Life without regrets!

How to live life without regrets.
That is hard but something that is worth trying to achieve. Again, I refer to my friend who is 92 and obviously on my mind. She has regrets for things that she has done and not done. I know that there are things that we wish we had done but we must try always to do what is best at the time. Time will tell us that maybe it was not the best decision but it was the best we could do at the time.
Time to reflect on the future but looking back. We can do nothing about the past.
I know that there will be regrets but hopefully not serious enough to cause major heartbreak.
Live life to the best of your ability. Enjoy and do for others.

Help for the aged

Went to visit a friend who is 92 today. It is so sad. She is very depressed and her daughter is not helping. She is letting her mother do the laundry. Now, if her mother was able I would say that it is okay but the mother is falling. How hard is that?
The daughter got a parking ticket for $250 for parking in a fire zone. How hard would it have been to park a few feet away. The daughter is not handicapped so she did not have to do something like this. The worst part is that she will use her mother's money to pay the fine. She does the banking for her mother. Mother has very little money. This is not a wealthy woman, I know because I did her taxes and her deceased husbands because I was his executor. The woman made a person who took her to the lawyer her power of attorney and executor. What a mistake. I will avoid her. Called her about the situation of the woman and she said that she is just a little sad. Oh, it is much worse than that. Mother did not eat all day when I saw her at 1:30. She was going back to sleep.
What to do? This is going to be very hard to watch. Sad and if something happens, I might even take them to court since both the daughter and Power of Attorney seem very negligent.

Health

Today, I seem more aware of good health than ever.
For lunch, a group of us are going out with a colleague who has lung cancer. I know that people survive this type of cancer but it is one of the more difficult ones to deal with. She is very optimistic. I am not one of those people who believes that if you are optimistic and positive you will beat the cancer. Some of the most optimistic people have been beaten by this disease.
My aunt wrote to me this morning and told me about visiting a neighbour in the hospital. This neighbour is a double amputee. I can not imagine but then again, I am one of those people who is active and being confined is not something that I can picture.
We must enjoy our good health while we have it.

Not everyone who says hi is talking to you

Just went to do some errands and as I exited the dry cleaners someone said hi. Since I do not like to be rude, I answered. Well, to my surprise the street sweeper was talking on his blue-tooth. Who would be believe that street sweepers would have blue-tooth to talk while they work and unfortunately, he was not really very busy working.
This will cause me to rethink my attitude of saying hello to others. There might just be more times when the person is talking to their cell phone.
My attitude is that when you are working that is what you should be doing. Guess, this just shows my age.

It is hot!

Oh my, it is hot. I do not use air conditioning during the day and boy am I noticing. Took a shower yesterday before going out. Thought that I had not dried myself properly, tried again. That did not work, I was simply sweating. Wow, was I glad to go to an air conditioned place for our performance. I will be glad when this heat wave moves on. I am someone who does not mind the heat but this is enough.
Also, we need some rain. I need to go outside and water the plants. They are begging for water.
It is not too much to ask for is it. A little cooler weather and rain.
I am off. Time to water.

Racoons preying on Family Pets

While we are in the middle of a heat wave, it is hard for me to think about posting on my blog. My apologies.
Today, I read about raccoons that are attacking family pets in Richmond, B.C. Wow, we have raccoons but I can not imagine that they would actually attack pets and these were not kittens. The raccoons are actually swarming and eating pets. My goodness, this is something that I would picture happening in a horror movie but not in real life.
Will watch the raccoons with new respect.

Power of Good Posture

As long as I have worked with students, I have insisted that they sit up straight. Aside from the fact that it is good for their breathing, it is also positive in interviews and similar situations. Good posture creates the appearance of being in command. Standing tall makes you feel strong, confident and less likely to feel pain according to new research from Toronto's Rotman School of Management. "It's the same idea as if you smile, you'll feel happier," says researcher Vanessa Bohns, now a professor of management at the University of Waterloo.
The study by Bohns and Scott Wiltermuth from the University of Southern California will appear peer-reviewed Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Dominant postures like standing up straight or with feet wide apart increase testosterone in both women and men and decrease cortisol, a stress-related hormone. Assuming a dominant stance signals you own the space around you, says Bohns.
"Posture affects nerve stimulation, the circulation of blood, the lymphatic system. Once you're in awkward postures, you compromise those three things and it leads to discomfort-pain, aching, throbbing.
Posture has a hug impact on every-day life."
Will clip the article and show it to the students who I am working with.

Canadians Rescue ailing porter

On Monday, a group of Canadian climbers received an urgent call for help. A Pakistani porter suffering from severe altitude sickness had been left on the mountain base above them. He was abandoned by a team of Japanese climbers who were unable to organize a rescue but could organize to continue their climb. The Canadians found the porter, had brought emergency supplies and climbed back down to an emergency medical tent with the porter.
The climbers realized when they were done and celebrated that the other team had ignored their humanity and instead listened to their egos.
Mr. Rousseau and his fellow climbers are being lauded as heroes and rightly so.
Hopefully, we can all remember our humanity and not let our egos get in the way.

Names in Toronto

Do you ever wonder how places got their name? Well, I read about one that I had never thought about carefully yesterday. Christie Pits. This iconic spot is named for the Canadian baker and entrepreneur William Mellis Christie a.k.a. Mr. Christie. This is according to city archives. His massive biscuit making operation took up much of the area where George Brown College now sits.
Bloor Street is named after a Joseph Bloore who was one of the city's earliest brewers. He built his brewery in 1830 and when he sold it in 1843 bought land in what would become Yorkville. City officials are not sure whey the 'e' was dropped when Tollgate Rd. was renamed Bloor St. in 1855.
That is your history lesson for the day. Many place names to explore.

Chickpea Couscous

The cooking is going well, the gardening is another story. Just looked out at the garden and saw that the plants that I transplanted yesterday have all been pulled up. What is going on?

Oh well, I made Chickpea Couscous yesterday, courtesy of Martha Stewart and it was popular. Have another recipe which I found in the mystery book that I am reading.

Chickpea Couscous

Sweet raisins and nutty chickpeas add taste and texture to this 10 minute summer side.

Ingredients:
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3/ cup raisins
1 teaspoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup couscous

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, combine chickpeas, raisins, oil, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, and cover pot; remove from heat. Set aside (5 minutes). Fluff couscous gently with a fork before serving.

Nice side for a meal.

El Sistema again

After a couple days, I am writing about El Sistema again. I wonder what the goal of El Sistema is in Toronto where supposedly the school system is teaching students about music and how to play instruments and sing. Is this a comment about what is being done? Will the school system wake up and acknowledge that there are issues that need to be addressed or will it just let this programme which is good take over its responsibility?
I am truly puzzled that there does not seem to be a response from educators. Why is this?
Will keep watching what happens.

Transformational Power of Music

Interesting that El Sistema which I have been following for some time is now becoming firmly entrenched in Toronto and the surrounding area. What is interesting is that El Sistema is being developed in an area that supposedly has music in the schools. Obviously there is a failure on the part of the system or a disconnect with El Sistema and the schools. Wonder what is going on? Are the school failing to provide music? Questions to be asked. I think that the idea is wonderful.
If you can find the Globe and Mail today, there is an article "The Transformation Power of Music" which explains that researchers are applying for funds to track the El Sistema programme. Wonder what the school system's reaction is?

Summerhill Nursery and Floral

One of the things that I love and am finding time for this summer is gardening. Will go out later when it is a little cooler. It is warm today and I am going to relax this afternoon. Went to a new nursery today, the Summerhill Nursery and Floral. Interesting place. It had plants that I have not been able to find else where. I am on the search for exotic plants. Found some oxalis which we saw on the Magical Gardens of Leaside tour. Will search for Oxalis. Not sure if if it is a perennial or annual. That I will check next.
Will let you know about other garden centres and plants as I hunt them down.
Happy gardening.

Wonderful weekend

What a wonderful Canada Day weekend. It rained last night but that was by the time we were home and relaxing. Yesterday, we did some quick errands and then after a visit to the bookstore went to see the movie "The Trip". Would not suggest that you see it unless you are eager to see some wonderful English scenery and great food vignettes. The rest of the film falls flat. Not as good as the film that took place in the Napa Valley and was about a week before a wedding. Sandra Oh was one of the actress in that film.
Time to shop, visit a deli and then practise. What a lovely day. Today was relaxed, played tennis and had strawberries at the tennis club. After, groceries and some errands. This afternoon read a book-"Unraveled" by Maggie Sefton. I enjoy her books about a yarn shop in Colorado.
Must get to some other books. Trying finally to catch up on my reading.

Canada Day is Here!

Canada Day is here and what a lovely day. We went out for breakfast which was a lovely treat. After I finish checking e-mails on the computer, I will do some gardening. Perfect day for it. I can not see any clouds. Supposed to rain tomorrow but I am hoping that forecast changes. We would like to be outdoors a little more. Rain at night when we sleep would be best. However, I think that I am asking for too much when I ask for rain during the quiet hours.
Hope that you are enjoying Canada and if you are working, sorry but you will get your holidays.