A year-end assessment can jump-start the new year. December is a natural time to reflect as holiday traditions bring a host memories. During the rush of holiday preparations, taking a moment to reminisce and think about the activities and experiences of the past months is valuable for providing closure. It’s a time take stock of achievements […]
Daily Encounters with Ageism
Readers who reach a certain age and stage of life are familiar with the negatives of ageism. Older people are stereotyped — to a greater or lesser degree — as frail, helpless, irrelevant, troublesome, invisible, or demanding. Ageism is part of Western culture. It is often unintentional. Once someone is no longer in his or […]
The Best Weekend of the Year
In my opinion, the best weekend of the year happens when the time changes and Daylight Saving time ends. I celebrate this weekend as I gain one delicious hour — for sleeping, relaxing, or goofing off — when the clocks turn back! I’ve never been a fan of Daylight Savings Time. Perhaps it’s because I grew […]
Canada Legalizes Recreational Cannabis
Today Canada legalizes the recreational use of cannabis. Many Canadians see legalization as an important social change while others see this as a national disaster. Ending the prohibition of cannabis aka marijuana has been discussed for decades. There is a history of stigmatization stemming from the prohibition in the 1920s and 30s when it was […]
Soul Destroying Effects of Social Media
While driving to the gym one morning last week I listened to a CBC interview with a tech expert from the UK who advocated getting off social media. The interviewer noted that social media has been characterized as ‘soul destroying’. Jaren Lanier is a scientist at Microsoft. His book, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media […]
Clutter Creep after Down-sizing
Two years after moving and clearing 25 plus years of clutter before down-sizing and selling our ‘too big’ house, I’m noticing clutter creep. It’s subtle but the signs are undeniable. ‘Stuff’ is coming back. Closets, drawers, and shelves that were uncluttered after unpacking and settling into our new house are filling up. Is it the birthday […]
September Transitions — Taking Stock
Similar to the beginning of a new year in January, a transition happens every September. September is a time of renewal. It’s a milestone month — an excellent time to take stock of goals and priorities. It’s also an excellent time to get moving on abandoned projects that were deemed as priorities for 2018. The […]
Relationships That Matter
Last week, I entertained two groups of women whose relationships with me matter. They took time from their lives to drive to our cottage for a social occasion where we shared an afternoon and evening of food, wine, laughter, and conversation. One group consists of the women in one of the book clubs to which I belong. […]
Mehndi Ceremony and my Henna Tattoo
After attending a gala Mehndi ceremony a few days ago, I have a beautifully crafted henna tattoo on my left hand! All members of one of my book clubs attended this event to celebrate the upcoming marriage of the only son of another member. And, what a gala event it was! About 200 people dressed […]
Embracing JOMO
During this summer, I’ve focused on embracing JOMO. In case you are wondering, JOMO is the short form for ‘Joy of Missing Out’. It usually means leaving behind the devotion to social media — ignoring tweets, messages, emails, and other distractions that rob us from living in the moment and appreciating what is happening right […]