The day began with a break from routine with a different breakfast than is the usual daily fare. That reflected the upbeat mood I was in. I chose to walk to the office while listening to the iPod tunes -- something that helped me to maintain that feeling. I planned to complete the next steps of several partially finished projects on my desk. At the end of the day, I'd done those along with a couple of extras -- several e-mails sent, edits to a couple of written drafts, invitation note delivered, gathering information for project meetings next week and even finding the recipes to work with on the weekend. After the walk home, I had a good supper -- nothing fancy, but something filling and tasty. I do hope the mood can continue into the weekend and help me to get bits of many plans underway.
It is interesting that some days everything seems to just fit. Elevated moods are fun and yet gnerally don't hang around for a long time. Today was an exception with things lasting for most of the day. Even if such feeling s arrive for part of a day, I need to enjoy them. Paying attention to emotions gives us permission to feel what we feel and improves understanding of the ups and downs. There often is no discernible reason that we feel up or down or somewhere in between. Emotions are not always linked to a specific event or experience -- they just are.
A song that speaks to the way I felt today came to mind. The chorus lyrics say what I've felt today. the feelings helped me do the fun tasks that on 'down' days just feel like work. <smile> Enjoy!
I was awake much of the night due to the sounds of the storm. The winds howled as they pelted rain against the house. The bits of snow became watery slush piles that the wind threw around a bit. Loud thuds and banging on the roof above the bedroom were most distressing. Around 3 AM I headed outside to see if there was a tree limb of something being tossed about on the roof. I stood out and watched as the wind gusted, but saw nothing. The noise continued into the mid-morning, though it lessened as the wind died down a bit. I went out to push the slush off the walkway, stairs and driveway. Several times the northerly gusts required that I stand with my back to the wind and leaning onto the shovel so it wouldn't become a sail. Each time, I watched the roof to see if any branches bent to touch the roof -- again nothing. While in the backyard moving slush, I heard a loud thud behind me. All that was there was slushy snow. It must have been a bit of snow from the top branches falling as the branches to flailed in a writhing dance with the major gusts. That must be what had been hitting the roof all night. Some of it sounded very loud, but if an ice ball hits something in a 60+km speed, I guess it would be rather loud.
At one point early in the day, power was out for half of the power customers in the province similar to PEI. By mid-afternoon that had been halved. With more winds coming tonight along with more rain, I expect the power will continue to be on and off in many areas. In town, the University closed due to power outage where it came on only briefly and then went back out. The sporadic nature of power access caused many businesses and offices to close, too. My power had flickered a lot during the day. As I've noted this, I tend to touch wood (makes me feel like an old druid <smile>). Forecasters suggest that tomorrow might be better than than the past 36 hours. Time will tell.
A song that seemed perfect for the experiences of the last day is shared here today. The lyrics and visual speak to the sounds dealt with today but also carry a solid bit of social commentary. Enjoy!
Today was interesting. Skies were grey and next to no wind. Temperatures were just above freezing. I spent the day indoors working online and with a phone meeting. I only went outside briefly to head to the town library for a noon hour talk. The speaker is a colleague from the university with a presentation called "Mindfulness and how to deal with hard things." She has an amazing voice that comes from a place of peace while leading others to calm. She spoke of practicing being where we are when we are there. I found her metaphor of the mind as the sky intriguing. She noted that wind does not hurt the sky and that clouds arrive and then they leave. There was a larger group than usual there today and we spent a good chunk of the time being still. What a gift that was. I truly needed that this week. The speaker has a web site with blogs, Facebook page and has begun podcasts. Anyone who is interested should check these sites -- www.justbreatheyouareenough.com
The calmness from the seminar mimicked the calm encountered outdoors. It was the calm before the storm that arrived in the evening. Rain, snow and flying slush. Luckily more rain than frozen precipitation occurred by the time I headed off to bed. Seeking calm and finding it in nature and in other people can add wonder to a day. Refocusing from frustrations to finding those moments of inner calm takes practice, but it can help to deal with some challenges along the journey.
I was reminded of a calming song as I walked through the day. The melody and harmonies bring a sense of tranquility that is mirrored in the lyrics. Enjoy!
The day began with a trip to the grocery store to pick up the items I missed yesterday. At work I realized how one of my frustrations had turned into something darker and when I was late getting lunch, things reached a tipping point. It all came tumbling out. After eating and getting a message from someone who saw the situation in a similar way, I felt much better. A wonderful evening with a friend helped keep things looking up. We can always talk for a long time any day, any time. We talked through many serious and lighthearted topics. Always a great time together.
Today reminded me that I can't change behaviour of others, but I can work on my reactions. This can be difficult with a personal slight occurs -- hurtful things. It does need to be done, though. Remembering to eat lunch when I'm hungry can help with managing reactions, too <smile>. Petty behaviour in others shouldn't lead to similar actions by me. Sometimes it feels like reactionary petty behaviour would be rewarding -- but not so actually. <smile> Tit for Tat doesn't get us anywhere we want to go. Necessary problem solving could best take the higher road.
Lyrics that spoke to me today are from an older song - imagine <smile>. They cover the need for introspection and moving out of a selfish or adolescent place of thinking. Enjoy!
Monday went by quickly, but many things were accomplished. Grocery shopping involved going to both stores to get what was needed. When putting those items away, I realized that three things needed had not made it into the basket. So, I'll head up in the morning to get those final bits of some of the cooking and baking planned for the week. I had two meetings that went well. The writing bits I needed to send off for the meeting tomorrow were sent out this evening. Late but not left undone. So -- not bad for a Monday.
I still seem to be feeling frustrated with several situations that are beyond my control. It may be part of the desire to control others especially when their actions create a sense of hurt that appears more like anger <sigh>. One can only hope that time will improve the various situations.
Something that made me smile and relax a bit today was listening to the new album from a Canadian singer. He had a hiatus over the past couple of years for family reasons, so the album that dropped a couple weeks ago was exciting. The album is entitled 'Love' -- a theme that describes the altered focus that he has taken. I want to share one of those songs here tonight and urge you to have a listen to the great standards and new songs on the album. Enjoy!
Much of what was planned for today did not get done. A couple of things will make the next couple of days a bit more frenetic than I'd like, but there's not much that can change that now. Getting caught up at home this weekend had more work than could fit in comfortably. Groceries were on today's list, but have now moved to tomorrow. Laundry was completed and meals prepared. Other than that, only parts of the larger projects hit the conscious mind.
I woke early than planned with not enough sleep to make me feel even a tiny bit of perkiness <smile>. After breakfast and household tasks, I sat down and fell asleep. The nap was needed, yet that took time and some energy away from the day's plans. I'm still not sure why the short list for the weekend or the week seems not to be finished. I often just don't have the impetus to move things forward. The extra physical work of snow removal this past week might have created the extra fatigue. It hasn't become part of a routine yet. I'd like to think we'll have a gentle winter season and I can do more walking instead of shoveling. But then, I do live in denial often <smile>. Somehow I have to find a rhythm that will assist with improved productivity <smile>.
Lyrics from a wonderful bluesy song fit my meanderings today. The song is from the earlier part of the singer's career, yet I like the more recent version better, so share it here today. Love the guitar work on this one, too. Enjoy!
The day began as others this week -- moving snow. The upside involved sunshine and warmer temperatures with next to no wind. Forecasts note that temperatures should rise above freezing for the next few days with no precipitation for a couple of more days. It feels like a reprieve of sorts. Falling on a weekend, I feel I can sit back and relax even a bit. Two projects need updates written for next week -- early next week. So -- I'll try to look at those tomorrow to get some ideas written that can be turned into something cohesive in the following two days. For now, it is a more relaxed day.
As I was writing this, I heard sirens. It took a couple of minutes, but I abruptly realized that it was the Santa Claus Parade. I dashed to put on boots, coat, hat, mitts and all the layers needed in colder climes. Racing out the back way, I hoped I wouldn't fall on any slippery bits and be laying there in the dark where no one would see me until morning <smile>. The parade was wonderful. Tons of floats with festive, sparkly lights and lots of music. The kids around me were really wired to see the guest of honour. After so many vehicles and walking groups, came the open four-wheel white carriage drawn by two large blacks. It seats four , but only Santa and Mrs. Clause rode in this one.
So the quiet Saturday included a noisier yet fun event. A lyric came to mind as I walked back from the parade. It described the great outdoor event attended this evening. This version features three great artists that were clearly having a lot of fun (as were some younger audience members). Enjoy!
The winds for the past two days have been viciously cold. A major dip in the jet stream has forced cold arctic air further south than usual and with winds. Today, I woke to another 10cm or so of snow, which delayed took longer to remove than I'd planned for the morning. When out in the almost knee deep plough detritus, it was slow slogging. The weight of the ice and slightly wet snow took more muscle work than the light fluffy stuff I'd moved elsewhere in the yard. As I was nearing the worst of the ice and snow, I turned to throw a shovel full aside only to be faced with the sidewalk plow and driver. He'd been coming up the street. I stepped aside and he cleared all that remained in two quick pushes. I grinned like a fool -- it was so unexpected and a delightful act of kindness. On the walk into the office, walkways were very slippery. They had been cleared earlier but the snow continued to fall lightly. At the top of the hill, I paused on the island to wait for oncoming traffie before crossing. A large semi-trailer was heading into the road. I calmly waited for him to pass, but slowed and came to a full stop. Another major act of kindness. Starting back up through all those gears is not an easy process -- especially when he was only heading about a block further before turning into campus to deliver to the main meal hall.
After lunch, major snow squalls began. These sea-effect of on-shore flurries bring whiteout conditions, particularly with the winds that drive the squalls inland. Accumulations can be huge or minimal. This seemed to be average, but I felt sorry for the bus driver who was heading into this on the way to the city and airport. I was also glad that we had this option for my colleague to get to the airport to fly home today. Given the micro climate zones found in hilly, coastal communities, the squalls didn't cover the whole province and were far less severe within an hour east and west of us. I did ponder the word squall today -- an odd sounding word. While it is used almost exclusively in weather reports at present, online searching noted it may have come from older English as a combination of 'squeal' and 'bawl' of from Scandinavian words for loud surprised sound -- a word to describe a disturbance or commotion. There are likely other origins for the word, but it sounds somewhat odd and sees a narrower usage at present.
The weather reminded me of song lyrics that talk about travel and cold winds. The style is unique -- an odd mix of folk rock with a sound that seems to be Tudor-esque. The lyrics provide poetic imagery. Enjoy!
When I looked out the window, I found far more white stuff than expected. Overnight about 15 cm fell when we'd expected 2-5 cm. That is a big difference. When I went to shovel, I immediately recognized it as an easy job today. The snow was light and fluffy due to the very cold air - some arctic low that is further south than usual at this time of year. The walk into work was a bit slippery as sidewalks had yet to be cleared and it was still snowing lightly. The sun came out later in the morning, but the cloud returned by early afternoon, bringing with it more snowfall. By the end of the work day, we walked into the north wind on the way out for supper. The wind was truly biting with a windchill reported as -22C -- which translates as COLD.
My visiting research colleague and I got through a major data analysis task today that made us see previous work in a new light. Along with this, further writing and talking about how best to present the data to others were discussed. When it was all over we went for supper and had wonderful meals and great conversation. It is difficult to believe that the time is up and she will be headed back to Ontario later tomorrow. It is validating to have someone who understands the study questions like I do and enjoys the same geeky stuff <smile>.
When feeding the furry one this morning, we emptied the last of a large bag of food. I told him we'd get to open a new one for supper tonight. I'm not sure he understood that, but I know things must taste fresher because there is greater excitement for the first few days after such a grand opening. I knew instantly this morning what the song for the day would be -- and yes, it brought laughter to me as I got ready for work. It hits one of the many highlights of the day for me <grin> and definitely for the furry one. The singer has a unique style and rhythm when performing. Enjoy!
The walk into work today felt a bit warmer than yesterday, though something is expected to arrive as the day proceeds -- a bit of some system out of Quebec. I worked on the writing project more today. Some edits were completed and I moved on to the next section. We took a break to listen to some student research proposal presentations. Two exciting projects were well discussed. It will be great to hear their findings next spring. After this, I headed back to do more on the main writing project. When it was time to discuss a second smaller project with a colleague, I was having trouble shifting gears. I'd been in a zone focused on one subject and changing that quickly left me not sure what to think and at a loss for words. I should have stood up and gone for a quick walk down the hall and back before changing topics. <smile> Something to keep in mind for future project work.
I thought of a song when reflecting on not changing topics quickly. I had used an automotive metaphor of changing gears and I heard an old song about a car race through my brain. The group singing this upbeat song has the most amazing harmonies. I love the version shared here as it introduces the group members back in their early (really early) days. Enjoy!
The day filled with many activities. Walking to work in slush and some slippery sections brought some giggles to our conversation. In the afternoon, by colleague presented a career overview for an interested audience. Many good questions and discussion afterwards. More work was done on the writing projects and then we headed out for dinner.
Something my co-worker said often in the past couple of days was that she couldn't believe that she was actually here. We've talked about it for some time. Being in a smaller town has presented its charms, too <smile>. I know when I moved here I wasn't sure what it would be like. There were about 4500 permanent residents and 4000 students. Today this hasn't changed much, with 5000 residents and about 4500 students. I've noted that I can go out for a walk, get groceries, or visit the physician and I will almost always see someone I know. Now, that took several years to begin to occur, but after two decades I feel I know more people and have a better handle on the history of the area. So, smaller can mean that many others know who you are -- less anonymity -- but it can mean when you need assistance, someone you know is close at hand.
I chose a song with lyrics that spoke about a small town and even notes being lost in a dream in such a place. Enjoy!
Writing. Many of us do this in one way or another -- notes on a fridge, shopping lists, e-mails or even a real letter or postcard. For some people, writing is a required part of the job. It might involve project proposals, evaluation reports, or published books or articles. Today I was immersing myself in the writing world, working with a colleague to get the ideas and thoughts we'd discussed into a file in some logical fashion. The goal of knowledge translation involves sharing research or practice findings. Once published these become available for anyone to read to inform their future work. Not only is publication required for academics, it also is part of ethical research practice. Findings of studies should be shared whether they were as expected or not. All parts of findings should be shared.
Finding the time to devote to the writing process can be tricky. We each write in somewhat different ways. I need to focus for an extended period to work through ideas. Others may find short spurts of writing work best of them. Understanding one's writing persona will help minimize angst and disappointment when deadlines aren't met as planned. We write the way our brains work, so doing it differently may create a disturbance in the force. <smile> So, this week, I have set aside with a colleague to focus on the larger chunks of time I need to complete the writing tasks before me. A very rough draft of an intro and background were spewed out today. There is a lot -- like a lot - of polishing to do, but major points have been typed into and e-file, transported to the printer, and now lie on paper awaiting my edits. See it on paper is so different than on screen. I can edit with either, but find better composition occurs with paper edits. Perhaps that happens since I feel I can 'see' the thing as a whole without the need to scroll up and down and back and forth. Maybe not. I just know it works for me.
A song title came to mind when thinking through the productive part of the day. I was reminded of the line, "Folks will be reading ehse words long after we're gone," which made me giggle. I like the video shared here. It shows that fantastic smile in all its glory. Enjoy!
Today began with major cloud that transitioned to bright sunshine. Temperatures were below average for this time of year, but somehow everyone seemed pleased to see the sun. More precipitation is expected in the next few days, so this day was a gift. A research colleague arrived in town today for a working visit. We had good conversations about work and other topics during the day. I look forward to that continuing in person and not by phone or e-mail.
Working with groups across the country or internationally can work well. I've always found the ability to meet face to face brought true team building. Getting to know groups of people or individuals by distance communications can be a slower tedious process. In person, people can see each other as individuals and begin to see how the group dynamic works. If truly lucky, we can become friends with those colleagues -- another gift.
A chorus lyric (and title) that came to mind today pulled together the feelings that the sunshine seemed to bring to people I encountered -- including me <smile>. It has an upbeat sound and feel. Enjoy!
It was a usual and unusual Saturday -- usual in the household tasks and errands that occurred. The unusual part came in the way I felt. I was very sore and finally decided that some of the muscle soreness was from shoveling heavy wet snow yesterday. The headache I put down to the bright lights at the eye doctor yesterday -- one of the migraine triggers. By the early evening, the various pains seemed to be battling among themselves. I nausea episodes with a type of dizziness. So, I headed off to bed early with a pain med.
Sorry that the day didn't involve a lot of thinking. But a friend reminded me of a wonderful album from the early career of a stellar singer-songwriter. The album was titled 17-11-70 (11-17-70 in the US). A song included on this album is a great cover of a song made famous by one of the early rock star bands. Most recordings by the artist featured today were co-written by him and a lifelong partner. So this selection is a bit of an aberration -- somewhat like I hope this day was for me <smile>. Enjoy!
What a day for a walk! I had an eye appointment just after lunch where my pupils are dilated. For that reason, I walk to the appointment. For the first time in a very long time, the annual visit to the optometrist was on a cloudy day -- twilight all day long. Perfect light conditions for me walking home looking like something from some horror or scifi movie <g>. The challenging part of the walk today was that it occurred in the midst of a snow storm. Very light drizzle fell as I left the house. about 5 minutes into the 20ish minute walk, large fluffy snow flakes filled the air. The wind was from the east as I walked south -- so a bit of a cross wind in places. The route took me through the two interchanges for the major highway that skirts the south side of town. Since I walked this last year, a gas station complex has been built in the midst of the many roads heading in all directions. I crossed the roads and headed up beside the gas station. Well, it seems this is a whole new road. Last year there were 4 directions to take in the roundabout and this year there are now five. The snow made it difficult to see that I was walking to a dead end until I was half way there. Backtracking I arrived a bit later than planned, so was there 15 minutes before my appointment time. [side note: Why isn't the appointment made for when you need to be there, not 15 minutes later? A topic for another blog.]
Things went well with the appointment. I often get a headache from the bright lights that must be shone into the eye to see the retina and such. That's where I am now. <sigh> The walk home had better visibility since it had switched back to drizzle by then. My one encounter was with a plow coming down the off ramp from the highway. I saw him coming and stood way back from the edge of the sidewalk to avoid the spray of water and particulates he was throwing. He saw me and stopped so I could cross the road -- very nice of him. That doesn't happen often with the fellows driving down my street when I'm out shoveling -- so the actions today were much appreciated.
A song title and lyric line so fits the main events of the day. These words remind me of the questions I was asked and those I asked of the optometrist. The lyrics also mention grey clouds, which are still outside my window tonight. This is from the early career of an iconic band. Enjoy!
As I wandered through the morning, I kept wondering why I felt so listless -- no outright tired. I didn't wake early as I have for several days recently, but there is was -- tired little me. I had shoveled snow -- just and inch or two -- and then walked into the office. Generally, that perks me up. Nothing. As I sat at my desk working away n the computer, I had a thought. While I hadn't woken in the night, I recall hearing the wind all night long -- extremely loud wind that was at least gale force. Perhaps that is what made me feel tired today -- disrupted sleep. The wind noise might have been trying to pull me out of sleep, so that the deeper, restful sleep was minimized leaving me exhausted. Interesting.
We have experienced several wind storms in the past 10 days, with number four on the horizon. Last night the winds were the strongest and loudest of the three experienced so far. There are other disturbances headed this way over the next week -- all promise some time of mixed precipitation. Wind will likely be part of these, too. Hopefully not as strong as those of the past week. This is my hope partly for selfish reasons, as I really need to sleep. Big things happening at work next week, and I have to have functional neurons. <smile>
A one-word song title came to mind that simply summarizes my sleep difficulties. The lyrics explain the situation and the vocals speak well to the frustration. Enjoy!
Today and last night have been filled with very strong winds. I woke about 3:30 AM when something hit the side of the house. Later in the light of day, I found a larger branch from the pine in the back yard -- nothing huge, but that must have been the culprit last night. During the day the sun was strong. We had about 4 inches of snow last evening followed by rain and near double digit temperatures followed by a rapid drop to below freezing this morning. The wind chills have been shockingly brisk. I ran a few errands while the sun still shone and then headed home to work before the next snow blew -- or flew -- into sight.
I've spent several days thinking of those who aren't with me anymore. Yesterday, another person I cared for passed from this world. I've pondered the nature of grief a lot over the years. As I've said, it is never the same twice -- never a familiar feeling. It never really goes away. We are never the same people after it visits. Yet, the world around us continues to move in its somewhat predictable way. Seasons change, the sun rises and sets, and other daily events persist. Perhaps some of the continuation is seen differently, meaning that there is renewal happening around us and within us.
The song that keeps coming to the fore has been one from a stage musical that was made into a movie. I've seen both. The sense of loss, anxiousness and desperation of grief come through in the repetition of the melody and its rhythms. The lyrics note the silent march of time even when we feel it is standing still. Enjoy!
Well -- I don't generally do this here, but I just have to write about something that irks me. I was looking through handwritten notes from a conference I attended a while back. I find the marginalia that I leave beside the main messages can be rather telling -- names of people that I want to share a new way to see an old problem; projects that can be informed by new information; and things that tell me I was tired or hungry or just ready to go for a walk. It was one of the latter that caught my attention today. It was a word that the learned speaker used followed by question marks and exclamation marks. <sigh>
I can be a grammarian. Communication is important and without following the rules of a language or sentence structure or punctuation, miscommunication occurs -- often. Remember the book by Lynne Truss, "Eats shoots and leaves"? That about says it for written messages. What my note had referred to was a spoken error -- one I hear far too often. So -- let me explain. If I say, "A strong wind blew on Sunday," I'm speaking about a specific incident. If I add, "It happened again on Tuesday and Wednesday," then I've mentioned three separate occurrences or in this case 'incidents'. Now where people run afoul of the rules and use a completely inappropriate word is when the are referring to more than one incident. Somehow, even with those who work in epidemiological research, the error happens. For some inexplicable reason, the word incidents becomes replaced with incidence. The latter refers to a rate of disease spread -- how many new cases over a set period of time. So, not even remotely related to more than one incident. The egregious error -- yes it gets worse -- is the attempt to pluralize this word. Instead of using the plural incidents, the speaker (and sometimes writer) states 'incidences.' It makes my ears bleed. That was the gist of the margin note found today.
Where the heck do I take this one in terms of song. Never fear -- I found one that fits. The melody is a bit morose sounding but the lyrics are amazingly visual and creative (and they use the word correctly). <smile> Enjoy!
While working with the weather channel on in the background today, the pictures on the screen brought me to a stop. The California fires looked so horrific. The one in the northern part of the state has devastating figures -- 31 dead with 228 missing; 6400 buildings destroyed, including a whole town. I'm not sure I know how to process that. With two further fires north of Los Angeles, the situation looks dire. The ferocity of the fires near populated areas is scary. We've had forest fires close to town since I've lived here, but not as huge as those we see on TV or those family members lived with years back with the Kelowna fires in BC. All those involved are in my thoughts.
Fire can be relentless. My mother was in a fire that took the family home and a whole block of wood-front main street. At the time, they lived above the general store in the small town. Everyone got out safely. One large steamer trunk was pulled out with them. It contained my grandfather's WWI uniform and many items from my grandmother's youth. She gave me a small egg cup from her china cabinet one day, telling me that she found that in the ashes after the fire was out. Her younger brother had given that to her before she was married. After that loss, neighbours provided them with some of the basics for setting up a home again. I have 2 pie plates that she was given. Community can pull together after a tragedy, which provides support in durable goods, but more importantly in spirit. The family then moved into the city as there wasn't anything left for them in the small town during the 1930s. Mom was a small child, but she did carry the fear of a fire with her.
A song for these thoughts seemed difficult to find. I settled on one that speaks about working with a major fire nearby and the idea that the visual would be with them always. The guitar opening is iconic with this one. The repetition and beat sort of represent anxious feelings. Enjoy!
The day was sunny, cold and windy. I left the house as I heard the bass drum beat of the parade of veterans. I walked quickly and got into the park from the back to see the veterans with those in service and reserves march in from the front. A great many people attended -- more than is usual I believe. I carried with me photos of my grandfather, part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, who fought at Vimy and one of him with his brother who was in the British army. Being the centenary of the end of World War I, that seemed a fitting tribute -- I didn't stand there alone, but with them.
WWI was called the war to end all wars. Sadly, this was not the case. Peace, the absence of war, is not part of the world as we know it. Even without an overt war, we live with intolerance, injustice and hate. Yet, many efforts support the movement towards freedom and peace -- a world where safety, understanding and caring are paramount. Human nature is such that this may be very difficult to achieve.
Since WWI, I have had family members who have served in WWII, Korea, the Second Gulf War, in Peacekeeping missions, and regular and reserve corps in peace time. I am fiercely proud of their service and thank them and all the others I don't know for their service time, too. Remembrance Day is a day of solemn reflection of the nature of that service - a quiet day by myself usually.
A song that I came across today tells the story of a young Scot footballer (Jimmy Speirs) who died at Passchendaele in 1917. The lyrics remind me of what many recruits must have experienced around the Commonwealth. The song was commissioned for the 2017 renewal of the Scottish Memorial in Flanders. Enjoy!
I woke later than usual so had a nice lie in today. That slower start to the day was welcomed and set the pace for the rest of the day. No crazy rushing around feelings. House work and laundry almost completed, but two more days of the longer weekend remain. <smile> I ran an errand around supper time. I still find it troublesome that the sun sets about 4:45 PM. So it was a dark and rainy drive out and back. Temperatures are about 12C as I type and will plunge to 1C by tomorrow morning. Sun will accompany this weather change, but the high will only be about 4C. Windchill will feel below freezing all day. Given that tomorrow is November 11, this means dressing in heavier layers for the outdoor ceremonies at the cenotaph. I dug out warmer mitts and a hat, so things should be manageable for the hour or so of standing outside for the parade and services. Still nothing like the rain, snow and mud those fighting in WWI encountered.
Today I was reminded of another historic event from 43 years ago. On this day the Edmund Fitzgerald foundered and sank in a storm on Lake Superior. All 29 crew were lost. The commemorative song written by a Canadian artist is shared today. The melody emphasizes the tension of the tragedy described by the lyrics. I find this live version of the song quite moving. Enjoy!
A mainly sunny day today that looked so inviting. I got out for a walk in mid-afternoon. It felt good to walk just for the sake of walking and being outside -- no particular destination. It helped clear my mind and move into a more positive place. I dressed warmly but even with double knit gloves my fingers were very cold. It must be time to break out the mitts. Being able to take advantage of such a day must be a perk of being retired -- embracing the day. As others have told me, the transition into this this new lifestyle will take time. Looking at each day to see what it has to offer and then making a choice seems to be part of the change. Learning how to do this well, will take time.
Earlier today, I was reminded of the song shared. It was at number one on the US charts on this day 44 years ago, in 1974. This Canadian group had many hits during a successful career. I remember hearing them live in Calgary way back when -- but I was down the street from the stadium not in the seats -- visiting family. <smile> The title of this song says what I was thinking of today. Enjoy!
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet -- Bachman Turner Overdrive
The morning was bright and sunny with wind blowing the clouds across the sky. It was warmer than the past few days. The yard worker cleared away the last of the leaves from the back yard and the bits left in the front from the last wind storm. At the office I organized details for an upcoming meeting. The one meeting booked today was postponed until next week. That allowed me time to book an IT appointment to help with the ongoing issues with the loss of printer drivers for all three print locales. I chatted with a few people along my journey around campus. When finished, I headed home for supper. I was so hungry. I got home at 3:30 PM! Time change still rearing its ugly head. Along with the fatigue, adjusting to a single hour difference seems never ending.
The last errand of the day involved going out after supper when it is now completely dark. It felt like I should be in bed and not out and about. Again, getting used to darkness when it has been lighter is just as difficult as getting used to it being light when it should be dark <grin>. We're heading into the time of year when much of our living will occur in the dark at both ends of the day. The song that seemed to fit these thoughts has a title that says it all for me today. <smile> Enjoy!
Today brought warmth and some sunshine -- one of the last ones before the next season change, I guess. Far more cooler days are in the offing based on time of year and the forecasts. I enjoyed the sun while it was here. In the office for a short bit today to do a couple of things -- only one got done before I chose to move on to other things for this day. Finding silly barriers in the way of forward movement made me just shake my head. Why some responses to easy questions and request seem to be overblown in their negativity is just more than I want to deal with. A short discussion with someone else helped suggest an alternate solution to the problem. I appreciated that -- willing to help with solutions rather than create more problems.
Once home today, I spent time in the kitchen cooking and listening to tunes. I made turkey a la king with biscuits and pumpkin pudding (basically pie filling without the crust). The latter will be part of the bedtime snack with a great cup of chai. The former was delish. <smile>
While listening to a playlist of songs from musicals, I enjoyed the calming effect of a couple songs in particular. While some had me dancing, others helped me relax. The selection shared today includes a trio with intertwining melodies. The beauty of the counterpoint helped me feel more peaceful than earlier in the day. Enjoy!
The day began very early as the field trip bus left at 7:30 AM -- not my favourite time of day. It was pouring rain for much of the drive into the city. We visited three food service operation sites. One a commissary kitchen style that produced about 5000 meals daily for many sites across the province -- all in a small production area with staggered scheduling. Another produced 900 meals daily for several sites in the city but with a larger staff and production area. The last stop was to a wholesale operation that supplies food and sundries to many food services -- restaurants, hospitals, longterm care centres and such. This was amazing -- 10,000 square feet of warehouse with 30 foot vertical storage throughout. Supplier trucks were completing their daily unloading as we arrived and into the evening trucks to the food service operations would be packed and driven out for early delivery tomorrow. The forklift operators move product into storage and then out of storage continually buzzing around the aisles.
This site visit can help students to see the larger operations that play a role in getting food from warehouse to customer. I've often asked people where their food comes from and received many differing responses. I'm not sure we always think through the farm to fork journey. Nor do we appreciate the many steps along the way and all the people involved in moving food into our restaurants, grocery stores and institutions. Perhaps we may take this for granted. There were local foods involved in all places seen today, though the proportion drops in the winter months. Seeing the enormity of the system can help put things into perspective, like the questions that begin, "Why don't they just . . . " The complexity of the process just isn't as simple as we'd like to think.
The selection for the day deals with seeing things from a new point of view -- with greater understanding perhaps. This acoustic version of the song brings two wonderful voices together well. Enjoy!
A mundane Monday has run its course. On campus we worked to get ourselves back online after the cyber attack last week. I still don't have printer access and it may be another week for me. There were many of us with this issue before the full on attack -- not sure if they were related or just some other glitch that surfaced earlier last week. At least I can save things to a stick and get someone with access to send things to a printer for me -- relying on the kindness of others <smile>. I walked into the office and to meetings today. It felt good to get out and walk in the sun of the morning and even in the cloud of the afternoon. After work errands led me to the grocery store and then back to the car at 5:20 PM when it was dark in the parking lot. Have I mentioned that I think time change creates more issues than it might fix? <grin>.
For a day with nothing exceptional occurring, I thought I'd settle on a song that felt opposite -- Pushing out of the mundane-ness of the day -- perhaps even exciting or at least different from the usual fare. Enjoy!
Jatti De Nain -- Roshan Prince ft. Millind Gaba & Surbhi Mahendru
Time changed when we should all have been sleeping. A group of neighbours had other plans and partied through the change -- waking me several times in the middle of the night. So -- there are two reasons behind the fatigue I feel today. Well, maybe three since there was a loud wind storm during the night, too.
During the day, I did those mundane weekend chores and even cooked a big Sunday dinner. Leftovers will be part of the next few meals and one batch cooking effort scheduled for mid-week. The sun was amazingly bright and strong today. I swept off the porches and walkway to push the leaves onto the ground. Looking up, I realized that all the remaining leaves that were there yesterday have now fallen -- blown off by the storm wind gusts. Interestingly, those in the front yard piled around the edges and left the cleared lawn area bare. The next few days are to bring big rain again with temperatures climbing and dropping daily -- the weather roller coaster of mid-autumn.
Given the messaging on social media, the time change seems top of mind for most people. Chatting with the furry fellow about dinner time was interesting. Even I felt that food should happen earlier than the clock suggested. After supper, I was ready to head to bed but the clock said 8 PM. So, today brought the stress of time change. The song chosen to share notes some of the feelings associated with this twice-yearly event (in most places). Enjoy!
Rather than prattling on about what housework I did or didn't do today, let me tell you about my outing last night. I went to a celebration of the 90th year of the university extension department and what they call the 100th year of the Antigonish Movement. The latter began with Father Moses Coady and later joined by Father Jimmy Tomkins. The celebrations involved a one-night only staging of the play, Tomkinsville. It has played on campus in the past and has been touring the province and other parts of the country since 2015. The complex story was told through a handful of characters and five actors. The playwright provided the narration, which was done through song. The minimalist staging helped focus the story on the people. The play told the story of coal miners in Reserve Mines on Cape Breton island. As with many mining situations of the early 20th century, wages were precarious with housing and the only store also owned by the company -- leaving the miners and their families in a state of perpetual poverty and both mental and physical abuse. Never getting out from under their debt seemed the only way to live life. Father Jimmy Tompkins arrived in town and set the place spinning. He started a community library and proposed working as a unit rather than individual households. When vegetables were too expensive, he suggested starting gardening plots, selling diocese land for the venture. From this, a local cooperative food store was opened by the townsfolk, which left less profit for the company. Rents were increased to make up the difference. Here the major community development change occurred. They formed a credit union, incorporated to apply for a loan and built their own homes -- each personalized to family size and wants. In the 1930s, they were highlighted around the world as a cooperative community housing endeavor. Mary Arnold from New York City provided her experience in cooperative housing to the project. Things did not go smoothly, but they did result in homes that still stand today, though the mine has long past closed.
The play showed the benefit of pulling together to improve situations rather than pulling apart. Similar projects have continued over the years. Even in the past 20 years that I've lived in the province, I've been part of community gardens, and have seen successes in affordable housing and strengthening local food security. Our local library is called the People's Place and serves as a community centre complete with community garden instead of only flower beds around the building. The legacy of Coady and Tompkins (who were cousins) lives on in this town and the university. Many other communities globally have benefited from this philosophy through partnerships with educators here, youth internships overseas, and certificate and diploma programs at the Coady International Institute on campus. Collaboration as the road forward allows each to take control of their own destiny (paraphrasing Father Coady).
The song for today may sound a bit out there, but the lyrics speak to supporting each other as teams. Enjoy!
Today I went down the internet rabbit hole.When searching my family tree book for the name of an ancestor today, I discovered another name with a date of death close to today. From the family bible, he had died on November 3, 1918 -- killed in action. That stopped me in my tracks as I chose to swerve off the original path to see what I could find about this man -- my grandfather's cousin. Four hours later, I was amazed at what I'd found. I began at Veteran's Affairs Canada and found his attestation papers with information including height, chest circumference and eye colour. Seeing his actual signature on the screen from a pdf of the original document felt surreal -- dated and signed in Regina on January 23, 1918. I then moved forward to see if there was a casualty report. This redirected me to the National Archives at the National Library. With some searching, I came to an alphabetical listing. Scrolling down I found it ended in the middle of S surnames. Well -- now what? Again with some scrutinizing of the database, it showed me that the volumes missing had not survived when transferred from the overseas department to the library many years ago. <sigh>
The only other possible direction was to look through the Commonwealth War Graves Registry. So -- off to another site I went. Again, with the searching for the correct war and year, I was faced with another alphabetical listing of Canadian war dead. I held my breath as I scrolled through the volumes and I'm sure I let out a cheer of sorts when the W surnames link existed. Here, I had to go page by page through the digitized pages of the original documents. Would there be one for my family member? Miraculously, he was there -- both pages of the casualty report intact. Here was the first surprise. The date of death was October 2, 1918 not the November date recorded by family members sometime in the past 100 years. Interesting. Perhaps notification took a month. We may never know. The document clearly noted he was killed in action and didn't die of earlier wounds. The handwritten information for the unconfirmed and confirmed burial reports showed the same location. Each had different abbreviations for the town in the area, which did help to decipher where this grave would be -- that and the two different handwriting styles <smile>. The next step was to figure out where the town cited was or if it still existed. It is a small village outside a larger town. Looking for war cemeteries produced two possibilities. Scrolling through a list that was neither chronological or alphabetical, nor was it listed by cemetery section, took some time. Sadly the man in question was not listed. So, on to the next cemetery. These listings were alphabetical, so I could begin near the end of the alphabet and not have to scroll or click through hundreds of other pages. I did find a listing for this relative. The link to his grave information still had the same section, row and grave number as on the other document. I read the information listed as what was on the grave marker. It was him. Then, I realized that what I thought was a photo to pretty up the page was actually a photo of his grave marker!
My next search took me to figure out during which battle he might have died. It was part of the Hundred Day Offensive (Canada's 100 Days) which included the larger group of battles called Battle of Amiens. The timing and location of his death fits with the five day battle of Canal du Nord, where Canadians gained the high ground east of Tilloy-lez-Canbrai where he is buried. While I began this search thinking he had died 8 days before the armistice, it was still sad to see he died at the end of the battle just hours before the First Division moved back to reserve while other Divisions moved forward to the front. He was so close to making it home -- on day 56 of the Hundred Days when allied forces were moving through the push to Mons. These final battles came under criticism of Arthur Currie's reasons for continuing as an armistice was inevitable. Was it strategic or symbolic? Battles had begun the war near Mons, so heading back could hold great symbolism -- but was that the main reason for the tens of thousands of dead just on the allied side? I'm not sure those questions brought much peace to those involved in the process or their families.
The song I chose for today came when I looked closely at the grave marker photo. There was a rose growing beside the stone. The northeastern area of France where he fought and died had been in the region of Picardy. Those two items left only one song in the running. This operatic trained singer does an amazing job with this lovely popular melody. Enjoy!
I stayed home from the office today, though I did have one research project phone meeting. The rest of the day involved cooking a batch of spaghetti sauce and some cleaning. The house needed a deeper cleaning so the vacuum and I found our way into corners and behind furniture in a way that hasn't been as intense for a couple of months. I suspect I'll feel that activity into tomorrow <smile>.
Physically cleaning something or some place provides a lot of time to think. All those thoughts that hide away until such moments, and come flying around inside your head. With little else occupying the brain, time exists to examine the thoughts, allowing one to sort through them. Once looked at clearly, thoughts, memories and ideas can be disposed of or saved. This provides a bit more space for newer thoughts alongside those that we can't quite let go of yet. Much as I hate vacuuming, it does allow this quiet time for self discovery. Who'd have though that vacuuming could be somewhat peaceful -- definitely not the furry friends in the house. <smile>
The song chosen for today has an upbeat sound. The video covers the art deco building presented in the lyrics. Enjoy!
