The monster

I want to know which hormone monster is going to rear it's ugly head in my house next month.

You know what I am talking about. That uninvited guest who stays at your place for what seems like an eternity.  That  7 or so days this monster takes over. You don't know it by it knows you intimately.  It enters your home and runs havoc with your life.  You know that monster is going to pay you a visit.  You try to prepare for it like you would prepare for an earthquake.  You've got all your supplies ready, the chocolate, the sodas, the sappy movies, the supplements and herbal teas.  Yes,  you know the drill, you've  been through it a number of times already.  You prepare the family(especially your husband) but even with all your preparation  this nasty crazed monster enter your life and you lose it.
 
When I think about it's visit, it kinda of reminds me of Jekyll and Hyde.  I just wonder did Hyde really know about Jekyll?  When the monster enters the home you know, you know it's there, you do your best to keep it at bay.  You give it a valiant effort, and yet even with all your preparation, you know it's going to take over.
 
Mayhem ensues, rage and tears flow you're thinking you should have shares in Kleenex. You try going to your quiet place, or going for walks, yoga but nothing...nothing stops this monster.

Then out of  nowhere the floods reside, the  sun comes out, calm returns the birds start to sing and you hear a course of Alleluia.....the quake is over, the monster has left.  For now.

A Celebration......

I've never liked funerals.  It's not that I mind attending, it's just that they are so morose and well just darn right depressing.

I have always said that when my time comes, that I don't want people to morn me....I want people to rejoice in the life that I led.  Hence is way I really appreciate and enjoy the more modern day services, commonly known as a "Celebration of Life".    I think the Irish had the right idea of a "wake".  Yes of course there is morning and sorrow...but I  love and enjoy how they toast and cheer their dearly departed.  Their songs or ballads can be quite cheerful and uplifting.

I know when my mother passed she "DID NOT" want a traditional funeral.  She wanted a good ol Irish wake, with songs of remembrance and it was imperative to her that every one who attended  had a toast of Irish whiskey.  Ah mom.

My mother in law passed away just over a month ago.  She too was of the same mind set as my mom.  Don't morn for me she would say, celebrate, have fun...I can just hear my mother in law saying that now.  So that is what I hope we will do.

My father in law has decided to do a "Celebration of Life".  There will be a few prayers and an opportunity for those who would like to share something about her to do so.  My brother in law is organizing a power point that will run continuously sharing pictures of my mother in law and with the background music coming from "her" play list on her  iPod.  That will be interesting as I know she loved country music and Patsy Cline.  So I am looking forward to that.

Of course it will be a difficult time regardless, but I truly want to celebrate the life she lead, the joy she brought to so many, the family she created and the spirit and vitality that she had almost right up to the end.  She was a fighter...she wasn't going to let the "beast" as she called it get a hold of her.  In the end it did, but not without a fight from her.

She will and is sorely missed by her husband of 57 years, her children, grandchildren and great grandchild and all those whose lives she has touched.  In her remembrance I smile and I thank her for what she brought to this world.

Rest in peace Marilynn.

Marilynn April 1934 - January 2011

A chance encounter....

 I have shared with you on many occasions the wonders of nature that surrounds me.  Coming from the big city I feel so blessed and fortunate to be able to call the island home.

My story begins on a cool and crisp December morning, hubby and I were sitting in our office working on our computers, when we heard a thud, like something had hit one of our windows.  Now the average person most probably would have jumped to see what it was all about, but because this is a regular occurrence at our place, we didn't hurry to investigate.

As most of you know I live in a rural area.  I have shared pictures of birds that frequent our property.  Birds of varying breeds shapes and sizes.  One of the unfortunate things( I guess it depends on how you look at it) is that we have a lot of windows on our home, very high "A frame" windows in some parts.  The unfortunate part is that on a nice clear day the birds can get misdirected and head straight for our windows.  On all to many occasions I have gone out to investigate only to find a poor bird laying there dead.

On this  particular morning we heard such a sound and as I said we did not go and investigate.  It was about an hour or so later  I was sitting in the truck waiting for my hubby when I noticed something move in the grass.  What's that I ask myself....I haven't seen anything like that before.....I go over to take a closer look......this is what I found......

 It would appear it was a Cooper's Hawk that had hit our window.  It also appeared that he might have broken his neck. Hubby went into the house and called the Wild Life Rescue to see if we could bring it in and see if there was anything they could do. They agreed and so I went and got a Rubbermaid container and hubby put the bird into the container.  The Wildlife center is about 25mins drive from us.  It being a Saturday and close to Christmas we were so thankful they were open.  We rushed over, but got lost...I kept looking in the back to check on the bird to see if it was alive and indeed it was.   But due to us taking a wrong turn and hence delaying our arrival the bird succumbed to his injuries before we could make it to the center.  When we arrived at the center they were expecting us, unfortunately we had to tell them the bird had died.  They came out and inspected the bird and confirmed it was indeed a Cooper's Hawk.  We asked if it was ok if we took it home.  My hubby wanted to bury it in our yard as he figures that would have been more home to the bird. And so that is what we did.

He was a magnificent bird, one I may not have been able to see unless it was for it's misfortune of hitting our window.

I learnt a lesson that day. If you hear a thud....go check it out.  I feel a bit guilty, we didn't investigate things earlier. I can't help but wonder had we investigate earlier would the bird had a chance to live.  We'll never know.

Criminal Minds

I just read about a repeat sex offender who is on the lamb.  It would appear that this person is considered extremely dangerous and at risk of offending again. Vancouver Police warns of high risk sex offender on the loose

This is one area of our criminal justice system that I just don't understand.  This particular individual has a long violent and deviant history, why on earth should he ever be released especially when they fear he is at a high risk for re-offending.  I personally don't think that individuals who perform these kind of crimes can be rehabilitated.

Why does our system put others at risk?  I just don't get it.  Being a mother of three daughters you can imagine my concern.  My girls use the public transit system to get around.  They all work late shifts and have been known to have to take transit home after a shift.  I have tried to instill in my girls about being ever vigilant about their personal safety and to be on the alert for anything peculiar.  Reminding them to stay in well lit areas and again taking all the necessary precautions.  But even with all of that, you just never know.  If a deviant such as this James Patrick Benson wants to harm someone he will.

There is something wrong with a system who gives more rights to a criminal such as this and my girls have to travel with the fear that he is out there....possibly tracking and preying on his next victim.

He has NO rights as far as I am concerned.  He lost all his rights when he murdered that woman back in 1997.  What I find even more disturbing is that he was only 17 at the time.  He is a very sick individual, I pray they catch him soon, lock him up and throw away the key.

SkyWatch Friday

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The Ripple Effect.....

I was watching the news last evening and I found myself getting frustrated.  Frustrated with the state of the world economy and how the media are feeding us all the doom and gloom.

The news this evening was telling us that we have to prepared for higher gas prices due to the unrest in the middle east.  They say that the increased gas prices will filter down and basically affect food prices and everything that you and I need to sustain ourselves.  They also were telling us that this will all happen around summer time.... well fancy that.  Summer time, a time when most families like to travel.  Some of us have taken to driving as we can't afford the already high air fares.  But now they tell us that we will be hit at the pumps. These higher gas prices will also affect ferry rates, all this at a time when those who are making the decisions know they will capitalize on the increase travel.

So how does this affect our economy.  For starters, when money gets tight folks don't travel...and if they don't travel, tourism suffers and so on. If toursim suffers, businesses suffer and are forced  to close their doors or  lay of staff.  The laying off of staff impacts the local economies.  If you don't have people  working in your town your town and it's infrastructure suffers.

This is exactly what has happened in fishing towns, mining town, forestry towns.  The ripple effect.  I see it first hand where I live.

Case in point.  Our provincial government were hoping that the Olympics would have a lasting effect on our economy.  It didn't really materialize the way they had hoped.  Partially due to our strong dollar. The economists tell us that our friends south of the border aren't visiting as much. They aren't  getting the deals they use to and hence they aren't coming.  And now with  gas prices people aren't travelling as much and our local economies suffer because of this.

So back to the news media.  I have read so much about the oil and who owns what and how it's moved.  There are a small few who control the oil market.  It is those few who set the market price,  but it is the masses who suffers for it.  The media's job(who I might add are supported directly and indirectly by the oil barons)is  to convince the public that we have to brace ourselves for higher oil prices.  That it is inevitable that it will happen and that it is a given that it will happen around summer vacation.  Well I'm sorry I don't buy it.

I don't buy what the media are trying to sell me.  Can I do anything about it most probably not.  But I will try to do what I can in my own little way.   I can conserve energy...make my trips to the store more efficient rather than making two trips try and make one.  Use my push mower rather than the gas mower....cut my hedges by hand rather than using the gas trimmer.....learn to grow my own produce....build a greenhouse....can more produce.

After listening about the oil situation and how it will have the ripple effect...the news anchor went on to tell me that my hydro prices will go up again.  I just had a 15% increase in my hydro bill this winter, I was shocked at my hydro bill, it was outrageous!  I don't see myself getting a 15% increase, so with the gas, food, and hydro going up what is left? Not much!  Entertainment is last on my list.....ripple effect once again.



This ripple effect touches all aspects of our lives.  From the basics of  food, health,keeping a roof over our head, to education, job loss, and the impact on local economies....nothing will go unscathed.

There's a part of me that just wants to put my head in the sand and hope this will all go away.  Then there's the other part of me that is thinking  in 10 years I want to retire ...but the way things are going I don't see that happening.....I think I will be nursing myself into the grave.

Teachers and Our Children......

I saw a post on Facebook today about teachers and their salaries.  I had to read the post a couple of times as I misunderstood the authors point.  Initially I thought she felt teachers were overpaid and I was very irritated by this and hence I made a response.  I read her post again and it wasn't until the last line that she showed her support for teachers.  So I went back and edited my comment.

I will share with you what I posted.  I've edited my comment and added a few more thoughts.  I would love to hear what your thoughts are on this topic.

 

Like any profession you have your good and your not so good and unfortunately sometimes your bad.  As for teachers overall I think they do an amazing job.  Not only are teachers responsible for teaching our children but they have to deal with so much diversity and adversity.  Sometimes they are forced to wear many hats. They have to be parent, social worker, and student advocate.  At times children come to school in their pajama's because their parents either can't afford clothes or couldn't be bothered to ensure their children were properly dressed. Sometimes,  those poor children go to school with empty stomachs...how well do you think a child can learn when they are troubled by their grumbling stomachs.  Or what about those truly unfortunate children who live in homes where parents are addicts or where abuse occurs.  How well do you think a child can learn.  Teachers have to deal with all of this and more.  It's not just about teaching them the ABC's.  They spend a large portion of their time dealing with social issues.  Why, because a good teachers sees the child as a WHOLE....not just as someone filling a space.  In order for the child to learn they have to be open and ready to learn.

I have seen teachers time and again dip into their own pockets to get supplies for their classroom...I have seen teachers go above and beyond for their students to give them the extra bit they need.

I have heard many  parents say they use the school as a daycare...what does that say about the parents and how do they respect their own children.

Teachers play a HUGE role in our children's  lives.  I have heard of stories about that one special teacher who went the extra mile for a student. I am one of those stories.  I was privileged to  have 3 teachers who did that for me....three teachers that made the world of difference for me.  Teachers that believed in me and what I could do.....they pushed me...they challenged me....they made me think outside of the box....I was so close to dropping out of high school, had it not been for the kindness of a teacher I don't think I would have graduated.

Yes teachers are only in the classroom 10 months of the year...but they do not get paid for the summers when the children aren't in class.  Many teachers due to the poor salaries have to take extra jobs in the summer to make ends meet.

While we are on about  salaries...what kind of society are we when we will pay a football, basketball, baseball, hockey player millions of dollars to throw a ball around and do some tackling. What DO we as a society value.....please don't tell me that a professional player is more valuable than someone who we entrust to educate our children.  Do you not see that OUR children are OUR future!

 Here is a link to Meredith's comment about teacher's on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/note.php?note_id=666995678863&id=71209634

GERD and things I didn't know.....

I am sure most of you have heard of an ENT (ear, nose and throat)doctor.  These doc's specialize in issues dealing with said parts of our bodies.  What I didn't realize is that these doctor's can specialize even further in this field.  Case in point.  Last week I went to the mainland to see a specialist, his specialty was dealing with medical issues of the larynx.

It's a long story which I will try and make short. It all started last year when I was at work and the cleaning staff at the hospital were using  a cleaning agent which caused me to almost immediately lose my voice.  I ended up in ER and had to be given a variety of medications.  The ER doctor told me I had Reactive airway. By the next day I could barely speak...and when I did speak it was only a whisper.

Since that time I have suffered intermittent episodes of hoarse voice, cough(mostly at night which I thought was related to my asthma or allergies), constant clearing of my throat, a sore throat and a feeling that there is something in the back of my throat.  When I went to see the specialist last week he asked me a ton of questions and performed an examination with a scope and took lots of pictures.    After the examination he told me that my vocal cords were slightly inflamed but that my larynx was severely inflamed and that it had most probably been like that for sometime.  He told me that the symptoms I was experiencing was a result of
laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR).  Who would have known....not me of course.  All this time I thought I was just experiencing bad allergies and that my asthma was acting up causing me to cough and  hence lose my voice and get a sore throat.  I asked him if there was anything I could do to repair this  and the first thing he said was that I needed to be put on a medication that would help decrease the gastric secretions which was causing my larynx to become inflamed.  I told him that only once had I experience any heartburn and that was only recently.  He said with LPR  you don't feel the heartburn but rather you have the symptoms as I listed above.  Very interesting I thought.

I belong to website called badgut.  It's focus is gastrointestinal disorders.  Today's topic was GERD(gastroesophgeal reflux disease). Needless to say my curiosity was piqued and so I checked it out Yes this specialist was indeed correct.

What I don't understand is why when back in the fall of 2009 when I went to go see an ENT doctor why he didn't see or say anything, especially seeing as he scoped me as well.  Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Anyhow, I have now started on the medication and I really hope this helps settle things down for me.

I'd like to make this my public service announcement.  If you have been experiencing any of the symptoms I have, please check out this web site badgut.org there you will all the information you would like on GERD and LPR.  Don't stay in the dark.  Information is power. If you find you have similar symptoms as mentioned in  information  might I suggest you go see your family physician and talk about it.

I have given you a condensed version on all what has gone on with me, so please don't use my explanation of things, check it out for yourself.

Something to Ponder

A very good blogging friend of mine sent me a link the other day on Facebook.  She said she thought I would enjoy the photos as she says she thought of me and how I love to post photos of my surroundings and places I have been, which I do.  Attached to the photos were religious quotes and excerpts from the bible.  As I said I enjoyed the photos but I found the religious attachment to them a little hard to grasps and distracted me from the flashcard presentation.

I questioned myself as to why I should feel that way and many thoughts entered my head but I think the prominent one was that I felt religion was being pushed on me.  Why couldn't I have just viewed those photos with some wonderful classical music playing in the background.  Why did the author have to attach religion to the presentation....I guess of course that was her intent.  The author must feel strongly enough about her faith that she wants to share it.  And you know what...that is ok, it's just not for me.

I wrote my friend and thanked her for sending me the link and gave her my views after I had viewed it. Confession time here....I didn't watch them all, actually I only watched one....and that was enough for me...it was to religious for me.  Did you notice how I used the word "confession".  That is my catholic conscience for you...."guilt'.  Catholicism is built on guilt.

I was raised in a staunch catholic household.  I went to catholic school my whole life, I went to church every Sunday and during Christmas week and Easter week it was more frequent.  There were things about my faith that I strongly believed.  Primarily that there is a force much greater than ourselves out there.  As a child I believed in the Virgin Mary, the Holy trinity and that Jesus was God and that he died on the cross to save our souls, well I believed it to a point.  And then I read the bible, and that changed everything for me.

When I was in elementary school I can remember getting kicked out of class because I challenged my teacher who was a nun about Adam and Eve and asked her why we couldn't believe in Darwin's theory of the evolution of man.  Yes, I did ask that....and you can thank the National Geographic for that one. 

In school we never studied the bible.  Yes we read excerpts from the bible.  Every Sunday at mass the priest would read the Gospel According to one of the Apostle's...and of course there were two other readings that took place.  After the priest read the gospel we sat down and listened to him for 20 to 30 mins go on about something that was suppose to be related to the readings that day...most of the time I didn't understand....most of the time I fidgeted in my seat, or fell asleep. 

That was how it was for many years, I blindly believed or well thought I believed.  I believed because that was all I knew...that was the faith of my parents and the environment in which I was raised.  It wasn't until I went to high school and I had the most amazing Religion teacher.  She actually talked about religion in terms that we as teenagers could understand.  She introduced us to Buddhism, Muslim, Judaism and Protestant faiths. I was intrigued.  I think I enjoyed learning about Buddhism the most, it seemed to fit my philosophy more...not that I realized thought that I had any philosophy when it came to religion.  The last confession I went to was when I was in Grade 12 and we had to go to confession before we could go to our Graduation mass.

I rarely went to church after graduation and yet when my daughters were born I had them all baptised in the catholic faith.  Looking back again I think it was a guilt thing again....I was taught that a baby was born with original sin....yes a baby was born with sin....and they had to be baptised to relieve them of this sin and if they weren't baptised and died then their souls would go to purgatory and would stay there until someone said enough Hail Mary's and Our Father's to set the poor little souls free and send them to Heaven.  Now how awful is that, and yet as I said I had my daughters all baptised and for some reason I believed.

I have long put my birth faith behind me, but I still believe I am a christian.  I still believe in the goodness of man, I still believe that we must not harm each other, that we need to have more patience and tolerance for others differences.  We must learn to debate and dialogue without judgement but rather to get a clearer understanding of the person and their position.

So I would like to close this post with some of the photos that I have taken over the summer.  These photos make me know there is something greater than I, and every day I give thanks for the opportunity for being able to enjoy all that I have been given!

 The power,drama, and elegance of the mighty ocean

 The ruggedness of the coastline

 Some creative and strong resourceful  individual managed to carry this couch to the rock, so they could sit and enjoy all the beauty that lay before them....

 and nature can still grow and flourish on the craggy slopes and shores

I am but a simple flower, spreading my arms to reach out and grasp the sun and it's warmth to help make me grow and to be strong and to flourish.

The Reunion

The baby is due in 10 days.  Actually, baby will be born on November 25th.  And how do I know this....well a planned C-section might explain that, not only that but we know they will be having a little girl.....modern technology is something isn't it.


After 10 years. finally my hubby and his daughter reconnect.  It's a long story, one I might share one day. Regardless of the reasons for the separation they are now reunited.

Back in the spring she made contact with her father.  She wrote him on facebook saying she was going to be out our way in June and she would like to come see him and introduce him to her husband.

Needless to say my hubby was a little taken aback, but excited all the same.  They sent emails back and forth, and the  planning and  preparations began.

There were huge jobs which needed to be done between the spring and her visit in June.  We had already decided to get our roof replaced so we got that project going, then it was the building of a new deck.  Now that was a project.  In order to help defray the cost hubby helped with construction of the deck and we paid for most of our own supplies.  I had the great privilege of digging holes for the foundations and shoveling and spreading of the gravel.  It was a lot of work but so worth it in the end. 

Of course we had to wait for the finer weather to begin the deck project.  Well wouldn't you know it, it was the beginning of June by the time we got started. His daughter's visit was the 2nd week of June.  One would think that building the deck would suffice, but no, my hubby rented a backhoe and started pulling up old shrubs, more dirt and moved land from one spot to another. As you can imagine one project just led to another.

A day and half before her visit I decide to do something really stupid.  I was clearing up the deck area of lumber and nails.  I was getting rid of the old boards, when wouldn't you know it I stepped on a nail.  I remember it as if it  was going it in slow motion.  I saw the nail and yet my foot still kept going towards it....I knew it wasn't good when I felt it go through my runner.  I quickly pulled off my shoe and sure enough I was bleeding.  Hubby went and got the peroxide and we cleaned my foot well.  Or though we thought.  That evening when I went to bed my foot was hurting but I didn't think it was that bad.  In the middle of the night I woke up with the most excruciating pain in my foot.  It hurt for the sheet to even touch my foot.  I attempted to get out of bed and go downstairs.  No such luck.  I couldnt' even step on my foot, I couldn't hop as that made it hurt as well.  So down on my hands and knees I go.  I make my way to our staircase and get onto my bum and get myself down the stairs step by step, bump by bump.  Hubby has fallen asleep with the TV blaring    I try to get his attention...but there was no waking him.  So once again I got onto my knees....now this is a time I wouldn't recommend slate flooring...it's really hard on your knees.  Anyhow, I make my way to the living room where he is sleeping, somehow I manage to wake him.  He helps me up and I explain what is happening.

Bless his heart he went to the kitchen to make me a bread poultice and then with a tensor bandage wrapped it around my foot.  By this time my foot is swollen, I elevate it on a few pillows.  I take a couple of Tylenol and eventually I am able to fall asleep with my leg up high as I lay on the couch.

The next morning it still hurts.  So on with another bread poultice.  Yes I know what you are going to say or ask....was my tetanus up to date....well that thought had entered my head but I had no idea.  I watched for any signs of poisoning...but I thought I was home free.  I didn' have time to spend in the ER I had a reunion party to plan for.  Hubbies daughter was going to be here and there was still so much for me to do.

Well I hobbled around and somehow managed to get things organized.  The big day arrives and let me tell you when she got out of her car and gave her dad a hug...there wasn't a dry eye in the house!  As she hugged him she whispered in his ear "Hi Grandpa!"  Yes she had come all that way to tell him in person that he was going to be a grandpa.  Oh what a double bonus. 

We spent a couple of wonderful days with them before they had to go back to the mainland to go see her husbands family.


So as I started my post out...in 10 days we will be blessed with little sweet Paetyn!  Our first grandchild.

 The new deck it's about 540 sq.ft

 The embrace!

 Father, daughter and son-in-law

Hubby and I, daughter and her husband, grandma and grandpa(oops soon to be great-grandparents)!

Saturday Photo Hunt

This weeks theme is "Alive"

There are so many things to be thankful for that make you feel "Alive"  The other morning my husband and I were driving north and the sun was rising behind us.  It was a glorious morning something I felt so thankful for being able to witness such beauty, it made me feel thankful to be "Alive"

 If you would like to join in on the fun please check out http://tnchick.com/  for all the fun.

Happy Hunting all!

A Love Story......

They met in their senior year in high school.  It was almost love at first sight.  Something told them it was more than just a friendship.  Graduation came, and they were a couple, they couldn't imagine life getting any better.

Life changed quickly for them.  He got transferred to the far north, she still wanted to start nursing school but nature was taking it's tole on her body.  A  baby was soon on it's way.  While their friends were all out partying and doing what it is the average 18 year old does they were living the life of our parents. Their days were full of how they would pay bills, the rent and the extra mouth to feed was what  in store for the two of them. However, they ventured forward.


The baby came one warm summer morning. Although they were struggling, life was looking good and the future bright.  Unfortunately, things took a turn, and life threw them a curve ball. The bills started to pile up the electrical company took no mercy and cut off their heat.  They did their best to put on a cheerful face and faced the storm that life as a young couple with a child would deal them.

A few years passed and they decided it was time to marry and make good on their promise to each other. It wasn't long after that the second child arrived.  She was well into working double shifts, and going to school.  She was determined to become the nurse she had dreamed she would be.  He worked at odd jobs to put food on the table.  They struggled but remained happy, well as happy as they could be.

Years later they looked back on their life, their children now grown and left the nest.  They wonder what their lives now held.  The struggles that kept them strong and bonded, their children's school and community involvement  now a thing of the past.  They looked at each other as though they were strangers.  They asked themselves  "who is this person I have shared my bed with all these years.  Do I really know them"?  Life continued and eventually they both wondered off doing their own thing,  he playing golf, fishing and work, she playing softball interspersed with her work.  Little time was left for each other.  They began to grow apart.  These two people who had known each other for over 2 decades no longer knew each other and drifted apart.

One day they realized that they didn't share the same ideas for the future.  After almost 30 years together they decided to go their separate ways.  It wasn't because of infidelity on either part, no it was simple, they realized they just weren't blending and maybe it best they lead separate lives. So the decision was made and  they sold the family home and went their separate ways.

Time passed, he moved into a few different apartments attempting to make them home.  She filled her time with extra overtime and lots more softball, and yet they managed to stay friends and communicate.

He moved and took a job 4 hours away, she continued to work in the city.  She missed him, he missed her, they missed the simple things that made their relationship what is was for all those years.  She came to visit him on what would be their 28th anniversary.

They connected, they found the love that was always there but temporarily got lost. He is looking for a home for them to share in the new town and she is excited for the move and the new life.

Love reunited....it doesn't get any better.

Happy Halloween

Tonight is the night
When dead leaves fly
Like witches on switches
Across the sky,
When elf and sprite
Flit through the night
On a moony sheen.

Tonight is the night
When leaves make a sound
Like a gnome in his home
Under the ground,
When spooks and trolls
Creep out of holes
Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night
When pumpkins stare
Through sheaves and leaves
Everywhere,
When ghouls and ghost
And goblin host
Dance round their queen.
It's Halloween.

~ HALLOWEEN ~
By Harry Behn

Saturday Photo Hunt

This week's theme is "Dark"

A couple of years ago there was a large fire on the property just up the road from us. It started in the late afternoon and went into the "Dark" of the night. I was so impressed with the forestry fire fighters, they did an amazing job and were so calm!

if you would like to join in on the fun please check out tnchick

What kind of consumer are you?

The other day I was shopping with my eldest daughter in order that she could buy her sister a present. One of the items on youngest daughter's list was clothing from a store called lululemon athletica. It's a store that sells yoga clothing and active wear. This company is a huge success story, in that it started out in Vancouver in 1998 and now has over 100 stores in Canada, USA, Australia and Hong Kong. You can click on the link if you would like to know more.

This, however isn't the purpose of my post. My purpose is to you as a consumer what kind of consumer are you? Are you the type that shops all around looking for the best price, do you only buy name brands or will a knock off do?

When do we as consumers say enough is enough. Case in point, when we were in the store my daughter purchased a "wee" and I mean "wee" little yoga top and headband for her sister. The yoga top on sale was $44 regularly $68 and the headband was $12 add our 12% sales tax and these two pieces cost $63.84! Is your chin dropping? If it isn't it should be. If you can get out of that store for under a $100 you have done well. I think it's criminal, and as consumers we should just keep our wallets shut, but we don't. Why, because this store is "Trendy". This company espouses to promote community awareness and healthy life style. Well that is all well and good, but should I be paying for their advertising and community programs? If they truly wanted to do something for the community why don't they make their products more affordable. It's a darn piece of stretchy material for goodness sakes! A headband for $12! Give me a break, silly of my daughter for paying that price, I told the clerk in the store that their products are way over priced and that I thought my daughter irresponsible for purchasing it....but she wanted it for her sister, so what to do.

Well what I have chosen to do is write this post as my public notice and I won't shop at their store and I have written to the store itself to voice my concerns regarding their prices, whether it does any good I don't know.

So I ask you, what kind of consumer are you?

Let's talk about this....

I watched a movie the other night staring Al Pacino called "You Don't know Jack" In this HBO movie Pacino plays Dr. Kervorkian.

Dr. Kervorkian also known as "Dr. Death" was tried and convicted and sentenced to 10 -25 years in prison. He was released in June 2007 after serving 8 years in prison for his role in patient assisted-suicide. What an interesting man. A man of conviction and willing to put everything on the line to change what he considers an unjust law. He's the kind of man you either admire for his convictions or hate him for his beliefs.

In the state of Michigan where Dr. Kervorkian was practising they didn't have laws which would allow him to participate in patient assisted-suicide. He challenged the law on many occasions. In 1998 he was accused and then convicted — of murder after injecting lethal drugs into Thomas Youk, 52, an Oakland County man suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Dr. Kervorkian now 81 years old still believes that people have a right to choose when they want to die. He is a advocate for terminally ill patients right to die via physician assisted-suicide.

I listened intently to the movie and then did my own research on Dr. Kervorkian and physician assisted-suicide. I personally don't like the term assisted suicide, to me it immediately implies criminal activity. I don't believe it is and here's why.

Let me play devils advocate for a moment. We already have in place "Advanced Directives" and "No Code" orders. Some of you may argue that Advanced Directives and No Code does not mean that the doctor's assist you in your dying process. Well let's look at that. A No Code order means that if you heart stops or you stop breathing the doctor or health care practitioner is not going to stop that process and they will allow you to die. So how is that any different than saying ok..... you have a terminal illness the medical field has done all it can for you the outcome will ultimately be death....you may die today, tomorrow, next week, next year who knows...but you will die from your disease.

Let's imagine your disease is Lou Gehrig(ALS) or MS or even something like advanced emphysema where you struggle for every breath you take, how long would you fight this battle?

Prior to any of the 130 assisted-suicide Dr. Kervorkian participated in he interviewed the patient and the family to assess their mental well being, he wanted to make sure they understood what it was they were asking him to participate in. He video taped his interviews. From what I could tell all of these people had done everything the medical field had asked them to do and they were just biding their time on this planet before nature took their last breath. These individuals felt that their quality of life was gone.

Now the anti Dr. Kervorkian activists felt he was playing god and feared that by legalizing physician assisted-suicide you were opening the door to the possibility of doing away with people prematurely.

On a personal note I can remember when my mom was caring for her dying husband at home and I asked her about his pain, or what he wanted with regards to death. He had extremely advanced cancer had undergone chemo, radiation, surgeries you name it. He had led a full life and he knew his time was coming. The doctor overseeing his care had written him a prescription for a liquid morphine. My mom told me she asked the doctor how much she should give him, the doctor's response to my mom was pour him a tumbler full leave it at his bedside he will take what he wants...and so that is what she did. He drifted off to sleep, only to wake briefly the morning of their anniversary to say his good-byes and he was gone. So you tell me....did the doctor assist with his dying process?

This is definite food for thought....what do you think?

Saturday Photo Hunt

This week's theme is "Miniature"
This was a hard one. The first thing that came to mind was miniature figurines. Well I don't have any of those nor do I have photos, then I started thinking about something the same that is big and small, but again I didn't have anything. Then it dawned on me. When my sister got married as part of the table favours at her wedding we put miniature champagne bubble bottles.

If you would like to join in on the fun please check out tnchick for all of the instructions. Happy Hunting!

SkyWatch Friday

I took these photos on Thanksgiving morning as I was getting ready for work......

If you would like to join in on the fun please check out SkyWatch Friday