We Also Serve Who Only Stand To Watch

The world looks on as the people of Syria are slaughtered in various ways. Shootings, bombings, burnings, starvings and gassings. Over 100,000 women and children and soldiers have died so far in a battle that has a dictator apposed by a group of factions which have a variety of goals. The great powers watch but secretly arm  both sides.

Suddenly the use of poison gas was introduced as a weapon against the people of Syria. The USA and others come to life and say that this cannot continue. We must punish the government forces by a means that is yet undetermined. We will not take sides so let the war continue as any punitive measure will not be to rid the country of the dictator but to punish and slap the hand of the man who introduced this new weapon of war.

How ridiculous for the world powers to blow up a few buildings and facilities and then let the war continue.It would be a good way of getting rid of weapons that are probably older and need to be replaced so drop them on Syria as a token response to the problem. We all know about the story of the camel getting his nose in the tent and eventually became the main occupant. This trouble in the Mid-East is a time bomb and is not being addressed properly.

The United Nations is hoping for a solution but in this case we have Syria, Russia, China on one side and The western powers on the other. Both sides are staring the other side down and it could flare up to become the next great conflict to tear world peace apart. Little Israel is very quiet at this time because they sit in fear of an open war in the region as they would be the first to feel the sting of a mid-East conflict.

When will we learn that dictators cause problems and when you have a foreign policy that permits them to act within the civilized world with impunity there will be flare ups when the people under the dictator have had enough and seek freedom. Eventually an international force will have to be involved so get on with the job and save what is left of a once proud civilization but has been reduced to a territory without hope.

Where are our world leaders and what are they doing to end the conflict? Are they also only going to stand and watch?

Martin Luther King Day

We all remember that fateful day fifty years ago when one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in America changed the way we looked at the freedom movement. It elevated the question and opened dialogue which led to massive changes in the American way of life. The million people who witnessed the event left Washington with a resolve of hope and they made a difference.

In  Canada where many of our citizens live a sheltered life in quiet towns and rural areas where prejudice is just another word that has meaning out there became forced to recognize the evil of the situation in America where African Americans had few rights and  were treated like second class citizens. The closest parallel we had in Canada was the treatment of the aboriginal population who are segregated on reserves and are mired in poverty and are treated as second class citizens by our government.

Most everyone now believe in the equality of all people regardless of race, color, or religion. The fact remains that millions of peoples of the world suffer because they live in societies where these truths are not a reality for them. Mr King was not just fighting for the black people of America but everyone who lived under the yolk of discrimination.

I have lived in America and have travelled extensively and can say that although there has been a tremendous change in the last fifty years but there is still room for improvement and it will be slow in coming. The younger generations will be the chief agents of change  as the old guard leave the leadership roles to the youth of tomorrow. How proud we can be of the memory of Martin King and his courageous role he played in making a difference. It tells every person that they to can really make a difference if they only try.

Baking Day

Theresa and I had a very busy day today with several appointments and a visit to the health club. This afternoon we decided to do come baking and it turned out that we enjoyed a successful time.I decided to bake bread from scratch as I have not done this for a while.

I got used to one of those breadmakers when I was up North so I forgot how to have the fun of actually baking bread the old fashioned way. I checked with Fanny Farmer and realized that the book was way out of date as fast acting yeast was not mentioned. A little note on the yeast gave me all the information I needed to get my project under way.

While Theresa was busy with her recipe  for five of anything cookies I had my bread setting  waiting to rise. Rise it did and I had to punch it down to get it under control. I decided to divide the dough and make one loaf and twenty dinner rolls. They rose in a few minutes and as Theresa was taking her cookies out of the oven I was prepare to put mine in.

Fifty minutes later we had a stove top full of bread and cookies. It is fun to bake and cook if you have the time and interest. We have both.

Dancing With The Stars

Theresa and I love to dance and missed this pastime when we returned from Florida where we danced on a regular basis. We had looked around for a place where we might have an opportunity to continue our dancing. We attend our health club many times a week and Theresa dances zumba while I work out on the machines.During one of her breaks she met a couple who dance regularly at a social club in Burlington and invited her to come out and try it last Sunday evening.

It was a dinner and dance and looked like just the right fit for us. We dressed up a little and I wore long pants for the occasion and were surprised when we arrived at the club to enjoy our evening. It was a large dance studio during the rest of the week and had special events like dances on the weekend.

A huge hardwood floor and great lighting gave the room a professional look and we were impressed. Dinner came first and it was quite good  and it was followed by the music to begin the dancing. Semi classical music and graceful trained dancers swirled across the floor and I thought I was watching Dancing With The Stars.

We sat for a while and were lonesome as we were the only people sitting. We finally found some music that we thought we could dance to and found ourselves on this floor surrounded by flowing dresses and graceful dancers. We did our best and mingled with the stars. For a first night it was quite intimidating but we will return and manage a better showing as the year progresses. Theresa wants us to take dancing lessons...can you just imagine that?

Prorogued AGAIN

For the fourth time during this ill faded governments tenure the Prime Minister is about to prorogue Parliament. This means that the House will not sit until the frightened Prime Minister has several months to travel around Canada at taxpayers expense to dispense his election message. He would love to distance himself from the issues of the day back home in Ottawa.

Proroguing parliament was never intended to be used as this prime minister does. Since parliament is not in session then all the elected officials should not be paid and should have their salaries cut according to the time they are sleeping back home. The prime minister on the other hand has been vacationing in the beautiful Arctic with his henchmen and cronies but delivering harsh and untrue election propaganda to the poor aboriginal people who are no more but props for his photo ops.

In the meantime the senate scandal , the transportation mess, the pipeline dilemma  and the economy are left to take care of themselves. The prime minister wishes that all the fuss will be forgotten if he stays away long enough. In my 60 or so years being interested in politics I have never seen a leader show so little respect for parliament and the democratic process. It appears that he looks south to the USA for ideas and then tries to weave them into the matrix of Canada's society.

Case in point is the rush to have the law and order bill passed through parliament along with fifty pages of other important items that never received proper discussion at committee level and debate in the house. Looking to the south he and his tough ministers laid down draconian mandatory sentences for crimes, many of which should be misdemeanors, specially in the field of drugs. The USA under Bush introduced this type of legislation and filled the courts and jails with nearly two million inmates at a cost of $900 billion dollars per year. The USA has now seen the error of their ways and now have reversed their direction just as Steven Harper is not about to admit a mistake, is about to go full steam ahead incarcerating thousands of young people to fill the new jails being built. What a shame that he does not listen to science and facts and get it right.

During the next few months we will be bombarded with right wing propaganda and most of it will be at taxpayers cost. Lets hope that the good people of Canada will see through the shallow thinking of this controlling man and free the parliament at the next election so they may manage the country in a democratic manner.

Olympics and Politics

At one time I was running with an Olympic club in Thunder Bay then Fort William. We had a very dedicated coach sponsored by the Canadian Legion. He was a true Olympian and several times after our practice he would talk of the goals of the Olympics.

One of the main points of view he expressed was the fact that the Olympics was a set of games and contests called every four years so the best athletes of the world could compete for the personal achievement of competing and winning for themselves. There was never the thought of countries becoming engaged in the event and as for politics there was a definite separation of politics, religion and race.

It shocks me that these games are becoming an event where political and social issues are being discussed. Discussed to the point where some people wish a boycott because Russia in its failure to recognize cross gender equality in its own country will not tolerate demonstrations to disrupt the harmony of the games.

My personal feeling is that there are many causes that stand out in my mind that are of greater significance that the one before us. If all the world causes were to be presented it would ruin the games and devastate the athletes who worked so hard to get to these events. I feel that the Russian Government will learn a lesson from these games when the people see the multitude of gay and lesbian athletes on the platform winning medals  and coming from countries who have broken the shackles of prejudice .

These games are going to be one like no other as the social media will bring the issues before the world in a way which will gain greater acceptance than a boycott or walkout or demonstration. Individuals may feel so strongly about this issue that they will act on their own but Russia will have to deal with these problems carefully as the whole world is watching.

So just relax and permit our athletes  to compete and put aside the other distractions and put them in a context worthy of political and social change Let the games begin in the spirit of the founding fathers who designed a powerful event which brings the whole world closer together..

Nice Visit

For the last day and one night we were treated to a visit from our kids from Ottawa. Shawna and her mother and my number two daughter were in Toronto working to get the accommodations ready for school opening.in a couple of weeks. We had time to talk and gossip and to be brought up on the latest plans for the coming year. Shawna is a university student and beginning her second year.

One of the treats they brought with them on their visit was a brown box from Ikea. This box which was quite heavy was a work desk for the apartment. Dar thought it would be a good plan for Shawna and I to put it together.It is just a simple item to put together. Well we all know that there is no such a thing as a simple Ikea construction job.

Regardless we went to the garage and opened the box. Carefully packed were twenty pieces of pre- engineered wood and a bag of over a hundred screws of five sizes. A few other funny looking items made this job a puzzle. I asked Shawna if she could read instructions and she assured me that she could. So far I was spared the embarrassment of having to actually read these plans printed in simple language. I must admit I rarely read any instructions and sacrifice double the time required because I usually get stuck and have to end getting Theresa to help out with the technical words.

Shawna and I did very well and managed to get the desk put together except for the final top piece. I just did not fit nor did the holes match for the screws or dowels. We studied the plan and solved the problem by discovering that the very first thing we did caused us to turn a board upside down. We took the darn thing apart and put it back properly in a few minutes and congratulated ourselves for having gone a whole hour without a sour note and ended up as friends.In fact I found Shawna to be an excellent work partner and I would repeat the process any day as it was a good effort by  a granddaughter and grandfather working together  harmoniously.

Apples, Apples, Everywhere

Last year at this time the apple growers of Ontario were wringing their hands as the crop looked very sparse. The spring weather combined with a lack of bees caused the the industry to look forward to. a reduction of about 80 per cent. In my case the Northern Spy tree flowered and we harvested not a single apple.

Our Spartan had a beautiful blooming but only eight apples were harvested. This year is so different with Mother Nature spreading out her wings over the fruit trees and we can look forward to a abundant crop in all areas

There is great concern shown by all people in the agriculture field about the health of our bee industry. There are kills of whole colonies and it is the belief that the coating on the modified seeds of the corn creates a problem for the bees resulting in death of many bees.

Bees being more scarce has caused another problem if you can believe it. Bee keepers are experiencing the theft of some of their colonies and one beekeeper near us lost a colony of 32,000 bees just a week or so ago.

Apple prices spiked last year to record heights of over $2 per pound and higher in some areas. This caused our retail people to depend on imported apples and I have seen apples on the shelf from the USA, South Africa, New Zealand and many other countries. Lets hope that the predictions for this year are correct so we can keep that old saying going...an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Old Friends Celebrating A Birthday Party

Our Doris is 95 years old and will be celebrating her 96 in two weeks. Yesterday she went to a party for her friend Vera who had her 98th and all had a great get together. One would never guess that the people at the party represented nearly a thousand years of healthy living. Some were still driving at very senior years on these busy holidays. Some were sharing their plans for the coming winter and where they would be living during the cold months and for some it took them away from Oakville and to far distant places like Europe and down south.

There were few words about age or health issues as they were celebrating Veras 98th birthday. She never looked a day over 70 and was as agile as many years younger. These folks were feisty and were thinking of future adventures . Some talk of the past and the humorous events in their life but little or nor remorse. Vera lived a active life and still remains  a vital and energetic person.

Birthdays like this one looked after by Vera's niece remind us of the value and need to keep our seniors up front and center as they have much to offer the younger generations. Unfortunately many do not live in an environment so friendly and nurturing and live in a lonely place without the hope of a better life style.

Morning Glories

When I first planted a few morning glories in my yard I expected to get a good colourful showing. Actually I wished to have them grow on a trellis I made separating the patio from the back yard. I was surprised with the result. They not only grew but spread to all areas of our yard.

One of the best showings is on the fence separating our properties where the chain link fence is now a glorious morning glory garden. We used to collect the seeds for replanting but we soon realized that they reseed themselves.

As the years went on the plants became much larger and the leaves are twice the size that they used to be. We found out that they ca quickly become  a weed because of the rapid growth they exhibit. We now find them squeezing out even the dahlias. Some have climbed our apple tree and have mixed in with the climbing beans to compete for room on the bean forms I construct every year.

I love them with their rich colours and aggressive growing habits and will put up with the negative to have a colourful showing on our gateway to the garden area of our home.

1000 Posts

I never imagined that I would be writing my 1000th blog post when I was introduced to this passion for writing. My eldest daughter Lynda created a blog for me and convinced me to begin sharing some of my ideas and adventures with others. I never knew who the others were and as far as writing well, I have come a long way, captivated by the writing experience.

The writing experience gave me an opportunity to relive the good, bad, emotional, and valuable memories. I suppose that some of the stories and memories that I have written about are somewhat different than the facts but they constitute my memories, and mine alone. Over the past 75 years many things have changed and how these changes have impacted our lives is important to me. Perhaps the few passions I had - the environment, education, friends and family, politics and religion - have stayed with me throughout my whole life.

Some, if not all, were the result of living as a member of a large family with limited economic power but unlimited in courageous values that are part of the heritage of our family. This may be a long way off the topic of blogging but it is the background for the opinions I have written over and over again. I may not write another 1000 posts but I shall continue to write about topics that interest me and hopefully share with people who may gain some value - even if it is only a chuckle or a silent nod of interest about my world.

As I view this beautiful sunset I realize that many of the topics I choose are from the past. I try not to dwell on the past, but rather pull little nuggets out of life experiences that come to mind as I sit down to write. It seems that I never lack topics although I repeat from time to time. My excuse is that it must have impacted me more powerfully than other memories. I am just completing two books that could not have been written without the experience I gleaned from blogging.

iPAD Invasion

We are a little older than most people using the iPad but I gave Theresa one for her birthday. She was thrilled to get the gift but never seemed to take off in its usage. This piece of technical genius always interested me when I saw my grand children and friends using it for just about everything. It's a camera, email dispatcher and with the right apps, it can do just about everything.

After playing with the thing for ten days an offer came in from one of the grand children to help her out. Theresa accepted and yesterday they set the iPad up for real use. Theresa caught on fire and immediately bonded with her device. I stayed away from the session because I would have had too many questions and ruined the learning session.

It makes me very happy to see Theresa taking the plunge and becoming literate on another of our social media devices  It was not long ago when we really got into using our computer and it has changed the manner in which we do business. I can see this iPad doing the same thing for Theresa, especially when we travel and want a compact office on a 8" by 10" computer.

Mom's Flox

I left home at a young age to make my way through life but I never turned my back on my past years in Cape Breton. One of my fondest memories was learning to love gardening through helping Mom look after her flowers and small kitchen garden. Our soil was poor as it was contaminated by mining debris and pit stone. Through years of building up the soil Mom and Dad developed a great potato patch and a vegetable garden.

Mom was most proud of her flowers, and the one in particular was her flox. Mom got her first flox from a woman who sold them from her home in Bras D'or. This lady had a spectacular showy flower garden. Mom planted her flox around our yard and they were multi-coloured. In the early sixties I had a home visit and before leaving Mom gave me a few roots from her flox.

With instructions as to how to make them flourish I packed them in the car. I was living in Pembroke at the time and with good soil the flowers made a great showing immediately. One year they were hit by rust and I phoned home and Mom gave me the answer as to how to get rid of it: move the plants every couple of years. It seemed to work.

When I moved the flowers moved with me and now I have one small clump in the back yard. This year they are beautiful with a nice colouring. My flox change colour  every so often but always return to the pink eventually. I trust that I shall be able to keep these flowers alive and well and able to pass them on to one of my family. Flowers are a beautiful reminder of someone as dear to you as your Mom. Our lipstick vine is really putting on a show this year as well.

Baking Bread

When I lived in the Arctic I made all my own bread products except when I ran out of needed supplies. Bread was $8 a loaf and rye bread was $12 so it was economical to have a bread maker. I had plenty of time on my hands and used it to experiment with various products that you could make with the help of your bread maker.

Since coming back down here and leaving up there I have really not been too active in making bread. Last week I had the urge to get back making home made buns I realized that I did not have the bread maker any more so I looked up Fanny Farmer's recipe and found it to be almost exactly like the one Mom used when I was a child.

I made a batch but using the new modern fast rising yeast caused me to have a little trouble so I adjusted the recipe and I hope all goes well. The new batch is in the oven as I speak and if all goes well we will have them for supper today. Today seemed like a baking day as Theresa was baking as well.

A Beautiful Walking Stick

When my eldest daughter returned from a trip to Africa a while back she brought me a special talking stick. The stick does not talk but the person holding it had the floor and everyone is supposed to listen. I was pleased to be given this treasured item as it has a lot of symbolism for the people of Kenya. I hope she did not give it to me because I talk too much.

Today she returned from the wilds of Parry Sound District and brought me a walking stick. A hand made and carved stick, stout enough to keep me upright if I stumble and beautiful enough to cause people to inquire as to it's origin. I loved this gift because Theresa and I were just about to look into making a good walking stick for our evening walks about in our neighbourhood.

First I get the talking stick, then the walking stick, and I can only imagine what comes next. Only she knows, but I will be thankful for it if it is as useful as the previous two gifts.

Speed Can Kill Anywhere

At noon yesterday a young man driving a new car drove up Falgarwood Drive at an excessive speed according to all the neighbours. Theresa and I were right there but did not witness the accident.According to witnesses the car approached the gentle turn at a high rate of speed. The driver could not manage the curve so hit the curb, cut down a sizable tree, continued to hit a large tree which ripped off the drivers side of the car.  The car then crossed the sidewalk and hit another tree and by this time the car was a write off.

The car came to rest in a driveway and damaged stone works and landscaping. The young driver (19) was fortunate that the air bag saved damage to his head but glass and car debris did their job.He had to be cut out of the car by the firemen and ambulance personnel.I actually talked to the youth as he was attended well by a lady who kept him calm and kept him from trying to get out of the car. He admitted to speeding and all because he was in a hurry to get somewhere.

Fortunately no one was walking down the sidewalk or working on their lawn or this could have been much worse. The youth was remorseful as he was afraid of his parents because of his thoughtless act. We live on a quiet residential street and this was not the first accident on this slow curve in the road. Speed was the cause and it can happen anywhere when drivers ignore the rules of the road.

Cruising Lake Ontario Near Oakville

One of the most beautiful lake fronts in Ontario is Oakville. The financial giants of the business world in Toronto live here. Years ago when Oakville was an hour away from Bay Street these very rich people built huge estates along the shoreline. Historical homes in this city are named as historical sites and during the festive season people drive past these places and enjoy the decorations which make Oakville one of the most beautiful places to live in Canada.

Today we enjoyed a sail past along the coast and were treated to perfect weather and great views. The lake was alive with numerous sail boats and cruisers. We were treated to Johns hospitality and some of our grand children and friends loved the activity.

There are three main marinas in Oakville which are home to literally thousands of boats of all kinds. The natural beauty and geography of this area made it home to boaters for many years as it was once a flourishing ship building center around the eighteen hundreds.

Today we were treated to a family of swans complete with the mom and dad and six babies who were touring the marina looking for handouts from the boaters.All in all it was a great day and one which we will remember until we get out again in a boat to experience nature at its best.

Health Club Information

We all remember the long form for the census which was given to a percentage of Canada's population to measure specific elements in our growth as a nation. I filled out one of these forms years ago and found it to be enlightening. I am joining a health club and I am faced with q long form of questions I feel are very personal and not necessary to use their bikes and other equipment.

I filled out all the routine questions about weight and age and even my physical weaknesses caused by accidents or surgeons practise .The medications and drinking habits might have some relevance as to the degree of difficulty I should be permitted to do.

After the interrogation and assessment I will be given a key to install in every machine that I use so it can be monitored by my personal trainer. No chance of missing a sit up or a few minutes on the walker or even on the rowing machine. For a person who does not like to be told to do anything this will be the closest thing to imprisonment that I will be able to tolerate.

The payback from this intrusion in my personal space will be a sculpted  body after a year or so that will be the envy of everyone over 75. Wow if only this could be true. At any rate I will participate up to a point and be happy to say the journey was worth the misery and effort I am prepared to put up with.