Sunday smile

This is located in Romford, UK .

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian winter humour

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bell Let's Talk

Yesterday was Bell Let's Talk Day.  

Bell Let's Talk Day is January 28, when people throughout Canada and worldwide have the clear opportunity to make our voices heard in the conversation about mental illness. With the challenges we've all faced in 2020, taking every action to drive progress in mental health in our communities is of critical importance.  

154,971,256 interactions as at 9:00 PM Pacific Time last night.

I'm sure today we will hear how much money they raised, but the interactions is really what it's about.  Mental health needs to be brought out in the open and people need to talk about it.  

In Canada 4,000 people every year die from suicide.   

I see posts all the time on Facebook, "my coffee is on, I'm always here to talk".  That's great, but anyone I've known with depression doesn't admit it.   I hope people do ask for help.  

On the US news today they reported schools in Las Vegas are being reopened after 20 students took their lives, the youngest being 9.   Virtual learning is reported to be the problem and hopefully opening the school will help the students.  How sad!

In 1990, my mom at age 71 had a breakdown.  By the time I got to her Assisted Care Home, the ambulance and police were there!   They took her to the mental health ward and in just a few days, she was fine!  My dad passed away when she was 50 and she never had any therapy.  They worked with her and she was fine for the rest of her life.  I was her daughter and I had no idea she had these problems.  She kept it all to herself until it broke her.  Should anyone have a sudden loss, make sure they get counselling. 

Climate Change is real

We finally had snow yesterday.  It didn't lay on the grass for very long.  It melted on the roads, sidewalks and our driveway so there was nothing to shovel.  Janice told me the way to guarantee there is no snow is to buy a snow blower.  Janice, right on!

For all the non-believers of climate change, these figures from the records of the Vancouver International Airport tell it all!

The difference in snowfall between the various 30 year averages reveal the shocking impact of Climate Change on snowfall at YVR.

The same difference for December is a change from 17.5 to 12.2 cm, February 7.5 to 6.6 cm and March 6.7 to only 2.3 cm.

DNA: It's an interesting journey

A few years ago, I did my DNA.  My results were pretty much what I expected but there were a few surprises.  The best part about doing my DNA was the matches that came up.  I did my DNA through Ancestry as they have the largest data base.

I have messaged most of my close cousins I match with DNA and we've located our connection.  I met one of my cousins in Essex, UK who said I looked exactly like his sister.  If I ever get back to Essex, I will meet her.  A true cousin, we met in a pub!

On my paternal side, the DNA relatives organized a Facebook page.  We all know we are related because our DNA matches.  We've figured out the relationship and how we connect.  Most of my paternal relatives live in Australia!   We continue to connect through Facebook and it's awesome to see newborn babies and milestones my relatives achieve.

I didn't do the DNA that gives you health information.  There are other companies that do this.  If you haven't done your DNA and you are interested, check all the suppliers.  There are a few out there and they all offer different things.

Here is an interesting video about DNA:

Nik's gift

 

Nik has been a friend of Brad's for many years.  He works at Kings Links as the mechanic that makes the golf carts run smoothly amongst other great tasks.  According to Richard, Nik can fix anything.  When COVID hit, he took plexiglass off some old golf carts and made the pro shop COVID compliant.  He's not only a great worker but one nice guy with a great sense of humour.

He lives in Delta with Christine and has twelve hens in his back yard.  His property is quite large and the neighbours love him.  I'm pretty sure he keeps them in eggs.

Nik gave me farm fresh wonderful eggs!  I can't remember the name of chickens who laid them but one lays lighter eggs and another darker eggs.  Apparently he has a hen that lays blue eggs.  That's what he tells me and they say it's true!

We had poached eggs and an wonderful cheese omlette.  Thank you Nik, what an awesome thoughtful gift!

Donald William Neibrandt

Donald William Neibrandt

January 2, 1931 - January 24, 2021

Donald was Cec's first cousin.  Donald was like a brother to Cec and was the Best Man at our wedding.  He was born in Ebenezer, Saskachewan.   He ended his career at Canada Post main plant and belonged to the Canada Post Heritage Club.  We would take him to the retiree lunches and he would reconnect with the people he worked with.

 On November 1, 1958 he married Frances Mantay

They had one son Rodney.  During these past two years, Rodney helped care for Donald at their home in Surrey, BC.

Donald is survived by four step-sisters who all live in the lower mainland.  We don't know when there will be a service because COVID restrictions limit the attendance to ten people including the officiant.  

Such a wonderful person and we will miss him dearly.  Rest in peace, Donald.

Covid man

 It's time for a song:

A toxic workplace?!?

I was horrified when I heard of the toxic workplace at the Governor General's official residence, Rideau Hall.  I'm glad she resigned!  It brought back so many horrible memories.

For 15 years I worked for a small regional airline, Pacific Western Airlines.  It was a great place to work.  Nice people, wonderful benefits and a great employee run social club.  Everyone was treated fairly and with respect.

In 1986 we purchased our competitor, CP Air.  We had 2800 employees, they had a few thousand.  To be fair in the merger, we all had to submit a resume.  I knew the packages they were giving to the redundant employees were excellent and I was looking forward to leaving.  I worked in Treasury.  The Treasury Department at CP Air was much larger and the Manager was 63 and a Chartered Accountant.  They gave him the golden handshake and I got part of his job.  Of course the employees thought I replaced him entirely but I wasn't qualified.  If you think the employees were hard to work with, management was worse.  It was a toxic workplace.  

For eighteen months I stayed.  I tried to leave earlier but my boss in Calgary (former PWA) asked me to stay on until I had completed a special project I was doing for him.

There is no place in this country for a toxic workplace.  I hope anyone who is in such a horrible situation is able to leave.  At least I was management and I did have some people who were decent to work with but the ones who weren't made it difficult to go to work.  I used to say, "I'm a blueberry in a crate of oranges".  PWA colour was blue and CP was orange.  Calgary loved the humour!  

I really hope Prime Minister Justin Trudeau selects Rick Hansen for the new Governor General.  He was on the short list when he selected Julie Payette.  Julie's former employer knew of her shortcomings and hopefully the next candidate is vetted properly no matter who it is.  

It's been 50 years

50 years ago today, my father passed away from a fatal coronary heart attack in Honolulu.  He was 51 years old.   They didn't test cholesterol and they didn't know a lot about the hazards of cigarette smoke.

I still miss him.  I was always sorry he never got to meet Cheryl.  I see his personality in Brad.  They both love to invest in the stock market and take chances.  He would be so proud of both Brad and Cheryl for their accomplishments.  

Every year my mom would hate January.  She had a good reason.  In 1949 on January 20th, my dad's older brother passed away.  In 1958 on January 24th his mother died and he passed away in 1971 on January 22nd.   I wish I could shake this about January but I am always happy to see February arrive.

On our walk today, Cec saw a flower on a bush!   I should have taken a picture of it.  One small red flower, but it gives hope of spring.  

A day I've looked forward to for four years

I've watched Donald Trump and Barrack Obama be inaugurated.  I really looked forward to yesterday's events.  I put the TV on yesterday as soon as I got up.  We watched the ceremony and were glued to the television all day.

I knew the Inauguration ceremony would be inspirational and moving.  I had no idea a 22 year old would make me cry.  Amanda Gorman, you are a star!

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it / Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy / And this effort very nearly succeeded / But while democracy can be periodically delayed / It can never be permanently defeated,” she read, drawing enormous praise and support from political leaders, writers, and celebrities.

“Never been prouder to see another young woman rise! Brava Brava,” Oprah Winfrey tweeted. “Maya Angelou is cheering,” she added.

The evening performance of "Celebrate America" was excellent and a great way to end a wonderful day.

It was so nice to see social distancing and mask wearing.  When they showed the lights at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool it was a reminder of how many people have died from the virus.

A couple of weeks ago when I was driving Lexie home from school, she told me how horrible WW1 was.  They watched the movie 1917 and the horrors of war really affected her.  I told her after the war they had the virus too so it was a double header.  Then came the "roaring 20's".  People celebrated and everything was good again.  Hopefully as we now have a vaccine and a president with hope and dignity there is light at the end of the dark tunnel.  Let's look forward to a Roaring 2022!

If you missed Amanda Gorman's poem or want to read it again:

When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry,

a sea we must wade

We've braved the belly of the beast

We've learned that quiet isn't always peace

And the norms and notions

of what just is

Isn't always just-ice

And yet the dawn is ours

before we knew it

Somehow we do it

Somehow we've weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn't broken

but simply unfinished

We the successors of a country and a time

Where a skinny Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one

And yes we are far from polished

far from pristine

but that doesn't mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect

We are striving to forge a union with purpose

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us

but what stands before us

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,

we must first put our differences aside

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms

to one another

We seek harm to none and harmony for all

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:

That even as we grieved, we grew

That even as we hurt, we hoped

That even as we tired, we tried

That we'll forever be tied together, victorious

Not because we will never again know defeat

but because we will never again sow division

Scripture tells us to envision

that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree

And no one shall make them afraid

If we're to live up to our own time

Then victory won't lie in the blade

But in all the bridges we've made

That is the promise to glade

The hill we climb

If only we dare

It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it's the past we step into

and how we repair it

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation

rather than share it

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy

And this effort very nearly succeeded

But while democracy can be periodically delayed

it can never be permanently defeated

In this truth

in this faith we trust

For while we have our eyes on the future

history has its eyes on us

This is the era of just redemption

We feared at its inception

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it we found the power

to author a new chapter

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves

So while once we asked,

how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was

but move to what shall be

A country that is bruised but whole,

benevolent but bold,

fierce and free

We will not be turned around

or interrupted by intimidation

because we know our inaction and inertia

will be the inheritance of the next generation

Our blunders become their burdens

But one thing is certain:

If we merge mercy with might,

and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy

and change our children's birthright

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,

we will rise from the windswept northeast

where our forefathers first realized revolution

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,

we will rise from the sunbaked south

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover

and every known nook of our nation and

every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we're brave enough to see it

If only we're brave enough to be it

It's time for some humour

And the best one!

 

This is very interesting website

 This a great site, see what your home town used to look like way back when.

 You can now visit "Old Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba or B.C" without leaving your chair!
 
Click on the town you want and original photos appear for certain years.  Sometimes all the photos load but other times you have to use the back arrow to go.

http://www.prairie-towns.com/index.html

An update

I just found out my cousin Laurie as the primary visitor and caregiver for her mom, got her COVID shot!   She said it was no biggie, just like getting a flu shot.  

That's absolutely the best news I've heard in a long time.  Laurie has been so good to her mom over the years.  Watching her mom's mind decline has not been easy.   Laurie and her two brothers  took Auntie Peggy out for lunch once a week.  When they couldn't manage her in their car, they got the handicapped cab.  Then it became impossible for her to go out.  Laurie would invite us for lunch too and those are some of my best memories.

Auntie Peggy was my mom's best friend.  They grew up together, she was my mom's bridesmaid.  They continued their friendship until my mom passed away. 

I'm really happy Laurie will be able to resume her visits to her mom soon! 

Some good news

This is Laurel Place in Surrey.  My Auntie Peggy who is 100 1/2 years old lives here.  On January 6th she got her COVID vaccine.   This was in the local newspaper:

Fraser Health says the COVID-19 outbreak at Laurel Place in Surrey is over.  In an information bulletin Saturday (Jan. 16), the health authority declared the outbreak over at the Whalley long-term care centre.

Fraser Health first declared the outbreak in a Dec. 22, 2020 information bulletin, stating that four patients and two staff members at the high-intensity rehabilitation unit had tested positive for COVID-19

In the Ministry of Health’s weekly report on January 13  on outbreak in long-term care, assisted living and independent living, it said there were 68 cases connected to the Laurel Place outbreak, with 10 deaths.  All 10 deaths were among residents and patients.

We are all relieved she didn't get the virus!  Apparently all the long term care homes in our health district have been vaccinated along with the staff.  Hopefully that will stop the spread of this terrible virus!