Winter Wonderland

After a winter of summer like weather we arrive in February with a little change. Last night we were blessed with a snow to the tune of about 10 cms. This morning everyone on our street were out pushing the light snow from our driveways and sidewalks. What a difference in attitude when we finally felt we were in a Canadian winter.

The temperature this morning was above zero and by noon 8 degrees above freezing. Our snow will last for a few hours but for a short time we were happy. I never saw too many small animals this last while but with the snow we saw many tracks and the rabbits and other little animals are on the move. We in Oakville are in a very active area for coyotes. There have been contacts with the animals during the past few months. These animals are one of the most adaptable  in Canada and here they are mixed up with the wolves and are slightly larger. They are normally a social animal and do not impact our lives but we are taking over so much of their habitat that contact is inevitable.

In my spring garden I observed my garlic growing at a fast rate and now covered with snow it may survive.I shall be going to Florida in a few weeks but I am so happy to have the opportunity of seeing some of the white stuff before I get used to the sun and warm weather.

This week I received news that one of our old friends from the Ottawa Valley has left the hospital after surgery and I know he will love to see the white landscape in one of Canada's most beautiful areas to help him get well . Get well quickly European Les.

Flashback To 1948

1948 was a year of important events in my life. Our home in Cape Breton was in shock as the coal miners went on strike.Freeman Jenkins was the president of UMW district 26 when men were working for less than a living wage and decided to go on strike. For us in our family it was a year of celebration because our oldest and smartest up to that time graduated from high school and headed to Provincial Normal School in Truro. Grace was the first of many in our family who followed and gave us a real chance to make our mark in life.

One memory that I still remember as funny was the impact that Grace had on our life. On one of her visits home she thought the kitchen floor was drab and because she took block printing at college she mobilized us in a project of painting shapes on our floor. The result was amazing and gave us a real treat and brightened up our kitchen.

With the men on strike there were many people who suffered poverty and real hardship. The Red Cross fed the children at school with a jam sandwich and a little jar of white milk every morning. On Friday we were fed a jam and peanut butter sandwich and the milk was chocolate.

Our churches went into action in our towns and helped the very poor with food and clothing. I remember with great clarity seeing the face of despair on the faces of fellow students. We as a family were better off than most as we had a great potato  patch and kitchen garden and Dad worked wherever he could and with his horse and cart hauled boot leg coal and shore coal to help.

Our mother was an amazing example with knitting, sewing and making something out of nothing. One item of clothing she made me and I still talk about it when I get in that mood of remembering when. It was a yellow shirt with a broad collar. Mom made it special by stitching a yellow yarn type of thread in the collar and button holes.

That same year some of our family received a New Testament from Carmen United Church for perfect attendance. I still have mine and treasure it and keep it in my collection of special books.

The strike lasted for a long time and as the men were making about $8.00 per day they ended going back to work months later for around $9.00 daily pay. This all seems so long ago but these thoughts came to mind as I looked at a old family picture with all the kids in their uniforms representing their church groups.

Memories are wonderful mind pictures which keep us in touch with our past. I loved my early life and when I get a flashback I treat it as a gift.

Final Three

We are fortunate to have eight healthy and intelligent grandchildren.At this time of the year important decisions are being made. We have two 17 year old's who, at this time, are making decisions about which path to follow after their graduation in June.Both are seeking further education ,but where and in what field. Seventeen is a very young age to make life altering decisions such as career choices. Fortunately there are guidelines and counsellors to aid in the decisions but it really comes down to them.

When we graduated sixty years ago the list of occupations were listed in a guidance book and numbered in the hundreds. Today there are thousands of opportunities just in the high tech field. Social sciences always played a huge role in our family and most of the decisions are found in fields where interaction with people needs and found.

Because most young people have not made up their mind about the future,  the general BA serves the need to have a educational experience and mature so a more realistic decision is made. From my observations young people are usually staying in university for many years and the costs go up and our young scholars are left with a huge debt after graduation. With all the bursaries, scholarships, OSAP and part time work available the choice to further your education is still the best alternative. Every year of education opens up the opportunities for a wider range of choices and greater financial rewards for their contribution.

We need to encourage our young people to study hard and be prepared to take their place in society.

More Promises

The big new start to better times for our First Nations people ended just where it started several hundreds of years ago.Treaties were written and approved by the First Nations and Britain with the idea they would be honoured by both parties. In most cases these treaties were never expected to be acted upon as the basic reality was that the native peoples would either be assimilated or in such small numbers that they would never challenge the treaties.

Here we are in 2012 and these First Nations are still for the most part treated as second class citizens and we as a Country are or should be ashamed or embarrassed for the conditions under which these people are supposed to live.

This conference could have decided in a matter of hours that the education, health needs and housing with clean water would be addressed immediately. More promises and studies only means that a million of our citizens will live in conditions that can only be classified as being as bad as most third world countries. The Kelowno accord was to give the First Nations $5 billion to begin to build proper houses, clean water and schools as well as address the health issues of these Canadians. This government cancelled this accord and things have remained the same.

The problems and issues with the First Nations are basically with the outdated and totally useless Indian Act. This legislation does not address the needs of 2012 and will need to be changed. Everyone who has been working with the First Nations is very familiar with the lack of proper funding for programs like education and housing on the reserves.Underfunded programs make it impossible for the children and young people to get a proper education so we are left with thousand of Canadians who are unable to compete for jobs in our society.

All the other issues are the same, studied to death, underfunded, poorly managed and the losers are the people who depend on these programs. There is plenty of blame to go around. But surely after all these years the problems are known and now we need solutions not more promises.

I listened to the grand chief of all the First Nations and he gave the finest speech I have listened to in many years. It was factual, emotional ,and laid out the situation in a helpful way but the Prime Minister and 11 cabinet ministers were there to listen and learn and tell the First Nations that things would change in small  and steady ways. Meanwhile we have people who have no schools, clean water or health services. When we had natural disasters in our country or in foreign lands the Canadian People were most generous in helping to solve the problem. When Haiti was hit with the terrible earthquake our resources were used to help and are still being used. Why can we not use this same energetic approach to our own people.

The result could be welcoming over a million bright and talented people to our workforce and their contribution would help our economy. I have been hearing about this issue for over fifty years and I feel that it is just as bad as it was then and maybe even worse. I hope this time we get it right and our First Nations can take their place in Canadian society with dignity and not second class citizens.

Happy Times

Coming right after Xmas birthdays seemed to be pushed to the back corner but not in our family. Many if not most of our immediate  family have birthdays in the first three months of the year. As a child who had a birthday on Jan.5th it was so close to the Xmas celebrations that it was almost forgotten. Maybe a cake was on tap but that seemed to be the ordinary. Today our family use every event to get together and celebrate. On one date Feb.9th we have no less than three of our family celebrating a B`day.

With our grand children growing into adulthood we realize that dates are more important than ever as it will be increasingly more difficult to get the gang together.Yesterday we had a birthday for our 23 year old granddaughter. Her mother had a spaghetti dinner and a home made cake. Megs loves chicken wings so we brought some for appetizers and they were enjoyed by the group. There are little touches that are special to each of our family and being rich and dedicated to traditions you better make sure that we carry on in the proper way.

During the year we have about twenty family days related to B`days and because of the date or geography the number of attending family members varies but the celebration is held anyway. I hope that this tradition is passed on to the next generation.It is very  rewarding for us to sit back and observe the close relationship that exists among the members of our family as a direct result of these gatherings.

Years ago when we were younger families pretty well stayed together in a more restricted geographic zone so this type of social interaction was normal and expected. With the shrinking of the world because of the need for families to be spread all over the country ands indeed the world we have to work at keeping the family spirit alive and benefit from these Happy Times.

Surprise

I recently had a birthday and every time this date comes up, my oldest daughter writes a blog to celebrate the occasion.She is a sentimental creature and writes the most beautiful tributes every year. I am amazed she is able to come up with so many thoughtful comments and I am always happy to realize that someone sees the good in this old fellow who shares her feelings in so many ways. This year Lyn put together all the blogs and writings she had scripted over the years and published them as a book called a tribute to her father.

To say the least I am pleased and was surprised to receive this book a few days after my 75th B'day. It came in the mail and made my day. I only wish more people could not receive a tribute such as this and share the love we have as a father-daughter relationship.

Unfinished Business

I read the paper every morning first thing and get a little annoyed if it is not delivered by the 5am time. This morning I had to put out the recyclables and noticed the paper had missed the step when the man threw it from the sidewalk. It was an omen because the minute I started to read the front section, back to front no less I became aware of the amount of work that had to be done to keep our City, Province and Country working.
The one article that came screaming at me was the prediction that our government was going to lay off many people from the environmental department. Several hundred food inspectors were on the block and with all the trouble we have had with our food supply this is criminal. We need more not less regulation and control as we have experienced huge problems with our food supply and to abandon this role would give the food suppliers a free hand in self regulation..Another area of concern is the Arctic environmental watchdogs who oversee the water quality around the tar sands and mining developments. This would give those multi national oil companies free reign to rip the guts out of the pristine north and leave a legacy of abandoned land and sick water and soil resources. Do not believe the slick adds of how the oil companies are leaving the area after rich tar sand extraction. Scientists say and the claim is not disputed that less than 5 % is returned to a reasonable state.

We can never permit for profit companies to do the right thing without regulations. Look at the well blowup in the Gulf. To save money they bypassed procedures. Only a small portion of the oil has been recovered and the rest lay at the bottom of the Gulf. In Cape Breton there is a place known well by me where by Dosco, a steel company got rid of its poisons by dumping them in a pond adjoining the Sydney Harbour. The company is long gone and this poison pond had sickened hundreds of people living near this pond. It will take over a $1,000,000,000 to clean up the mess. Who pays for this? We the taxpayers and who suffers are the folks living in the area.

Provincially we have Port Hope where during the war poisons were dumped int the ground. This was not ordinary poison bur radio active waste and again it will take a billion to clean it up. Attempts were made over the years and huge amounts were hauled up to Chalk River but the problem still exists.

City budgets, provincial budgets, federal budgets are all being finalized this time of the year. Watch the priority list. Federal MP pensions are huge, F35 fighters are not necessary as these are only offensive weapons and we have no enemies. More prisons are to be built even though our crime rate is at a 25 year low and still going down, huge monetary grants are given to oil interests even though they are filthy rich and have huge surpluses of cash.

One F35 less could give our first Nations people clean water. Stop the billion dollar expansions to prisons and the same people could have a home to live in and a school for their children. I don't mean to be cynical but this is madness and I wonder if people even care anymore because they feel so out of the circle of power.

There is always hope because we live in a vastly wealthy country filled with assets that the world needs and we are selling them off at bargain prices for short term gain. Lets hope that more sense will prevail and people will come first in the governments priorities of the future.

Mediterranian Nightmare

We have been on cruises where everything went off like clockwork and we enjoyed our time without incident. We did however have an extremely bad situation where on the first 30 hours we suffered the worst weather imaginable with 26 foot waves and we were on a smaller cruise ship with only 500 passengers. That cruise left port when I thought we should have stayed on shore. I looked at the weather and the wind was growing by the minute and as we left port we were all told that because of the weather we were to stay below.

Theresa ,Doris and I had adjoining cabins and as the ship was tossed to and frow so was the stomachs of the passengers and crew. We were heading for Barbados over open seas and we lost our stabilizers hours after leaving and within a short time the ship was a mess. Tables, dishes and everything that was not nailed down was moving about. Since it was an all inclusive cruise I must say that we three never missed a meal and at breakfast we were among only a few to use the service. One funny thing happened when the large table holding mounds of dishes and silverware went sliding across the floor with two waiters holding on for dear life. When the ship tipped the other way they came flying by again.

We were a day late getting to Barbados but the rest of the cruise was wonderful. When we saw the tragic circumstances around the Mediterranean Mess we were thankful we had a competent crew and captain. From what is understood there are more mishaps on cruises than reported and with some of the ships having as many as 7500 people on board there could be a major tragic event if there was a breach of security on incompetent crew.

This winter Theresa and I planned a cruise but maybe I will have to use some coaxing to get her to take another cruise. It seems that more and more we have to be aware of the risks when travelling and be mindful of the responsibility we have for taking care of ourselves. We should research out of country travel and specially if you are going to use domestic flights during your experience. Security and maintenance levels differ from country to country so be careful.
 Travel is one of the most rewarding of our life experiences and we must never let ourselves be intimated into just staying at home. We must aware of the risks and weigh the value of our travel against the negatives.

First Nations

From the first time white people or Europeans  set foot on American soil the object was to declare the land in the name of a king of a country back home. Never was the thought that maybe ,just maybe the people they encountered might have some value and could be a people who could contribute to new visitors. The visitors never came as visitors but as conquers. Never for a moment did the Europeans look at the new land and people and see it as anything but a new possession to use as they saw fit to enhance and enrich the homeland.

The first nations throughout the North and South Americas were worthy of greater respect as they had very advanced social and economic status. The conquerors saw gold and riches, furs and fish but never a beautiful culture to be studied and accepted. This simple and first impression however became the norm and as the Europeans stormed over the land taking what they wished, vanishing any type of resistance by extermination and laying waste to cultures and peoples who held their land for thousands of years.

The beauty and simplicity of their culture and  spirituality was all but whiped out and instead European religious practices were imposed on the locals. What evolved was a mess and over the first 400 years was the elimination of most of the first nations and in some cases the policy was to rid the world of these peoples altogether.

However many of the first nations did hang on and today our governments are having to work and deal with these peoples.Although small in numbers they are the fastest growing people as a group and in the near future will be a force to be reckoned with. In western Canada some of our major cities will become heavily populated by our indigenous people. This is an opportunity for our governments to right the wrongs of past times and introduce these first nations people into  our society as equals. The over a million Canadian first nations people are by large held in utter disdain by our government leaders. Below third world conditions on reserves, second rate health and education facilities and a feeling that these people are not worthy of the effort to bring them into the mainstream of Canadian society.

I have lived with these people and recognize the value they could have if given a chance. Our Minister of Health was just a girl living in Nunavut when I was working there and with hard work and motivation she has in a few years become a Canadian leader and holding a high position in our Government. Our immigration policy is one of the most generous in the world and people coming to Canada are helped to the point that they are able to take their place in Canadian society, often within a generation. It is obvious that the same treatment of our first nations people would erase a huge scar from our miserable history and enrich our country in so many ways were these  nations to become productive,proud and valuable citizens as they wish to be.

Take time to examine the plight of our first nations people and judge whether we have been fair and equal in our relations with them over the years. Throwing money their way is not the answer. A comprehensive program involving their leadership could go a long way of righting the wrongs of the past.

Confusion

This morning I woke up to spring like weather and all the snow was gone. The grass is green and the trees are really having a difficult time. I know I have mentioned this a number of times but even the birds are at a loss to know what to do. Today we had hundreds of Robins landing in our front yard and eating the berries off of the holly bushes. They should have been gone long ago. Later in the day we had an infusion of juncos. They were flocking and are a regular visitor during the winter but it was surprising.

Our rivers and lakes are open and there are many ski hills still waiting for their first snow. Dealers in snow machines, snow plows and anything to do with winter are really in trouble. I wish those people who don't believe in climate change would take a good hard look at what is occurring.

Some of my friends in the Arctic said that although the winter came late to the north it is extremely cold there at this time. Extremes are one of the results of the climate change so we should be preparing. Every year we have a international bird count near Xmas.It will be interesting to see this years results as some counts are really out of the ordinary.

It will take years to feel the full effect of the global warming but we should all keep an open mind to the possible effect it could have on us. Canada being a northern country may fare quite well with our more northern areas being capable of growing crops and holding populations. Southern countries like the USA may find that large southern areas may become wasteland as our water resources will be unable to sustain agriculture and weather will be extreme and not foster normal growth.

Our scientists are not fear mongering but are frustrated that governments are not taking this very seriously.I feel that education and knowledge will make us more aware as extremes become more impacting on the individual.

Good Report

Today Theresa and I went for my 2 month checkup with our neurosurgeon. He spoke little but what he did say was all good. I am now free to exercise using small weights, use the stationary bike, drive my van and do a little more stretching and bending. I am still linked to the large belt to remind me I still have a way to go. Dr. feels I am doing fine and Florida is OK if my other Dr. finds everything  healing at the same rate. Although there could be some improvements in my legs and hips over the next six months he feels the surgery was a unqualified success.

I have had no pain for the past six weeks and I have no need for medications. The years of  taking drugs to offset the pain of arthritis seems to be over and I have not had any discomfort since surgery. The whole process was well worth the effort and I can say that it was not nearly as difficult or painful as presented by the medical staff. I owe a great deal to the whole team who are making it possible for me to enjoy my senior years and will be eternally grateful for their expertise and caring.

Winter At Last

Friday the 13th did not let us down but brought our desire for snow right up front. We went to bed with summer like temperatures and woke up to chilly weather and a beautiful snowfall. The whole landscape changed and we were required to go out and clear our driveway. From our view from the front room of our home we could see the drivers coming down the hill too fast and having to make some fancy maneuvers to avoid a crash into the light pole or the home on the corner.

Everyone knew about the first snow and were well aware of the problems on our overcrowded highways but the police were being called every minute for yet another crash. Fortunately there were no deaths bur huge damage to hundreds of cars. Our youngest daughter was the victim of a rear-ender and spoiled her day. Fortunately she was not seriously injured.

Suddenly our area was transformed from a dull landscape to a virtual fairyland with the soft snow adorning the tree branches and all the evidence of fall gone until spring. Somehow everything seems warmer when mother nature places that white blanket over the barren earth and we prepare for the months of winter. All the folks who depend on snow for their economic well being rejoice as they plow the driveways, work on the ski hills and sand and salt our roads. Yes winter came to us on Jan.the 13th. I wish it came sooner.

Post Xmas Let Down

Every year is the same, there is a rush to commercialize Xmas as businesses receive a huge percentage of their revenue over the month of deficit buying. Immediately after Xmas there is a rush to close marginal profit shops and with the new year there is tax and budget concerns - so the big let down. Only this week we saw huge layoffs of municipal workers, lockouts at plants, closures of call centers and rumours of massive unemployment because of the need for balanced budgets.

I am not sure that the world is as bad as it appears in the press but the Fifth Estate seems to seek and print every negative aspect of our society. There is a war on unions and the working people who depend on these institutions to defend themselves against big business are being ignored by the government who today sees these unions as the enemy.

Only a couple of decades ago one could expect to be hired by a company that provided reasonable living conditions and a pension at the end of service, but today unless you are hired by one level of government or another you are probably fresh out of luck. It is rather peculiar that government that today are not protecting the working people of the country have set up some of the very best safety nets for themselves and their workers. Conservatives here and in the USA will do everything to protect big business and even offer huge subsidies to big oil and international companies, and leave the middle class to fend for themselves. Just watch and see how our government will react to the pipelines and watch how these multi-national, foreign owned companies will get legislation to aid them in their bid to transport oil over sensitive environmentally pristine land, to provide oil for China.

The government should be right out there protecting the rights of the people who live in these areas. Why is the government always on the side of big business? Because there is the notion that these powerful companies provide large numbers of employment. Big business only employ people when it is profitable and the moment that any aspect of the business reflects on the bottom profit line they are gone. Interesting that many, if not most, of the multi-nationals pay little or no taxes to Canada. Most have off-shore offices in tax sheltered jurisdictions.

I watched one labour story in London Ontario where Caterpillar International has locked out its hundreds of workers. This plant operated as a profitable Canadian firm for years building excellent locomotives under a branch of GE. The workers were skilled and made nearly $30 an hour with benefits. The CAT Co. bought this Canadian company and locked out the workers because the union would not accept a cut in wages and salaries, benefits and pensions earned and won over the years. They were offered one half their origional package in a take it or leave it offer. Watch what happens and observe who our government will support in this mess.

Canada is losing its middle class and unions and other workers organizations deserve our consideration, as they were the ones who fought for and gained the standard of living we used to have. I was an educator for many years and our federation gave us respect and living conditions from which we now benefit. Let us hope that 2012 will be  a year for the working class and the ordinary people of America. (Canada-USA).

Quiet New Year

After the hectic days leading up to Xmas, New Year's Day was a welcome retreat whereby we were able to lay back and enjoy doing very little. We did manage a few phone calls and had some of the kids drop by but in large we vegged out.

Theresa managed to have a little project started when she mentioned the storage room in the basement. It was not long before this project involved the front room, stairs, my pool room and the entire storage area. We are fortunate in so much as we have ample storage for everything we own but the area needs a little care every so often. Doris got in the act and attacked the sun room with a fury and would have stripped it of any Xmas symbols had we not intervened.

So the quiet day came to an end and we had to settle down and plan our work. We did manage to complete a task which should have been done years ago. So much for a quiet day .

New Project

I have about a month before to Florida so a project was needed to keep me busy. I am not able to bend, twist, reach or lift so the only project I could see was right in front of my eyes. In my den downstairs I have been planning to get rid of an old piece of furniture which holds my TV, stereo and old records as well as numerous items or treasures from  the past.

I have drafted a plan and with careful measurements I will be able to build a suitable wall unit which will take the place of the eyesore and be home to all the treasures. I will build it from floor to ceiling and save about 13 square feet of floor space. I will have to have some help with the actual lifting and so on but Theresa will be able to help there. There comes a time when you look around and realize that the clutter has to to be managed. My stuff is not clutter but looks that way because I need good shelves to display the good number of items from the Arctic and the past.

This afternoon I will pay a visit to Home Depot and see just how much cutting I can squeeze out of the man who runs the wall saw. If all goes well he will co-operate and much of the rough work will be done there. I costed out the project and was shocked to find the good plywood sells for over $60 a sheet. All in all the project will be well worth the effort and cost.

Weather Conditions

With 10 days into January and not a speak of snow there are problems brewing. We had a few cold days but my Swiss chard is still edible and the fish ponds are only partly frozen and the fruit trees are about to bud. We have had years like this before and the confusion caused the weather to ruin the cycle of the fruit trees.  Close examination of the garden soil shows frost only inches down and earthworms and other life is still flourishing in the compost boxes.

I plan to spray the oil and sulfur on my fruit trees this week if we have a warm day. I usually do this much later but it seems like a good plan to get an early start before the trees actually bud. On one of the colder days we experienced a infusion of robins which I guess were heading south. It seemed a little late as most of their food source is gone. Flocks of other birds were also seen mainly slate juncos but they did not stay.

My small fish ponds have had a cover of ice several times and the fish went to the bottom but this week they are free of ice again and the fish are lively. confused and thinking it is spring. With such a late onset of winter we are probably seeing a new pattern of climate change. The ski hill operators as experiencing horrid conditions and their main income time is over as the Xmas break used to be the chief financial start of the season.

We can observe, talk about and predict the weather but in the final analysis we are helpless as mother nature has a mind of her own.

Fun Day

Our family had a fun day on Saturday. We all got together to celebrate my 75th birthday and it was just what I wished for: a low key day with some food and lots of conversation. Everyone joined in and added to the fun . Instead of cooking this time we decided to order in Chinese food. We had enough to feed twice as many so my diet for the next while will be rice and something. I asked that there be no gifts at this get together but I did receive the best gift of all: the family all in one room gathered and presenting me with beautiful cards with well wishes, and words of just how I connected with them in years past.

I always make a point of writing on a card and not just signing my name and it seems to have influenced them to do the same. All these cards will end up in the memory box or boxes as we have filled one up already. It is a beautiful thing to take time and look back through a picture album or a memory box and read or look at the past. As time goes on you are able to appreciate the development of the family and smile to yourself when one of the group mention something that they feel is significant when at the time you were just being yourself. It reminds you that little ones pick up on your demeanour and record it on their minds eye. We are ever being watched and imitated so be aware of your duty as a role model.

Theresa added a special gift in her card when she slipped in a picture of a tropical beach and a cruise line ship in the foreground. It looks like a cruise may be in the future this winter. We love the cruises but the on shore visits are best. Maybe this year we will go through the Panama Canal. People say it is worth the effort.With the summer weather we are having and will continue to have for a few more weeks Theresa and I have been taking advantage of the conditions to walk several times a day and we will get a good report from our Dr. and we will get to Florida in February.

I must say that the last days of attention from friends and family have been wonderful and I appreciate it and realize just how fortunate we are to have such a network of good people. Thank you ever so much.

Day After 75

I have been asked by a few if it feels different to be over 75. The answer is yes. I realize that from this day I have a numbered amount of time to do all the things I have planned. I realize that three quarters of my life is over and I have to hurry to fill the next quarter with useful, interesting and adventurous times. I have thought of the cruel thing called time and I welcome the challenge to race foreword and fill every day with some measure of useful and constructive energy.

Theresa and I have so many plans and any reality check would say we will be hard pressed to complete our whole list but the challenge will be to fill our time without regret. Yes life will be different in the next 25 years but different is not a negative term but a positive signal that I had better get to work and start filling those fleeting moments with happy times.

So I Am 75

When I was a young person I thought 75 was the age of an old person. This morning I realize how ridiculous I was in my youthful judgement. The physical body maybe could use a tune  up. I am slower crossing the street, take longer in the bathroom, eat mainly what I want and not what I need and spend too much time in front of the TV.

For all that I still feel great and look forward to the next 25 years. Some advice my Dad gave me when I was a young man leaving my home in Cape Breton back in the early fifties didn't pan out all that badly. He told me to pick my friends slowly and carefully. Trust those who meet your scrutiny and always watch your back.When it comes to women he said be aware of girls who cannot dance; you would never be happy with them. There is no job too big or too small so make sure you always have one. For protection in Montreal, he said to carry a sock half full of sand -it makes a wonderful weapon and is not illegal. Lastly, remember your family and real friends; in the end they are the only ones you can truly trust.

This might seem like funny advice but it worked. I have many friends with whom I started school and still maintain close ties. During my venture into life I have done nearly every job imaginable, from garbage collector, tobacco primer, teacher, coroner, mayor, store clerk, farm work, father, horseman, JP, and many others. I never was too proud to do my best at every one of these chores. The money I received from this work supported myself and my family.

Throughout my years I have been selfish insofar as I used many of the family resources to get ahead in life. I did not portion my time fairly and too often neglected my family and used their time for my personal interests. This is my greatest regret. The time I shared with my family and friends was indeed golden and made the moments all the more memorable.

Public service was always a part of my makeup and I saw need everywhere. I picked my spots to make a difference and along the way circumstances made it possible to meet many people and situations which enriched my life. Always I was, and still am, aware of the influence of my wife and family and the acid test for my actions was if they be proud of what I accomplished.

Every life has high and low points and I am a person who has experienced both. As an emotional person who tears up at weddings, at hearing our national anthem, and family gatherings, I have over the years tended to stay out of the limelight and delegate others to carry the load. As a young person I was given two afflictions which framed much of my public life. I had a terrible stutter and lisp from birth. This caused me to have a struggle every time I had to read aloud or speak publicly. This was worse as a young person and I became extremely shy. A number of teachers aided me and some pushed me into a hellish place where I was ready to drop out. The good prevailed and I persisted and in a way was challenged. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson had a lisp and on graduation day in 1964 he presented me with my university sheepskin and we smiled during our brief conversation as we lisped together at that moment.

There are many things that make me happy...watching the sun come up in the morning... seeing my family all together and getting along... driving to Florida with a great partner to share all the wonder on that 2300 km drive... gardening... attracting birds to our houses in the back yard... phone calls to friends and family.. . just being alive at 75, and looking forward to every day.

A few things which depress me include: world hunger, aboriginal living conditions, women's rights, governments who don't govern honestly, religious groups who want to change the world, and bullies throughout the world, be it in school or in the UN, wars over oil, and our environment.