Memory

Just got back from completing a memory study at the Centre for Mental Health. A researcher is doing a study about memory in schizophrenics and needs a comparison group to create some baseline numbers. I did this for 6 hours with breaks of course. Was interesting because at the end of the day, I could still remember a short story that I had heard early in the day; especially all the important details but some of the lists of random words started to bore me. I was not concerned that I did not remember all the words. Numbers also. I must say that I found boredom a factor in terms of memory. Facts came easily but does anyone remember the speed of light? I know that I knew that fact when in school but lately it has not been a concern. I do know that light travels much faster than sound and that planes travel fast enough to stay in the air.

Funny, if you mention to people that you are involved in a memory study they will tell you t that they are worried that they are forgetting things. We all do but have to remember to keep the grey matter active. One thing that certainly helps is just trying to remember all the pass words that I have logging on to all the sites that I am connected to.

Lists

Does any else live by lists? I have a so called bucket list and was able to cross off one of the items in January when I finally got to see manatees in the wild on our trip to Florida. What a thrill! My list also includes many places I hope to visit. Hopefully, rising oil prices will not make it impossible to cross off more items on the lifetime list.

I also have that daily list of to do.The question is should the list be a set of post-its that I can transfer to next day when an item does not get done or a list that I just add to and cross off completed items. That might become depressing since some items seem to stay on the list for a long time. I do want to get to them but sometimes something more pressing or exciting comes along and demands my attention. For example, I have some plants in pots waiting to be planted; first cold weather stopped me, then rain and now it is just lack of time. I have managed to get most of them in the ground and am looking forward to eating grape, roma and regular tomatoes from the garden and oh did I mention yellow tomatoes. Herbs will be put in a large pot today before I head into the house and do some practising.

Hopefully, none of those people who think that I am incredibly organized will read this and I can maintain the illusion of absolute control and organization up for a while longer.

( Now, I can cross of prepare blog entry from my daily to do's list!)

Concerts and challenges

As a musician and music teacher, I am always trying to set new musical challenges for myself. Tonight, I am going to see if I am able to meet the latest challenge that I set for myself. I am conducting a piece for solo flute and band by Cecile Chaminade. Her biography is at the bottom of this post. Despite being a prolific composer, she met a tragic end in 1944 during World War 11, alone and forgotten. The solo flutist, Christopher Lee http://www.christopherlee.ca/bio.htmlwas a student at the school, Dr. Norman Bethune 20 years ago; the same time that I taught at the grade 7/8 school nearby. He volunteered to come and coach some of my students at a time that volunteer hours were not even mandated for students. This year, he noticed that I am teaching at his old high school and contacted me about playing the solo with the band. I thought that it was a wonderful idea since he has become an outstanding flutist. The piece of music is also a tour de force for flutists and a workout for the conductor. I must stay alert the whole time paying attention to the soloist and guiding the band through the piece. The Bethune band members are wonderful, attentive and musical. It is going to be fun.


Cécile Chaminade
Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade was born to an upper middle class Parisian family on August 8, 1857. During her lifetime she enjoyed world-wide popularity as the most productive, most successful woman composer and that record still holds. She was the first woman composer to be awarded the French Legion of Honor, and yet, apart from a few piano compositions, such as Scarf Dance, Autumn, the Flatterer, and the popular Concertino for Flute and Piano, this remarkably prolific composer of songs ("mélodies") is unknown.
Chaminade died at the age of 87 in a small apartment in Monte Carlo on April 13, 1944. She was an invalid, having had her left foot amputated and she had been forgotten by the world.
According to the New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers, Chaminade's sharp decline in reputation was "partly attributable to modernism and a general disparagement of late-Romantic French music, but it is also due to the socio-aesthetic conditions affecting women and their music."
Chaminade had one very successful tour to America in the fall of 1908. Traveling with a soprano and a tenor, the company played 12 cities in eight weeks. The soprano also served as Chaminade's interpreter. The tour was the major musical AND social event of the Fall 1908 season.
Her signature song was The Little Silver Ring, (l'Anneau d'Argent) which enjoyed world-class success. John McCormack the famous Irish tenor, is said to have included it in every concert from about 1925 on. One particularly florid, coloratura piece, L'Été, was recorded and performed by some of the divas of the day, Emma Albani and Adelina Patti. Lillian Nordica sang "Le Noël des Oiseaux," Calvé sang "Sur la Plage," and Nellie Melba was known for her performance of "Viens, Mon Bien-Aimé."
La Chaminade's creative output of over 400 compositions includes 135 "mélodies" (songs), few of which have been recorded until now. Lyric soprano, Alaina Warren Zachary is the first American to record a CD of all-Chaminade songs. Entitled "Mon Coeur Chante! The Songs of Cécile Chaminade," the CD was released on November 7, 2001.
For more information about the life and works of Cécile Chaminade: Cécile Chaminade: a Bio-Bibliography by Marcia J. Citron, Portrait de Cécile Chaminade by Cécile Tardif, "The Songs of Cécile Chaminade," article by Candace A. Magner, Journal of Singing, Vol. 57, No.4, March/April 2001

Arts and Letters Club

Yesterday, after making sure that I had practised with great deligence, Mike and I headed off to the Arts and Letters Club http://www.artsandlettersclub.ca/ which was celebrating its 100 birthday with a street party which included street art, performance art, cabaret acts, poetry reading outdoors at the side of the building and music in the great hall which resembles a Tudor banquet hall. Quite magnificent.

Members of the Group of Seven; Vincent Massey, the first Canadian born Governor General of Canada and the discoverer of Insulin Dr. Frederick Banting are among the many illustrious former members.

It was a pleasure to perform at the hall and be part of a very talented group of musicians performing Mozart's Gran Partita for 13 winds. I did not disgrace myself which pleased me.

After our performance, we all had a lovely Italian meal courtesy of the club at a restaurant across the street. Had hoped to eat at the club but after all the activity in the building, it was not set up for dining. Will remember to thank Jonathan Krehm who got us all together for providing another wonderful and challenging musical experience.

Retirement

Recently, someone asked me if I would join his board which supports a music organization. I said that I would think about it but first needed to know what the exact expectations are. Since then I found out that he looks for young people who have no family commitments and retired people who have time.

After this past Thursday, I realized that time is not something I have to spare if I want to get to some of the things that I enjoy. Gardening for one,I bought plants last weekend and they are not planted yet. Granted, the weather has been bad and no one in their right mind would be out planting in the weather that we had. Reading, I have a serious backlog and it is growing; just found out that Maggie Sefton who writes a mystery series about a wonderful yarn shop in Colorado-( I want to visit one like this one) has a new novel coming out in a week and another in September. I e-mailed my supplier The Sleuth of Baker Street http://www.sleuthofbakerstreet.com/ and they are ordering a copy for me. Practising, I am trying to make sure that I practise at least an hour a day which is really not great but helps. Writing letters- I love sending mail as some people know and writing in general- I am behind; have an article that I must get done.

On Thursday which I mentioned earlier, I stayed at home all day and did not get dressed until 4 p.m. (Glad that no one came to the door.) I was working on the computer, making phone calls, writing media releases and generally trying to get work done for many of the organizations that I work with. I did not even get out to play tennis which I love- it was a bad day weather wise so no serious regrets.

As a few of you might have noticed, I did not even write in my blog the past two days. We had company yesterday before we went out to see some local community theater which is always fun. Company means serious cleaning and cooking. Love cooking.

As you can tell, I am not a retiree who lacks for things to do, just the time to do everything that cries out for my attention and I love to do. Guess, I have decided that is one committee that I will not be joining.

McMichael Gallery

The past 10 years, I have had the pleasure of booking musicians for the McMichael Gallery's Sunday Concerts sponsored by CAMMAC http://www.cammac.ca/ and the Volunteer Committee of the gallery who made me an honourary member last year for ten years of service planning the concerts.

For a a couple weeks, it is hectic-contacting musicians, booking the dates and trying to balance the various types of music and come in on budget but over the years it has become easier. (I am the middle of this planning process and then I am on to planning a much easier series for another organization that I just joined.) Musicians have discovered the concert series and now all I have to do is review all the submissions and create a series with jazz, classical and popular music. The entertainers have been welled received and I am praised for the having the good sense to book them. It is nice to be able to have a hand in creating an opportunity for talented musicians to share their music. Just booked talented jazz musicians like Richard Whiteman and David Occiphinti; classical musicians Peter Stoll and Christopher Lee, the list goes on. If you are in the Toronto area think about a nice afternoon in the country enjoying Canadian art and local musicians in a sublime setting. http://www.mcmichael.com/

French Fry Grease worth thousands

"A few years ago, drums of used french fry grease were of interest only to a small network of biofuel brewers, who would use the slimy oil to power their souped-up antique Mercedes.

Now restaurants all over the United States are reporting thefts of old cooking oil worth thousands of dollars by rustlers who are refining it into biofuel in backyard stills.

'It's like a war zone,' said David Levenson, who owns a grease hauling business in San Francisco's Mission District. 'More and more people are stealing grease because it lets them stay away from the pump, but its hurting our bottom line.'

In Kansas, Healy Biodiesel reports thousands of dollars in losses from used cooking-oil heists from restaurants.

Who would have thought that grease from french fries would be worth thousands and that car owners would be driving up to restaurants and stealing barrels of the stuff and converting it into fuel. I think that we should all look more closely at the waste around us and see if there might be some value to it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0506/p01s03-usgn.html

Rita Mae Brown-Mrs Murphy Mystery

I love mysteries especially series- I read the Women's Murder Club ( already up to number 7)series by James Patterson, the Mott Davidson ones about the caterer in Colorado and another one that I enjoy is the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries by Rita Mae Brown( pictured at the left enjoying one of her favourite sports, hunting). The mysteries are quite fanciful with two cats, and a corgi dog who communicate among themselves as well as various farm animals owned by the main character, Harry who is a female farmer with horses who loves the land. In each of the books, Rita Mae Brown is able to insert her views of life and politics through her characters. She has an interesting and astute view of southern politics and in this novel, abortion and Rowe vs. Wade. Wonderful that she is able to gently instruct the reader about the importance of farms and the land as well as American politics on the world scene. Worth a read. The latest, The Purrfect Murder is very contemporary in its analysis of American politics and economics.

Interesting how some authors are incorporating world and local political, social and economic analysis in their novels. Also recommend the Ladies Detective Agency novel, the latest The Miracle at Speedy Motors examines life in Botswana. The author, Alexand McCall Smith lived and worked in southern Africa for a number of years.

Nursery

Yesterday, we went to visit relatives in St. Catherines and after a wonderful lunch drove to Fonthill to a nursery. What a find! If you wanted tomatoes which we did, there were at least 30 different kind- we got some big ones-not beefsteak for a change, some Roma tomatoes for our Italian and Greek dishes and I love small tomatoes- grape tomatoes instead of cherry. Michael loved the fact that they sold almost every kind of hot pepper and we are going to grow hot peppers. He loves hot food, I am not a partial to hot food. Did I mention yellow tomatoes? We also bought some snapdragons that were much nicer than any I have seen in local nurseries (will take pictures when they bloom and asters). Going to have a wonderful day tomorrow planting all our finds.

This afternoon, I am off to Ward's Island to perform Mozart's Gran Partita for 13 winds at a church on the island. Have to leave soon so that I can catch the ferry in time. Packing a book and knitting to pass the time while I wait.

Victoria Day Weekend

Summer is here! The first long weekend of the summer begins. I printed off instructions about how to avoid the back-up which will start at St. Catherines with people heading to Niagara Falls. We are visiting relatives in St. Catherines. Will be wonderful seeing all the blossoms on the fruit trees. Also nice to have time with family.

I am sure that the highways are already clogged with drivers heading out the city. What a joy, an extra day off.

Hoping to get some gardening done on Monday and get more plants in- tomatoes and herb will be a welcome addition. Looking forward to tomato sandwiches and salads. Fresh herbs from the garden.

Happy Victoria Day Weekend to everyone.

Photoshop

If you ever wondered what you can do with computer enhanced photography here is my example from my workshop this week. Yup, that elephant and man slightly out of proportion with but in the image by me. Just think what body I could post my head on. The possiblities are exciting.

So much fun to be had! I am dreaming up ideas while I type.

Health

Last night, I received a call from my high school music teacher. Yes, I am still in touch with a teacher after graduating from high school 38 years ago. He wanted to talk. His daughter-in-law died of cancer last week and both he and his wife are experiencing a great loss. They were very close to the mother of their 3 grandchildren ranging in age from 7 to 11. These kind of calls remind me how precious life is and those close to us. It can be taken from us much too soon.
Enjoy life, friends and family everyday.

Elephants are afraid of mice

I am fond of saying truth is often stranger than fiction. Nature offers many surprises. When not watching some of my favourite shows I turn to shows like the Mythbusters. This week, I saw an episode that I found absolutely fascinating. Elephants are afraid a little mice. I would not have believe this myth and nor the team of mythbusters if they had not seen it themselves and conducted the experiments. The video of the experiment demonstrated that even little creatures have power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXiMs65ZAeU Watch and be amazed.

Spring Flowers

Last Friday, I finally took the time to go out in the garden and photograph some of the plants that have started to bloom. The garden is beginning to have a wonderful display of For-get-me-nots. I love them when they are in full bloom. The fact that you get hundreds of plants from just a couple is also wonderful when you have a sizable garden.

Primulas are also wonderful since they can be divided each year. I have started collecting different varieties: doubles and the broomstick variety. Just got a new one on the Sunday. Will photograph it when it has grown a bit. It will be ready for division in about a month's time. The blue and yellow look wonderful together especially after a good rain.

Another wonderful aspect to gardening is that it offers opportunities to share. This bleeding heart came from friends Herb and Gillian who had a wonderful garden in Toronto and donated this addition to the garden which has survived over 10 winters.

Once they start blooming, I need to dig up some of the lily of the valley and give some to a friend who is a novice gardener and asked me if I could spare some. Those of you who are gardeners, know that the answer is oh yes.

Tomorrow, I am hoping to get to the planting I have to do. Wonderful therapy when life gets hectic and practising is not working.

Bach Children's Chorus

The Bach Children's Chorus is a "Company in Residence" at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. With conductor Linda Beaupré and accompanist Eleanor Daley, the choir is known throughout Toronto and across Canada for its musical sound and professional approach.
The Choir has five solo recordings, performs in concerts and other events around Toronto, and tours frequently. The organization has longstanding ties to the Amadeus Choir and its conductor Lydia Adams and has been active since 1987 in the musical life of the city of Toronto.

For over 20 years, I have had the privilege to be associated with the Bach Children's choir(s) and last night, I attended their spring concert. It has been a privilege to see the choir grow from one small choir formed in 1987 to perform at a concert with the Amadeus Choir. From that start, 4 choirs have been created and they perform twice a year at the Toronto Centre for the Arts as well as many other locations.

It is wonderful to be associated with musicians who give so freely to develop the talents of young people. Linda Beaupre has been inspiration and the fact that many teacher have enrolled their children in the group speaks highly of what Linda has done.

I hope that everyone can find the time to support these groups wherever they are. What a wonderful life long creative out let and opportunity.

Hostas

Before I finally start to focus my attention on the work that is crying out for my attention, I want to write about my favourite plant-I love roses but in a mature garden with lots of shade, roses are not going to do well, I have primulas, irises, forget-me-nots which look wonderful at this time of year and many others but the plant that I continue to collect is the hosta. We have a collection of over 50 different ones and I am always on the look out for more. I bought Fried Bananas at the local garden club sale this morning. It will be a very big plant and I have plenty of room. I am fascinated with the range of sizes, variations of colours -shades of green and whites, leaf structure. Some are smaller than my hand and others are nearly 1 1/2 feet tall. Each year, we collect a few more and hope that they will all survive the winter. I have lost a few and will be busy replacing them- it is usually the first year that is the problem. After they survive a winter, I am not the least worried they will thrive and grow so that I can divide them the third year. Hope to get out and do some planting tomorrow morning if the weather cooperates.

Time for Mozart.

Kaffe Fassett

Before I leave the computer and start practising my bassoon which I need to do since I have rehearsals with four different groups this coming week-Monday, I am subbing for someone with Counterpoint orchestra; Tuesday, I am rehearsing Mozart's Gran Partita with a group that is going to perform the work at Toronto Island next Sunday afternoon; Wednesday is orchestra and we have a concert at Grace Church on the Hill June 7, should be excellent and Thursday, my trio the Taffanel Wind Ensemble is preparing for a busy June, I am going to think about knitting and the person whose colour work I love: Kaffe Fassett, http://www.kaffefassett.com/knitting.htm. I am posting an example of the kind of colour work he promotes. He also does needlepoint- (I will do one of his tapestry's one of these days) and quilts.

I would love a sweater like this, just do not have the patience to work on it. This is the kind of eye candy that I love, non-caloric.

Sock Wars

As of Friday May 9th, Sock Wars III has begun. This cutthroat competition,http://sockwarsiii.memberlodge.org/Default.aspx?pageId=96092 involves over 1000 knitters this year and is billed as the "bloodiest death-by-knitting tournament". It enlists players from around the world to join in its game, proving knitting is not just a grandmother's hobby.
It was started by Julie Gardener a 31-year old freelance TV and film production manager in Belfast, a couple years ago after she heard about StreetWars (will have to look this up) , a game that uses mock weapons and is popular on college campuses.
I love my knitting but I am not ready to battle other knitters. Knitting gives me my Zen moments when I just relax and become one with the needles. Might rethink this next year and join.

Quince Bush

At last night's meeting of the Leaside Garden Club, I saw the next bush that I would like to get for the garden. Quince, what beautiful flowers! One of the club members won a 1st place ribbon for her flowering cutting from her quince bush. I always thought that this is an exotic plant that does not grow here. Like many of you, I have read about quince preserves and never craved a taste of this tart addition to the diet but now that I have seen the plant it is on my list of must haves. Will check the garden centres.
Wonderful seeing photos of the many possibilities.

70th Anniversary

Finally, a chance to reflect on yesterday's luncheon at the Fairmount Royal York. It was a lovely lunch attended by donors to the Cancer Society- I am one of those people- not able to donate incredible amounts but longevity counts in terms of these things and I have been giving long enough to be invited; drivers- saints- people who drive cancer patients to their treatment sessions; researchers-there was one researcher at each table (I was at table 51) and staff members of the cancer society. Apparently, 70 years ago, a number of doctors from 9 provinces (Newfoundland had not joined Canada) met at the Royal York and established the Canadian Cancer Society with the goal of curing cancer. During the intervening years, cancer has not been cured but the survival rate has risen dramatically. The fact that I have friends who are cancer survivors speaks volumes about the work that has been done and continues to be done and 60% of cancer patients survive. I hope to hear at a future luncheon that all cancer patients are survivors.

Women think of these things

Last night at orchestra, I mentioned that the orchestra used to have coffee at the break. Bill, the clarinet player beside me asked if that had been during my presidency? Yes, and he responded that as a woman I would think of these things while men don't. Men (and women) like to have the coffee and are happy to pay but don't think of arranging to have it prepared in the first place. I was reminded of this when I read my friend Krista's blog and she mentioned the cupcakes that she took to her bridge club as a farewell gesture. How many men would think to do that at their last night at a club? What a wonderful gesture of thanks for people who had welcomed her.
I have thought about Bill's comment and must say that not all women think about these gestures, many women like men do not send cards, call regularly or thank people with such wonderful tokens of thanks. It is something we should all think about striving to do.
I remember when I was in high school talking to a clarinet player in our senior band, Phil Kawasoe who told me that he sent birthday cards regularly to his many friends. I thought that was such a wonderful idea that I have tried to follow his example for these many years.
Please do not think that I only talk to clarinet players. There are just more of them.
(Krista is also a former fine clarinet player.)

Blogging is harmful

Here I am trying to make sure that I get my computing done for the morning. The clock on the computer keeps moving on and after over two hours, I have just about finished sending messages and organizing- tennis ( I am a sub on the team-can not join as full members because of my part-time work), my octet and trio, ordering a piece of art, checking dates and contacts for the McMichael Gallery ( I organize the Sunday Concerts and need to get next season booked by the end of June-yikes!), sending greetings to friends, booking a date to meet with a former student who is organizing a band for recent high school graduates- would like my advice. That is most of the list. While doing this and hoping to get to my blog, I am mindful of a piece that was on CNN on the weekend. Blogging kills. The piece mentioned three journalists who had blogs that they maintained for their media employers and they had all died recently and in most cases from heart attacks so the assumption was that the stress of constant blogging had killed them. Wonder how many people are out there enjoying their blogging and not suffering but just having fun posting their thoughts about their favourite topics.

I would think that as long as they are not trying to make a living or get a book deal that blogging is quite safe probably safer than many activities that we can engage in.

Time to get cleaned up. Having lunch at the Royal York courtesy of the Canadian Cancer Society. This is a thank you for writing cheques which is easy. I admire the people who are invited who drive patients to their appointments and treatment and take time out their schedule to give the cancer patients; what I do is easy. Also my respect goes to all of the medical professionals who continue to treat this illness and look for answer and new treatments.

Sea Lions of Pier 39

Just read a friend's blog-yes yours Krista and was reminded how much Michael and I enjoy visiting San Francisco. One of the many things that we enjoy are the Sea Lions of Pier 39. I wish that I could find a sound cam not just web cam of the pier. The Sea lions who are described below are amazing and I just love listening to them bark at each other as they maneuver around the docks.
I will describe some of our other favourite haunts like the Musical Beach Blanket Babylon which is a must see another day.
Thank you for reminding of one of my favourite places.

Sea Lions
The sea lions camped out in PIER 39's West Marina have been endearingly coined, "Sea Lebrities." The boisterous barking pinnipeds started arriving in droves, taking over the docks in January 1990 shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. At first they numbered from 10-50, but due to a plentiful herring supply, available dock space and the marina’s protected environment, the population grew to more than 300 within a few months. Each winter, the population can increase up to 900 sea lions, most of which are male. During the summer months, the sea lions migrate south to the Channel Islands for breeding season, but in recent years a small group stays year-round at PIER 39's K-Dock. Staff from The Marine Mammal Center’s Kiosk, located next to the sea lions, are happy to inform visitors about these fun, flippered animals. Each weekend, weather permitting, the Center provides volunteer docents at K-Dock who explain sea lion behaviors and answer visitors’ questions. More information and interactive exhibits are available on Level 2 of PIER 39 at The Marine Mammal Center’s Interpretive Center and Gift Store. For more information about California sea lions and The Marine Mammal Center: www.marinemammalcenter.org or 415.289.SEAL.

Music Monday

Today is Music Monday and if you did not know that CBC has been busy broadcasting information and Coalition for Music is very proud of its success as its website http://www.musicmonday.ca/ will prove. After many years of music teachers and students celebrating the day in obscurity, the media has finally caught on and music is being promoted in many parts of Canada. I was part of a celebration at Queen's Park. Choirs and musicians from many parts of Toronto were in the atrium performing. A flute quartet that I have been working with for nearly four years surprised many people with the maturity of their playing. They performed the Pastoral Movement from Spring of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I missed their interview on Omni Tv at 5 p.m. will catch it at 9 p.m.
Good day for school music!

Pug Awards

This is your chance to comment on Toronto's architecture. Toronto's Pug Awards started four years ago and allow us to vote whether or not we think that new buildings fit into a neighbourhood. Our votes and comments may not change the architects' opinion' and decisions but it is fun to be able to comment on these designs which are springing up all around us and some of which have a certain cookie cutter look to them that do not account for the neighbourhood and landscape. If you go to http://www.pugawards.com/, you have the opportunity to examine the many buildings and express your opinion. One of the most controversial is certainly the Royal Ontario Museum's Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. It has been cited as an example of ground breaking architecture and one of the new places that is attracting tourists to Toronto which is a good thing. I have to find time to get to this structure. S

Open gardens

I love garden tours and just found a series of gardens open to the public and monies raised go to charity. Open Gardens Toronto, http://viewithere.com/opengardens/ offers a series of dates to tour gardens maintained by real gardeners and the money goes to a charity. The organization is modelled on the National Gardens Scheme established in Britain in 1927.

Each year, I go and visit some gardens and my favourites are the gardens created by the owners not some landscapers idea of the latest trends. People can be incredibly creative and inspiring. I am looking forward to visiting some of these gardens.

Going to plant some of my delphiniums this afternoon and maybe someday my garden will be on the tour. Have a year or two to go before I am satisfied.

Taxes

As the saying goes, there are only two sure things: death and taxes. I finally took care of one on Tuesday. Yes, I finally finished at noon on Tuesday. I had to sit myself down and not give myself permission to leave the house until I was done. At noon, the magic moment arrived. Next year, I am going to buy an electronic programme to complete my taxes; enough completing tax returns by hand and hoping that I get it right. The language of these forms is unbelievably convoluted. On Tuesday, I happened to speak to someone I know who was celebrating her 93rd birthday and she had finally given up on completing her own taxes, the ridiculous percentages (you know them the .1116 percent-what is that? ) had done her in. It was time for relatives to help. I met someone I know from my local bank while walking to the post office to mail the returns and she agreed that the tax forms are not user friendly, she had just finished her parents' forms by hand because the programme that she had purchased did not allow for more than a certain number of multiple uses.
I was pleased with myself that I had met the deadline because one year,at 11 p.m. I actually walked through a major mall looking for the post office that was open until mid-night and at that hour there people sitting on benches in the mall still working on their taxes.
What I do find puzzling about this process is that if I am late filing and sending my payment, I will be penalized daily but Revenue Canada can take its time processing my taxes and send me a refund in maybe two months.
All I can say now that I am finished and recovered, I am a happy person- yes I get a refund but only because I did extra payments last year. Now, I can get back to writing and the things I enjoy with a clear conscience.