Thursday, September 30, 2021

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation


Canada House in London turned on the orange lights!

The Federal Government passed a law making September 30th a new federal holiday.  Today marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.  It recognizes when Indigenous children were taken from their families and sent to residential schools -- many of whom never returned.  During a period of 160 years, the Government of Canada in concert with churches constructed residential schools in a state-sponsored process of "aggressive assimilation" to make children of indigenous people "less aboriginal and more white" with instruction in English and Christianity in order to erase the children's traditions and cultural ties.

It's a time to come together to acknowledge the atrocities and ongoing legacy of the residential schools.  We honour Indigenous survivors, their families and communities, to listen with open ears to their stores and to remember those that didn't make it.  

Here is a link:  For more information:

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Gas vs Electric car

We don't need a new car but Cec is always checking cars on Consumer Reports.  We visited the Tesla dealership last month in Langley.  They only had three cars for sale!  They can't keep them in stock.  The head room and leg room in a Tesla is the best I've ever seen!   The maintenance cost is awesome compared to gas vehicles.

On our walk the day after we visited the Tesla dealership we passed by a home and a neighbour was getting into her Tesla.  On her driveway there is always a BMW parked beside the Tesla.  Of course Cec asked her how she liked it.  She doesn't!  She said it isn't good on rough roads and the quality of the hardware and leather is very poor.  They are not happy with it.   

As I drive my gas guzzling SUV to the gas station I think about getting an electric car.  I am happy with the vehicle I have and have trouble keeping my cell phone charged.  We are not going to buy a new car now but it's interesting reading about all the new electric vehicles that are coming out in the future.  

Cost of gas vs electric:

That makes a good argument about buying an electric vehicle.


Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Audie Murphy

I enjoy reading upbeat stories.  I hope you enjoy this one.

Audie Murphy, the kid from Farmersville, Texas,  was only 46 years old when he died in a helicopter crash into the Virginia Mts.  He was bothered all his life when he came back from the War and it really affected his life.  He never got the medical help he should have gotten.

Not many young people know who Audie Murphy was or how big a war hero he was.  Two or three of the medals he earned would make most service men proud, but to have earned his decorations in battle is truly unbelievable.


List of Decorations for Audie Murphy:

Medal of Honor

Distinguished Service Cross

Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster)

Legion of Merit

Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster and Valor Device)

Purple Heart (with two oak leaf
clusters)

U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal

U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal

Presidential Unit Citation (with First Oak Leaf Cluster)

American Campaign Medal

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with One Silver Star,
Four Bronze Service Stars
(representing nine Campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing
assault landing at Sicily and Southern France)

World War II Victory Medal

Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany Clasp)

Armed Forces Reserve Medal

French Forage in Colors of the Croix de Guerre

French Legion of Honor - Grade of Chevalier

French Croix de guerre (with Silver Star)

French Croix de guerre (with Palm)

Medal of Liberated France

Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm)

Additionally, Murphy was awarded:

The Combat Infantry Marksman badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with
Bayonet Bar.

Isn't it sad the media can tell us all about the BAD that goes on, but
ignores the GOOD people?   If a movie Star or politician stubs their
toe we have to hear about it for Days!!!

From the Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2010

Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010.  She was the widow of the most decorated WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, and established her own distinctive 35 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda Veterans Administration hospital, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP.

Any soldier or Marine who came into the hospital got the same special treatment from her.  She would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see the specialist they needed. If they didn't, watch out.

Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam.  They had served their Country.  That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister."  Respect came with the job.

"Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. "Many times, I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office.

She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy.  "Only her boys mattered.  She was our angel."

Audie Murphy died broke in a plane crash in 1971, squandering millions of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women. "Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me.

She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts.   At first, no one knew who she was.   Soon, though, word spread through the VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow.   It was like saying General Patton had just walked in the front door.   Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a Hug.

"Thank you," they said, over and over.

The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero.  The last 30 years, they were for Pam.

One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done.  Pam just shook her head no.  "Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway.  "They're the ones who deserve it."

The vets disagreed   Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated in budget cuts.  She was considered "excess staff."    "I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve should be considered excess staff," she told me.

Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA.   Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff.

She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87.

"The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project. Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys. Pam Murphy was 90 when she died.   What a lady.


by Dennis McCarthy,

Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2010


Monday, September 27, 2021

Cruising update

The Majestic Princess is docked in Seattle waiting for a storm to pass.  It's the last cruise this season to Alaska and the winds and seas are high.  I watched a You Tube of a passenger I follow who said it was rough on Saturday night on his trip into Seattle on the Majestic.  Apparently the Serenade of the Seas is doing 22 knots to rush to Seattle ahead of the storm.  When you sail out of Vancouver it's complete inside passage with Vancouver Island as a buffer!  Then it's the east side of Haida Gwaii, not the west side.  In the good weather, no problems but when the Pacific storms hit it can be rough.

I realized yesterday it's one year until our cruise to Australia.  Right now Australia is not letting cruise ships dock.  They are banned until March 2022 right now but that could be extended.  I checked the Australian vaccination rate and only 42% of Australians are double vaccinated.  The problem was their government didn't secure vaccine.  


This is the Grand Princess.  It set sail for the first time in 18 months last Saturday.  It's sailing out of Los Angeles to Mexico, California coast and Hawaii itineraries.  It repositions to Vancouver in April when it starts sailing from Vancouver to Alaska 7 days north and 7 days south.  

On September 26 it sails from Vancouver to Sydney!  It's a 36 day cruise with great ports.  Most cruise ships that reposition to Australia only make a few stops.  Let's hope Australia lifts the cruise ship ban and we can sail!

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Happy Sunday

 

Last weekend we heard about Cec's niece.  She is an ICU nurse in Kamloops.  The day of the anti-vax demonstration in Kamloops she left a 12 hour shift and tried to get to her car.  She was harassed by the demonstrators and they wouldn't let her walk to her car!  Shame on all of them. 

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Happy Oktoberfest!

 A few years ago we were in Munich for Oktoberfest.  Uli's restaurant on the beach in White Rock celebrates Oktoberfest every year.  This year we managed to get reservations!  We went with our neighbours Don and Kathy.  Last night the weather was beautiful!  There were a lot of people at the beach and I wasn't surprised as it was so nice out.  


We had to park a long way away from the restaurant but the walk along the boardwalk was wonderful.

A litre of beer was on the menu.  The glasses were as heavy as they were in Munich.


We all had schnitzel.  Cec and I had the schnitzel neptune with shrimp.  It was delicious!

It wouldn't be Oktoberfest without entertainment:

Sunset from our table:

After our wonderful dinner, a nice walk back to the car:
The pier at night!  What a beautiful sight.

What a beautiful night!  Great night - great friends!


Thursday, September 23, 2021

Lunch with the sisters!

 

Yesterday the Sapphire Sisters met at Washington Avenue Grill in White Rock for lunch.  12 of us had a wonderful lunch together.  I really like Washington Avenue Grill.  It's one of White Rock's best eateries and overlooks Semiahmoo Bay.  It's been named "Top 100 Scenic Restaurants in Canada". 

Donna picked me up and we managed to get one of the spots right in front of the restaurant!  

Donna ordered the steamed mussels and they looked delicious!

I enjoyed the Steelhead burger so much on Sunday, I ordered again here.  It didn't disappoint.  I was going to order salad as a side, but the fries are seasoned with garlic and rosemary!   I couldn't resist and they were tasty.


A lovely group of ladies and we had lots of laughs and interesting conversation.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Canada election

I am always entertained reading Twitter.  Best tweet of the night

Monday, September 20, 2021

Happy Birthday Donna!

Yesterday my long time friend Donna turned 75!   She invited friends and relatives to a celebration!  What a fabulous idea.  It was at the Shaughnessy Restaurant in VanDusen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver. 

Cec and I have never been to this restaurant and it was excellent!   We will return.  

The table was lovely.  We all had name tags and we sat with Donna's brother Ken and sister-in-law Libby and our long time friends Janice and Jim!  We had lots of laughs.  

I didn't take a picture of my brunch which I am sorry but I was having such a good time, I completely forgot!   Janice and I ordered the Steelhead Burger.  Ken ordered the Quiche and the rest of the table ordered the Eggs Benedict.  Everyone enjoyed their brunch!
Donna had a nice display of pictures.  On the left, she was five.  The picture on the right with with her late husband Neil on a cruise somewhere wonderful, I'm sure.   There was a cake on this table but I didn't get there before the staff took it to cut up for our dessert.  The basket in the middle was a collection of cards that were left on our table for everyone to give Donna special birthday wishes.  

Ken gave a wonderful speech that was hysterical!  He really did a great job.  The room was filled with love from friends, relatives and former co-workers.  What a wonderful afternoon.

On our way out, we saw this great sign.  


Happy Birthday Donna and I must say you look fabulous at 75!



Sunday, September 19, 2021

Sept 11 - a wonderful story

I get tired of reading negative news.  I enjoy things that are uplifting.  I read this online and thought I would share it.  

“I didn't know this about 9-11
AFTER FLIGHT 77 hit the Pentagon on 9/11, the following incident occurred:
A chaplain, who happened to be assigned to the Pentagon, told of an incident that never made the news. A daycare facility inside the Pentagon had many children, including infants who were in heavy cribs. The daycare supervisor, looking at all the children they needed to evacuate, was in a panic over what they could do. There were many children, mostly toddlers, as well as the infants that would need to be taken out with the cribs.

There was no time to try to bundle them into carriers and strollers. Just then a young Marine came running into the center and asked what they needed. After hearing what the center director was trying to do, he ran back out into the hallway and disappeared. The director thought, "Well, here we are, on our own."

About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in tow. Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started gathering up toddlers. The director and her staff then helped them take all the children out of the center and down toward the park near the Potomac.

Once they got about 3/4 of a mile outside the building, the Marines stopped in the park, and then did a fabulous thing - they formed a circle with the cribs, which were quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered wagons in the Old West. Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers, to keep them from wandering off. Outside this circle were the 40 Marines, forming a perimeter around the children and waiting for instructions. There they remained until the parents could be notified and come get their children.

The chaplain then said, "I don't think any of us saw nor heard of this on any of the news stories of the day. It was an incredible story of our men there.” There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The thought of those Marines and what they did and how fast they reacted; could we expect any less from them? It was one of the most touching stories from the Pentagon. It's the Military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag. If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the military, please pass this on and pray for our men and women, who have served and are currently serving our country, and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.”

Thursday, September 16, 2021

City of Surrey politics

In 2018 eight people ran for mayor.  The Doug McCallum got 41.6% of the votes and was declared the winner.  If you take the number of people eligible to vote in Surrey he got 13.2% of the vote.  Turnout for our city election was very low.

One of Doug McCallum's many promises was to replace the RCMP with a city police force.  He originally said the cost would be:

McCallum told reporters that a local force will cost an average of $13 million more per year than RCMP, but he says city will save $20 million on this administration costs.

The cost so far this year is $64 Million and that was before he found out the RCMP wouldn't allow him to use their computer system!   Talk about a cost overrun!  Councillor Brenda Locke on Monday asked for transparency so the taxpayers could see the true costs and it was defeated.  Doug rules by:  "My way or the highway".  

A group in Surrey organized to ask the Provincial government for a referendum.  Doug McCallum says because he was elected and it was on his platform he can do it.  The BC Government ignored the hundreds of email requests and the petition of over 50,000 signatures that was delivered to Premier Horgan's office last October asking for a referendum.  

Darlene Bennett whose husband was executed by mistake in a gangland war approached Elections BC for a referendum and it was approved!   The signatures are now being acquired.

Doug McCallum has been interfering with the referendum.  His by-law officers have given the organizers two by-law tickets.  There was an unfortunate incident at a grocery store with Doug McCallum and the people collecting signatures that is now an RCMP investigation.  

During Zoom council meetings, if Doug doesn't like what you say, he hangs up on you.  On one Zoom council meeting this summer, 21 people got cut off!  Last Monday, council meetings are back in council chambers at City Hall.  On Monday he banned seven people from entering the City Hall.  If they have a question they can submit it in writing.  Can a mayor ban people from a public building?   None have ever done anything unlawful or violent.  They are all seniors and taxpayers and he doesn't like what they say.

The bullying and harassment contravenes the Elections BC rules for referendum.  Watch for legal battles to follow.


Surrey Councillor Linda Annis probably said it best when she said “silencing people, particularly people opposed to you, is what politicians do when they’ve given up on democracy.”

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

All Candidates Meeting

I wanted to attend an All Candidates Meeting for my riding of Cloverdale-Langley City.  I found one in Cloverdale that was sponsored by the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce.  It was being held in the old Clova Theatre and also being broadcast on Zoom.   I sent an email about three weeks ago asking for a ticket or a zoom invite. I would have gone to the theatre but I would prefer Zoom.  They only gave the date of September 14th, but no time.

Last night, three minutes before the meeting started, I got my invite:

Tue 2021-09-14 5:57 PM

Hi there,

I apologize for this late email.  Please use the link below to attend the Zoom All candidates meeting tonight.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Sep 14, 2021 06:00 PM Vancouver
Topic: All Candidates Meeting

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

Needless to say, I didn't watch it!   I'm happy I read all the platforms and voted in the advance election.  The polls say it's too close to call.   I don't believe the polls as they aren't always right, but I find them interesting to follow.

This is the poll I watch.  Our riding earlier said Conservative Tamara Jensen, "leaning";  it now says "likely".   Everything could change by election day.  The pop ups are a little annoying.  

https://338canada.com/

It's easy to remember as there are 338 seats in Parliament!

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Things

 

I just took a   
leaflet out of my mailbox,

informing me that I can
have sex at  85.

I'm so happy because I live at   
number   83.
So it's not too far to walk home
afterward.
And
it's on the same side of the street.
I don't even have
to cross the road!

~~~~~


Answering machine
 
message,
"I am not available right now,
but
thank you for caring enough to call.
I am making
some changes in my life.
Please leave a message
after the beep.
If I do not return your
call,
you are one of the
changes."

~~~~~

My wife and I had   
words, but I didn't get to use
mine.

~~~~~

Frustration is trying to   
find your glasses without your
glasses.

~~~~~

Blessed are those who can   
give without remembering
and take without
forgetting.

~~~~~

The   
irony of life is that,
by the time you're old
enough to know your way around,
you're not going
anywhere.

~~~~~   

God made man before 
a woman so as to give him time
to think of an answer
for her first question.

~~~~~   

I was
always taught to respect my elders,
but it keeps
getting harder to find one.

~~~~~

Every   
morning is the dawn of a new
error.

~~~~~


One more sleep, let's remember

My First Christmas in Heaven I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below, With tiny lights like heavens stars, reflecting on ...