotional part can help. This takes a lot of practice to learn, but it can help people caught up in the circular thinking of anxiety.
The song line I heard repeating in my head today is from a song first heard in the '60s. The version shared here, successfully combines two musical genres. Enjoy!
Don't Worry Baby -- Lorrie Morgan & The Beach Boys
Saturday 3 June 2017
Day 4 - 154 -- An Afternoon Storm
Lots of small tasks filled the day -- household chores, laundry, planting some new flowers, sending some messages, and so on. It made me feel a bit tired at the end of the day, but there seems to be tangible things to point to that had been completed -- for a change <smile>.
When out running an errand, the sky looked very menacing -- deep blue clouds in the south and bright blue in the north. It was clear that rain was going to arrive. As I left the car for the building, I could hear a distant roll of thunder. When I got back to the car about 15 minutes later, the temperature had dropped noticeably. I headed straight home, leaving the task of filling the gas tank for another day. Being outdoors with lightening that close was not on my 'to do' list today. Nor was getting caught in a big wind with sheets of horizontal rain like the storm that visited yesterday afternoon. I got home as the thunder grew louder. It lasted for an hour or more, finally crescendoing into long drawn out rumbles mixed with rattling. Rain fell, but without the major wind that I'd expected. As I've said before, thunder storms occur less often at this end of the country compared to the almost nightly events on the prairies. I've liked such storms, though the tornadic activity that can occur does create less enjoyment. I recall living in southwest Saskatchewan and watching a lightning storm pass across the sky south of town late at night. We often did that from the back porch when I was a kid. Seeing a funnel cloud once is enough to make one begin to look in all directions during a storm -- much as I did in the parking lot this afternoon. The navy coloured sky would mean wind events likely mixed with hail at home -- so sky language also is different from one region to another, with the same look meaning different things. Go figure --just like the word used for the piece of living room furniture that seats 3 or more <smile>.
The song chosen for today makes great use of the word thunder <smile>. The rhythm of the song and lyrics remind me of the repetitive nature of the sounds of a thunder storm. Enjoy!
Thunder -- Imagine Dragons
When out running an errand, the sky looked very menacing -- deep blue clouds in the south and bright blue in the north. It was clear that rain was going to arrive. As I left the car for the building, I could hear a distant roll of thunder. When I got back to the car about 15 minutes later, the temperature had dropped noticeably. I headed straight home, leaving the task of filling the gas tank for another day. Being outdoors with lightening that close was not on my 'to do' list today. Nor was getting caught in a big wind with sheets of horizontal rain like the storm that visited yesterday afternoon. I got home as the thunder grew louder. It lasted for an hour or more, finally crescendoing into long drawn out rumbles mixed with rattling. Rain fell, but without the major wind that I'd expected. As I've said before, thunder storms occur less often at this end of the country compared to the almost nightly events on the prairies. I've liked such storms, though the tornadic activity that can occur does create less enjoyment. I recall living in southwest Saskatchewan and watching a lightning storm pass across the sky south of town late at night. We often did that from the back porch when I was a kid. Seeing a funnel cloud once is enough to make one begin to look in all directions during a storm -- much as I did in the parking lot this afternoon. The navy coloured sky would mean wind events likely mixed with hail at home -- so sky language also is different from one region to another, with the same look meaning different things. Go figure --just like the word used for the piece of living room furniture that seats 3 or more <smile>.
The song chosen for today makes great use of the word thunder <smile>. The rhythm of the song and lyrics remind me of the repetitive nature of the sounds of a thunder storm. Enjoy!
Thunder -- Imagine Dragons
Friday 2 June 2017
Day 4 - 153 -- Aaaah-CHOO
In a morning phone call, a friend sneezed as she answered the phone and several times as we spoke. I've been congested more this week than for a long while. It seems the flowering trees and shrubbery have filled the air with particles of pollen that in turn create allergic responses in many people. Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful out there. It just becomes difficult to breathe. There are sprays and pills designed to alleviate such symptoms, but many can create weariness and some even increase risk of cataracts. My MD once said, we can fix a cataract, but you have to be breathing to do that. He was being facetious, of course, but it made me think. I try to use a saline spray daily rather than other nasal sprays. Taking pill form meds is done judiciously, depending on symptoms. But that is all we can do -- treat the symptoms. It lasts for much of the summer, with differing triggers throughout the season. This may be another reason, that I find Fall and Winter to be more pleasant -- well, winter without the snow and ice, but cold enough to squelch the herbaceous allergens.
A song came to mind today, but one that appears goofy given current day zeitgeist. Lyrics cover the situation we find ourselves in as the pollen count becomes part of the daily weather report. The duo lyricist and composer are renowned -- Rogers and Hammersein. While they had some stellar musicals to their credit, there were many that were less so. This song comes from one of those (Carousel) -- still interesting given the historical time it was set in --a time of the 'simple life' --something that most likely misrepresented society at any point in time. As an entertainment escapist piece, though, it worked. I've chosen a version by one of the big band leaders. Enjoy!
June is Bustin' Out All Over -- Benny Goodman and his orchestra ft. Kay Peyton
A song came to mind today, but one that appears goofy given current day zeitgeist. Lyrics cover the situation we find ourselves in as the pollen count becomes part of the daily weather report. The duo lyricist and composer are renowned -- Rogers and Hammersein. While they had some stellar musicals to their credit, there were many that were less so. This song comes from one of those (Carousel) -- still interesting given the historical time it was set in --a time of the 'simple life' --something that most likely misrepresented society at any point in time. As an entertainment escapist piece, though, it worked. I've chosen a version by one of the big band leaders. Enjoy!
June is Bustin' Out All Over -- Benny Goodman and his orchestra ft. Kay Peyton
Thursday 1 June 2017
Day 4 - 152 -- A Good Ending
Anxiety highs marched into the day. It began with a trip to the garage with the vehicle. It was time for an oil change but we also needed to check out those warning lights that came on when headed out of town 2 weeks ago. The lights came on the next day again and then they didn't. Sounded like something simple like a sensor, but the fear of a much larger electrical issue didn't want to leave my mind. I took enough work to keep me going for 1.5 hours, generally enough. As we got closer to 2 hours, I walked to the service desk and asked where things were. Seems the mechanic was just writing it up, and it was a small item -- some rust around the sensor. So -- that one ended with a smaller bill than I'd imagined.
After a few hours at work, I headed off for a medical appointment -- one of those screening events that occurs every few years. This one has generally been easy, but the last time we did this there was a lot of pain involved. It made me rather anxious to bother with this again. Luckily the MD involved was amazing and so understanding. Before I knew it things were over and not a hint of discomfort. So, it can be done with a bit of care by the health professionals involved.
A weight or two were lifted today. I faced a couple fears and managed to come out the other side with no new scars. I laughed when a song line came to mind that so suited the end of the day. Enjoy!
I'm Still Standing -- Elton John
After a few hours at work, I headed off for a medical appointment -- one of those screening events that occurs every few years. This one has generally been easy, but the last time we did this there was a lot of pain involved. It made me rather anxious to bother with this again. Luckily the MD involved was amazing and so understanding. Before I knew it things were over and not a hint of discomfort. So, it can be done with a bit of care by the health professionals involved.
A weight or two were lifted today. I faced a couple fears and managed to come out the other side with no new scars. I laughed when a song line came to mind that so suited the end of the day. Enjoy!
I'm Still Standing -- Elton John
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