Young Or Old, It's All The Same

I don't know how many times I've heard folks around my age (I'm 51) and older complain about the youth. That they're selfish and lazy and irresponsible and rude and inconsiderate and...on and on it goes.

Well, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Because that certainly hasn't been my experience. In fact, in all the years I've lived in this city, it's been quite the opposite. It's actually the older folks that have displayed those traits more often than the young.

Just this past month alone, I've witnessed some people from my generation and the generation before me being discourteous and demanding and impatient and brusque. I've seen them block entire aisles in stores and sigh with annoyance when someone attempts or politely asks to get by. I've seen them jump queues and pretend they don't understand the concept of taking turns. I've seen them interrupt servers and salespeople and cashiers while they are dealing with others because their needs have to be taken care of immediately. I've seen them being total menaces on the road and very unapologetic about it. And many who are working in customer service shouldn't be doing that type of work at all. They are bitter and impatient and annoyed at your very presence. They don't smile or say thank you or make you feel welcome.

On the other hand, many young'uns from the upcoming generations have been polite and considerate and accommodating and exceedingly patient. They have opened doors and apologized for blocking the way. They have been mindful of others and they have offered assistance, even to the bad-tempered, difficult and curmudgeonly older folks. They've smiled while serving and wished people a good day and been wonderfully gracious. They have been enthusiastic and friendly and pleasant conversationalists. They have brightened up my day more often than people my age and older.

Are all older folks cranky and snippy? Absolutely not. Some are as sweet as honey and packed with wisdom. And are all younger people full of sunshine and rainbows? No way. Some are pretty ill-mannered and self-absorbed.

My point is that positive or negative traits are not exclusive to any generation. Each one has its fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly!

What do you think? What has been your experience?

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, friends. How are you all doing? How was your weekend? Ours was very busy, which seems to be the theme for the entire month of May. But we did squeeze in some fun on Saturday evening. We spent it in the downtown area near the water. It was a glorious day; the weather was perfect! Yesterday I spent the entire day in the garden and when I finally came in it felt like my legs were made of rubber. But the plants are happy and the flower beds look great.

Today I've got a lineup of things that I need to tackle, so let's get to the humour...

Have a great day!

Question Of The Day

This used to be so easy to answer before one of my brothers died. When asked, I'd simply say "Yes, I have two older brothers." And that was the end of it. But after I lost the younger of the two, it became quite awkward. Still is.

My answer now depends on the situation. Sometimes, I may simply say that I have two older brothers and not mention that one died. Or I might answer that I have one older sibling and leave it at that. Because mentioning death brings out uncomfortable silence or questions that I don't feel like answering. Other times I'll just tell someone "I had two older brothers; one of them died a few years ago" or "There used to be three of us but one died awhile back" and let the chips fall where they may.

How about you?

What I’ve Learned In My Life So Far

I’ve learned that...

Some of the best ideas are born in the shower. Rock stars, too :)

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone. How are you all doing? Was the weekend good to you? Ours is still going on because today is a holiday in Canada. And what a weekend! The weather has been absolutely amazing. Saturday we spent the whole afternoon outdoors doing stuff. For the most amazing man in the world it was all about taking care of the lawn and power washing stuff. For me...gardening. Hour upon hour of glorious gardening. I tell you, this gardening stuff is like meditating. Nothing else quite like it.

Then yesterday we took an impulsive trip to Ottawa for another run through IKEA for a few things. Back in my favourite store for the third time in less than a month! Does it get any better? Of course it does. Because after that we met up with my daughter in the downtown area and we all went for dinner. She is doing great in her new city. I miss her, of course, but I'm so proud of her and so happy that she's faring so well.

What's up for today? For starters, I'm planning to give our outdoor bench a fresh coat of paint. After that, who knows. So let's get to the funny stuff and get on with the day...

Have a great day!

We Need A Little Humour

We are constantly surrounded by bad news, which makes it that much more important to maintain a sense of humour to avoid going stark raving mad. And I’m here to help with that. Here's a funny - and cute - video of animals taking a bath that will tickle your funny bone and brighten up the day. Enjoy!

Question Of The Day

An old friend of mine used to go to psychic readings regularly and swore up and down that these visits were bang on every time. So, out of curiosity and because I thought it would be fun and because I'm game to experience new things as long as they're not very risky or illegal, I decided to give it a try. I booked an appointment with the woman she went to for these readings, a no-nonsense elderly lady that read palms and cards. And I kept an open mind.

While I was there, I volunteered nothing (as far as I'm concerned), and she didn't ask any questions or push me to contribute to what she was saying. She was perfectly happy doing her thing while I sat quietly as she talked and talked, telling me a whole bunch of things about my past and present. And everything was accurate and true. Then she spoke about the future, which I'd find out as the years went by, happened pretty much as she said.

Before I left that day, she told me that I had a strong aura and an old(ish) soul (there were things I still needed to learn, perhaps in this lifetime) and the ability to "see". "This is a special thing" she said that I should "embrace and develop". And right as I was heading out the door, she called out "wait a minute!" and ran into a room in her home. A minute she returned with some books that she handed to me about palm reading and souls and auras and chakras and stuff like that there. I was startled and told her I couldn't take them, but she insisted "I want you to have these. They will help you open yourself up to these abilities."

This was almost twenty years ago and I've never done anything like it since. And I've had no interest to. But it's an experience I'll never forget.

How about you? Have you ever done something like this?

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone! How's it going? Was the weekend good? Rumour has it that some of you had snow. I hope it melts quickly because Old Man Winter has no business coming around this time of year. The old coot! We didn't have snow but we did have a rainy and cool couple of days. But today I woke up to a wonderfully sunny day and it looks like the entire week is going to be spectacular. Woot!

Okay, let's get to the funny stuff because I have a super busy day ahead...

Have a good one!

It's Like Going To The Fair

IKEA. Some love it; some hate it. I belong in the former group. Let me loose in an IKEA store and I'm a happy camper. A very happy camper. It's one of the few shopping experiences I enjoy because I typically cannot stand shopping, especially clothes shopping. Hate that. Ah, but IKEA...

When we were living in Montreal, there was an IKEA store a few minutes drive from our home that I would visit occasionally. I usually didn't buy anything; most of the time I'd go there for a leisurely stroll and to enjoy the colourful displays. But at least it was always within reach.

Things changed in 2009 when we moved to Kingston where there is no IKEA. [insert sad face] Those strolls came to a screeching halt and in order to visit one of these furniture warehouses, we have to drive to Montreal, Toronto or Ottawa.

Ottawa...the big city closest to us...and where my younger daughter is now living. Oh my... [insert big goofy grin] Do you see where this is going?

So, in addition to helping my daughter move her things to her new apartment two days in a row at the beginning of this month, we also went to IKEA on both days. [insert me jumping up and down...and almost hurting myself]

The first day we went with my daughter and I bought her a few things; her favourite being a stand up mirror for her room. On the second, the most amazing man in the world and I stopped in on our way back home where in addition to buying some office furniture, we also enjoyed a wonderful late lunch.

Two trips to IKEA. I was elated. Whenever I go there, I feel like I'm visiting the fair. There is food and interesting attractions and pops of colour and bouncy rides and exciting displays. I get the urge to skip with joy all the way through. Because...sigh...IKEA...

How about you? Do you like IKEA?

The Fledgling Has Taken Flight

So we're truly empty nesters now. We helped my younger daughter move out of our home and into her new apartment on May 1st. And again on May 2nd. Huh? Two days in a row? Yes, two days in a row. Because when we tried to rent a truck for May 1st, there was nothing available. Nothing. "Good luck with that" we were told. Followed by chuckling. We'd forgotten that we have a university and two colleges locally, and that all those students would be doing what my daughter was doing...moving out of dorms and apartments, and moving back home or into other apartments. Which meant that every truck was booked solid that weekend. Every single one.

Since plan A didn't work, we went onto plan B: drive to Ottawa the morning of May 1st in our car, move my daughter out of her dorm room (she had to be out by noon) and into her new apartment. The next morning we picked up the small truck we had rented (any truck you wanted was available on Monday), brought it home, loaded up my daughter's furniture and a whole bunch of other things and drove back to Ottawa for round two.

Two days of loading and traveling and unloading and traveling. Sheesh... By the time we got home Monday night, we were dead tired. But we'd do it all over again if need be. My daughter is happily settled into her first apartment with her roommates and I couldn't be happier for her. This is such an exciting time in her life.

And there was another bonus to these trips, which I'll share about tomorrow...

You Asked, I Answer (Being The Prime Minister)

So here we are once again with a post that will tackle this year's 'Ask Me Anything' inquiries. And just like last year, I saved one question till the end that grabbed my attention from the get-go and really got me thinking.

Debra asked:
If you could be Prime Minister of Canada for one day, with unlimited power, what change(s) would you make to our country?

I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on things that I feel are important to our beautiful country and what changes I would make if I had unlimited power. And although one day is obviously not long enough for any Prime Minister to implement significant change, we’ll pretend for a moment that it would be a very, very long day.

There are many things that stand out for me, some of which I listed on a previous post, and although quite a few would rise to the top (like major improvements in our mental health care services and working toward eliminating poverty and homelessness), I’m going to zoom in on one that is a national disgrace:

The deplorable living conditions of our country’s First Nations reserves.

The sense of despair in these communities is beyond disgraceful. It offends our values, everything we stand for. We should be unleashing outrage that fellow Canucks are living in third world conditions in such a wealthy nation. We should be hanging our heads in shame the way we ignore and criticize and harshly judge and discriminate against these communities. We should be shocked and infuriated that so many Canadians are living in such poverty, such appalling conditions. And feeling isolated, desperate and hopeless.

This is one of our country’s greatest failings. And it is in our collective interest to change it. Right now. We should not stand for this one minute longer. Not one. We are all in this together and when we cast our ballot to choose who will govern us, our questions should not be “what can they do for my wallet or for my petty fears or for my first world problems?” but rather “what can they do for my country, for all of us?” Because we should be looking after each other. When we’re all doing well, our nation is stronger, healthier, happier. And more united. Truly united.

So this would be my priority, Debra, if I was the Prime Minister for one (very long) day. But I won’t pretend to know what the solution is. This situation is very complex with many social and economic issues to untangle and tackle. These marginalized citizens have been subjected to immense pain and mistreatment and atrocities that have affected their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing, which in turn has caused depression and mental health issues that can lead to addictions and poverty and on and on. It is a vicious cycle, a hopelessness that gets passed on from generation to generation. But no matter the complexities, we must come up with a strategy, roll up our sleeves and get to work.

We must come together and fix this. And help our fellow citizens become healthy and happy and whole, so that they can move forward and prosper. So that they can become a proud people again.

That’s the Canadian way.

And that concludes this year’s “Ask Me Anything” series of questions. Thank you to everyone who participated. Enjoy the day!

Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, friends! I'm so happy to be back. Did ya miss me? Well, I missed you all. I had an extremely productive week and taking a blogging break really helped. There are still many things to do but at a more reasonable pace. I'll share more news about what was going on later in the week.

As I write, a spider just walked across the top of my screen. Pretty bold, huh? While I escort it outside, here's some funny stuff for you. Enjoy!

Have a good one!

To All Moms

Wishing you all a beautiful day.

Temporarily Out Of Order

It's a little crazy around here these days. Too. Much. To. Do.

So I'm going to take a day or two or three or more to catch up.

See you all soon...