ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

So the new moon is rising and it is blue.Nature has a way to remind us there is more in the universe. Many expressions like once in a blue moon comes from a natural event. The blue moon! Hope there is not cloud cover.
#bluemoon#onceinabluemoon#natureatherbest#naturalevents

JANUARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Each month brings opportunities to live and accomplish personal goals. Planning for the future. Caring for a sick family member. Being there for the extended family. Connecting with friends and family. So the little projects are good indicators of getting things done. Scrapbooking and keeping the photos up to date. Cleaning some corners and closets. Decluttering. Little goals but a good feeling the first month of the year accomplished some good things. Celebrations of birthdays and an annivesary made for some family fun. Buying useful equipment to make outings enjoyable. Yes reading some useful articles on self development. Always good to reflect on ideas that have been around for eons! As an undergraduate psychology major I love revisiting some of the theories and ideas. What is old is new again! Oh January, a good and useful month.
#Januaryaccomplishments#familyandfriendrelationships#smallprojects#caringforasickfamilymember#projectsandgoals#makingtheuseofthewintermonths

ONE LAST BLAST OF JANUARY WEATHER

Canadians love to talk about the weather. It's too hot. It's too cold. A mild winter. A tough winter. So January 30th brings another blast of cold and snow to many parts of Canada. Some snow here in the GTA but hear a big blast is heading towards the Maritimes. Keep the shovels out and salt ready! But a blast of snow the end of January is tolerable! Remember we are days closer to Spring. Even late day Spring snow storms can be good for the garden. So bundle up and brave the weather.

#winterstorm#Canadiansandtheweather#talkingabouttheweather#coldandsnowly#bravingthewinterweather#Maritimes

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

Dale Carnegie wrote books and lectured on this topic decades ago. Bless him! Many new books and theorists have written modern versions of the same theme. Positive thinking emanates positive energy. When going through bad stretches, it can be difficult to think positively. But thoughts belong to us! What we think can affect what we feel. Feelings can spill out. So harvesting the negative thinking into positive thinking. Turning the difficult challenges into manageable parts. What can be done? How do you feel about it? It may mean a good cry is warranted to enable the feelings to come out. It may mean staying away from difficult people and situations. Finding solutions quietly and meaningfully. To be humans mean negativity can exist in our lives. But staying negative drains and saps all the good we have to give. Revisiting the strategies of positive thinking is a February goal for me.
#positivethinking#DaleCarnegie#ridyourlifeofnegativethoughts#managinglifepositively#negativethinking#gettingaholdonlife

PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE

When crap comes your way, the best thing is to put up a shield and throw some back. Rather than cowering in a corner, stand up and push back. So being proactive about the things in one's control is important.. Not being caught off guard. Stifling anger and being assertive. Our emotions can be hijacked and having strategies to step back and think about the answer. Always know there are others who want to catch you off guard! Put you on the spot!  Proactive- let me think about it. Not reactive. Learning to be proactive takes experience and learning. However, pushed into a corner can take lots of skill and knowledge not to react. The workplace is ripe with colleagues that may not have your best interest. Managers manage and often dictate what needs to happen. Concentrating on getting the job done well and professionally can be the best shield. Dotting every i and crossing every t becomes the mantra. Protecting one's back. Finding colleagues to trust. But mostly keeping the hand dealt close to the chest. Being positive and having a smile is a great defence too.
#howtodealwithconfrontation#proactive#reactive#lettinggoofnegativethinking#protectingoneself#yourbestinterest

THE JOY OF A WINTER STAYCATION

Winter planning can be done for the spring/summer in a big way. Organizing those corners of one's life that are needed. A day out with a friend downtown. Riding the subway from the west to the city's core. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is always a wonderful adventure. To see The Viking Exhibition was a highlight. Serious future planning started, but on the way to being finished. Relief some serious decisions are being made. But very anxiety provoking so needs to be done a step at a time! Changed, yes changed my hair. Back to a cut I had years ago. The blond hair is subdued. Tried to phone some friends but not home. Connected with two siblings and informed about some serious matters. Getting up at my normal time but able to putter and putter. Being home on crappy winter days really worked. Doing the normal routines and lots more. Just not being at work and all the stuff. The changes there that are very stressful needed some distance. No say in the changes.
For my husband the cook, a break in his routine. Take out meals that lasted for more than one meal. Eating breakfast and lunch together. Going with him on a doctor's appointment. Sizing up the next stage of my life. Thinking about home work activities to augment the income. Mostly what will bring me joy, meaning and maybe opportunities to fulfill some dreams.
Oh staycation! It has been fun
#staycation#RoyalOntarioMuseum#planning#activities#takeoutmeals#timewithhubby#timetothink#takingwithlovedones#seriousdecisions#change#anxiety

LIFE IS LIKE A POINTED DECORATION

With you at the middle, your life can feel as if it is going off in all directions. North, south, east and west with each of their individual meanings. Sharp edges so others keep their distance. Maintaining personal space! Can be decorative and light up at night. Hard to set down in one location. Like a star, shine brightly in the sky or in life. Do you roll around? Can the points get broken!
#lifelikeapointeddecoration#life'schallenges#lightupmylife#individualmeaningofdirections#personalspace#

5 REASON WINTER PLANNING FOR SPRING IS BENEFICIAL

Planning gives us time to think.

1. Research can be done methodically. Articles found and read. Magazines with ideas can be sorted or just clip the picture or two of interest.

2. If for the garden, look at the pictures from the previous year. If home repairs, list what needs to be done. Some work can be done in winter but often windows need to be open to ensure there is nothing toxic in the air that can not be breathed. Good ventilation! So when in the Spring to do certain jobs.

3. Planning for a vacation- whether day trips, overnight, weekends or full weeks, perusing websites, getting brochures, looking at the budget, winter gives time to plan and even dream about the next big adventure.

4. Winter gives us indoor time. Those moments when feeling bored and housebound, planning sets the doldrums free. Planning can be uplifting. Checking supplies in the home so unnecessary purchases will not be made. How often do we all bring home an item from the store and we have 5 already!!

5. Planning helps us set priorities. Often we discover we rally do not want to do something. Planning tells us it is just too much work and effort. Determining what is really desired! Planning can be therpeutic. It is an activity that often leads us to stuff. Projects to finish and projects to start. Puts procrastination in the corner. Heh I am not procrastinating, I am busy planning.

The nice thing about planning is no money is spent, ideas can be bantered around, and some plans can be thrown in the garbage!
#winterplanning#springplanning#ideas#articlesofinterest#reasearchingthosespringprojects#homeimprovements#Vacationplanning#whattokeepwhattothrowout#planningasatherpeuticactivity

MEMORY IS A TRICKY THING-RECORD IMPORTANT ITEMS

Do you ever feel certain about a particular date? Event? To discover some of the details are flawed. Keeping track of information in an organized fashion helps with accuracy. In the genealogy world, many small details get lost because no one recorded them generations ago. Or maybe those ancestors were not literate! So to the now, what works for you. Digital tracking is one method. Or an app like Evernote for all the notes. A simple desk or wall calendar with activities completed helps. Remembering historical events has become easier with the Internet and the ability to find facts quickly. But remember they are dates not necessary accurate information on the details. It is the writer's perspective. I had baby books for my girls when they were little. Some of the information like their immunization history came in handy recently. Made copies of the pages for them.  I also keep an Important Documents binder. Gets messy sometimes, but all relevant information is in one place. Those plastic pages where items can be placed helps with the organizing! Everyone wants us to go paperless but sometimes that piece of paper is needed for something. Scrapbooks with tickets, programs, misc stuff are a good way to have exact dates. Or scanning information into a computer file that can be shared with others as needed. But a binder or two with information that is portable and accessible lets the old blend with the new. Memory can be tricky and some of the details scrambled with time.
#memory#organizingthedetailsoflife#binderswithinformation#importantdocuments#plasticpages#babybooks#paperlessisittheway#scrapbookskeeplifeorganized#Evernotefororganization#smalldetailsoflife#historicaleventsareinthewriter'sperspective

CHANGE COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES

One of my first posts for the year was about change and the changes that are coming. So a staycation week brought time to start to organize areas of my life that will be needed to deal with the year ahead. Looking at change. Feeling change. Thinking about the what ifs bring anxiety and trepidation. So doing activities in a small way or in small packages works. When there is an opportunity to go after change slowly and on one's own terms keeps the negative feelings at bay . Taking control of areas that are controllable reduces the anxiety. So small changes. A new hair style. Applications to relevant agencies. Cleaning and organizing the interests into doable parts to continue to work on them methodically throughout the year. Dealing with a family member's health issues. What is needed to manage better in the home. Connecting with the support team of family and friends. Going to outside activities for social stimulation. Change is a part of life. Some good, some not so good.
#change#trepidation#hobbies#activities#negativethoughts#anxiety#managing areasoflifethatneedchange#organization#lifebringschange#howtodealwithchangeinlife

A DAY WITH THE VIKINGS AT THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto has an exhibition on The Vikings.
So a staycation week enabled a jaunt downtown with a dear friend to visit it.

The artifacts were well displayed as only the ROM can do. Large wall photos and display cases to be viewed from both sides.

Lots of space to roam and look in the display cases.

The boat was a hit for pictures.

 The large photos were from areas in modern Scandinavian where Viking historical sites honour them.

Helmets and horns are often the symbols for Vikings.

Women and mythology played a huge role as well.

The Vikings did come to North America. At the northern end of Newfoundland, L'Anse au Meadow, there is a historic site to visit. It blew the theory of Christopher Columbus being the first European in the New World.

At the end of any good exhibition is a gift shop with items to buy. I bought a book on the Vikings for me and and activity/fact book for the grandchildren when they visit to peruse. 

#ROM#RoyalOntarioMuseum#Vikings#boat#L'AnseauMeadow#Newfoundland#artifacts#vikinghistory#books#grandchildren#dayoutwithafriendforastaycation#NorthAmerica

5 REASONS TO WADE THROUGH LIFE'S STRUGGLES AND DON'T DROWN

Everyone has stress. But some events in life are more overwhelming. Thrown in the deep end and not to drown is always important.

1. Chronic illness in the family is ongoing. With its ups and downs. Arranging the home and life to accommodate makes it bearable. Changing sleeping arrangements. Getting the appropriate equipment. But acute illness and a poor prognosis is huge. It throws everything off balance. Pulling in the resources in life that make it doable. If you are the caregiver, be aware of burnout!

2. Job changes. Retirement. A layoff. Needing to go to a new job for sanity. Take it a step at a time. Put activities in place. Set a date to do activities and meet those deadlines. Keep your resume up to date, just in case. Your ongoing backup plan. If belonging to a college or professional organization, use the required learning requirements in your resume.

3. Family matters. Family conflicts. There are always toxic people in our lives. Sometimes someone might think you are the toxic person. So how to stay connected with those that are important and disconnected from those that are too difficult. Write some family history and the reasons you are disconnected.

4. Personal finances. Just manage them. The best way to save money is to reduce spending.Some purchases are necessary but others are not. Paying down debt one payment at a time. Frugal is good but some fun stuff is needed too. Along with the full time job, are there other ways to increase revenue. Many retired people look for those little part-time opportunities to add to the family pot.

5. Personal physical and mental health takes a toll. Manage it. Eat well, Exercise. Sleep well. Get professional help when needed.

Not drowning is the goal. Stay in the shallow end. But keep flotation devices handy. Feeling crappy can be the norm in very stressful situations. Accept it. Finds ways to manage it.
#5reasonstomanagelife'sstruggles#chronic illness#acute illness#family matters#personal finances#personal health

NANA SAYS CHILDREN'S WINTER ILLNESSES ARE TOUGH

With flu and cold bugs rampant in every venue, it is difficult to keep germs out of the family home. Good hand washing is always a first defense. Keeping ill children in one area of the home may keep the germs at bay. However with school and dance studios and arenas and gyms and everywhere children and adults too, closed quarters are fodder for illnesses! Having a good supply of pharmaceutical stuff on hand works. Even over the counter pink eye drops work just in case. Know where all the walk in and after hour clinics are located. Of course the Emergency of any hospital is good. But remember the germ pool in the waiting rooms!! If possible, sleep is important for everyone. So if the little one will not go to their bed or keeping an eye in a public place is desirable, make up that bed on the couch with lots of liquids and tissues handy. When parents get sick, it becomes even more difficult for the family. So who can be called as a backup.
#children's illnesses#family#germ pools#doctors#walkinclinics#handwashing#sleep#parentscan'tgetsick

5 REASONS THIS SENIOR WILL NOT GIVE UP HER BOOKS

Do you love to hear be a minimalist? Declutter! Get rid of things! And get rid of all your books! Hum!

1. I love books. I love reading both fiction and non-fiction. Always have a book in both categories on the go. In University I wanted to have a home library of my own. So the den with a wall of shelves was created. There is an emotional comfort to have favourite books or reference books and even dictionaries to peruse. Sitting at a computer to find the meaning of a word just does not cut it all the time. Yes I know there are E-books but hard to hold in one's hands or at the beach or on a plane.

2. Genealogy has many different books. So another two shelves of genealogy references are handy to the family history binders. Okay to go to a library but one's own reference material is always quicker and at one's fingertips. Oh the atlas and history books that go with this topic!

3. Crafts have many different theme and ideas and yes books. Then a few binders with ideas downloaded from the Internet complement those ideas. Holding on to patterns for knitting, crocheting or sewing is important too. Many modern ideas just use old patterns and ideas.

4. The love of art! So books bought on trips or to art galleries are wonderful reminders of travel. Looking through those books periodically let's me enjoy the artist's creations again and again.

5. Like a garden, books can be weeded to find a new home. Donations of pocketbooks to charity sales. The genealogy library nearby has acquired a few of my books that did not contain any family history information for me. So not being overrun with books is important too. But keeping books from my children's childhoods are handy for this new generation to enjoy.

Having books are a way to support our intelligence.To keep the brain active. So will this Senior ever be without books? Nope. How about you? Do you love your books?
#books#seniorlovesherbooks#generaloybooks#historybooks#craftbooks#artbooks#loveofbooks#donationsofbooks#homelibrary#library

NANA SAYS DEMONSTRATING RACIAL TOLERANCE TO CHILDREN

Sometimes we talk about teaching values to children. Talking, talking, talking! The most important act is being and doing. Demonstrating with our actions. Having friends and acquaintances from a variety of backgrounds. Being a respectful colleague. Being a respectful parent to not just our own children but all children.
If speaking a language other than English be aware there may be others around you that do not speak the language and be inclusive- speak in English. Excluding people is very easy by doing this very act! It is good to have other languages- I speak and understand several- not fluently but enough to get by! Be aware that some people may understand when you think they do not. For example, in my younger years, when taking a bus in a predominantly ethnic area, I understood the two ladies talking negatively about another passenger. So when I got up to leave, I said Scusi!
If new to the country, learn what the country is all about before putting down what is different. Diversity is great. But it means to be diverse. It goes every which way. It is easy to point a finger at one group but remember 3 are pointing back! Do you include others in your life?
Remember it is okay to know we all have some prejudices and to work on them. Continue to challenge and to change. Demonstrate to our children and grandchildren. A tough one to do but very doable! One last point, I used to be a regular blood donor. Do you know everyone's blood is red? We really are more similar than different!
#racialtolerance#teachingchildren#demonstratingracialtolerance#speakingEnglish#inclusiveness#exlusiveness#diversistyisachallenge#children#grandchildren#Canada#Canadiansociety#toleranceforothers#beawareofyourownprejudices

5 ACTIVITIES TO DO IN JANUARY FOR THE SENIOR BUNCH

Children love the outdoors but as we grow older often staying inside becomes the norm. So how to enjoy January.

1. If you have the money or a place to go, get away to a sunny location. Sit on the beach. Read  favourite magazines and newspapers. Read a book. Enjoy the meals and party life.

2. If staying locally, find some indoor places that bring meaning. Even a trip to the coffee shop several times weekly gives a change of scenery. Restaurant meals. Order in. Buy one of those delivered food kits.Invite friends for a quick meal like a simple lunch. The library. The movie theatre. Visit a friend. Reduces the social isolation.

3. Organizing the household. Decluttering. Setting a budget for the year. And of course planning for the Spring/Summer jaunts. Are there tour bus trips? Road trips alone or with family. Researching takes time so often just perusing the internet and dreaming can be uplifting. All the ideas will not be fulfilled but it is fun to dream. Assessing the cost and how it can be managed is a good activity.

4. Watching old loved movies. Reading those books that were on the summer list. Rediscovering what is loved and can be kept and what can be sent to a new home. If a hobby like genealogy, then get to some research and writing of family stories. Phone someone instead of emailing or facebooking. A long conversation can be fun too.

5. Good month for appointments. Eyes checked. Doctor. Dentist. Legal matters. Have the grandchildren for sleepovers. Visit local art galleries. Museums. Historic places. Less crowds during the week.

Seniors always worry more about the weather and the potential of a fall. Smart thinking. So do activities safely.
#whatseniorscandoinJanuary#seniorliving#readingbooks#watchingmovies#tripssouth#localfunevents#organizingthehomeanddecluttering#eatingout#familyfun#researching#genealogy#bustrips#roadtrips#oldmovies#appointments#enjoyseniorliving

Reflective Thoughts by Barbara: BLUE MONDAY 2018

Reflective Thoughts by Barbara: BLUE MONDAY 2018: So it is supposed to be a difficult day. Mid January. The bills have arrived. The cold. The long winter. Well it is my niece's bday so t...

BLUE MONDAY 2018

So it is supposed to be a difficult day. Mid January. The bills have arrived. The cold. The long winter. Well it is my niece's bday so there is a spark of light.
The pressures of trying to keep the New Year resolutions- I didn't make any so I am good.
My daughter in her blog House of Kerrs wrote 7 strategies to embrace the dark side of winter.
#houseofkerrs
Well for me January is always a time for culturing, cleaning, sorting, scrapbooking and the lull before the spring garden work arrives. Trying to get this house in order for eventual downsizing. Which is closer than it was a year ago.
Winter blues can be life threatening too. Trying to get out in bad weather brings extra stress- slippery roads, cleaning off the car, worried about bad drivers. Public transit can be delayed too. So to go out to the gym or just exercise at home. I power walk around my house with weights in my hands in the winter.

So I did not make a list. But why don't you make one! 5 things that would make you happy right now.
For me, sitting on a beach watching the waves roll in. Instead I get some satisfaction feeding the birds in the backyard.
It is only a day and before we all know it Tuesday will roll around.
#houseofkerrs#7thingstobeatthewinterblues#mood#decluttering#midJanuary#scrapbooking#meetingupwithfriends#organizationinthehome#exercisetohelpwiththemood

FOOD, FAMILY, FUN,EAT TOGETHER

I love the new ads encouraging families to eat together. Sitting down around a dinner table
with many generations brings back my memories of childhood. Often exended family joined the major events. Then there could be the Kids' table. Fund to be away from the adults. Yes eating is nourishment that helps sustain us. However it has been shown that eating together is very social too. Eating alone often makes the meals not very enjoyable! Studies have shown with the elderly in hospital or  nursing homes eat more and better when someone eats with them. I know there are busy schedules but making an effort in the week for more dinners or breakfasts together brings the family closer. At our house when the grandchildren visit or sleep over we sit as a group to eat. One of my granddaughters remarked during one visit that she liked it with the grandparents at each end and the kids along the sides. The conversation can be interesting too. So making regular efforts to eat with family is good. The TVshow Blue Bloods has an ongoing theme of the family having Sunday dinner. A little old fashioned but what old is new again. So when is your next family or friends' dinner?
#familydinners#mealsaresocial#elderlyeatmore#multigenerational#breakfast#lunches#dinner#familycelebrations#eatingisnourishment#homecooking#foodfamilyfun

NANA SAYS PARENTING RULES HAVE CHANGED

Listening to my daughters discussing parenting and how some things have changed was fodder for a post at a recent family get together. They were allowed to walk home from school alone at a young age, play outside and be responsible for their homework. My 4 year old granddaughter can not play alone outside in her own yard. My kids did- it was very fenced in but they could be alone with Mom checking every few minutes. Their school work was their responsibility. Now parents have to sign 

every note they see! Every little thing their child has been doing at school. Children can feel they are watched constantly.

 One of the concerns was teaching responsibility gradually. The magic age when they can be alone can be overwhelming without some earlier preparations and responsibilities. So how can modern parents teach and encourage responsibility? Children do need to suffer the consequences of their actions. For example, if they lie, then learning what happens when called out can be a learning opportunity. Not a punishment! Also why do they need to lie! Working on the reason- saving face, afraid to be stupid, insecurities etc. Helping the child with the behaviour!

But some parenting has not changed. Things are the same, they just feel different. Remembering your childhood as the child not the parent is very different. A child may think the parent does not know everything but don't bet on it. Maybe I missed some things but I was very aware of lots of things. Deciding when to intervene and not! So comparing how you were parented and how you are parenting are two distinct concepts. The important take away for me was how to support my daughters as they parent. How to grandparent! How to learn what is different and what is the same to support, care and well just love my grandchildren. Listening to criticisms of my parenting is not also easy but taking a step back and listening to it all helps with the larger family system. What really hasn't changed is how parenting is draining and rewarding at the same time! Yes the grandchildren test this Nana every time I am alone with them. I tell them I just want to have fun! So how is your parenting going? What are your dilemmas? What do you see as your strengths? Remember just getting through the day can be a huge strength!

#parenting#childhood#grandparents#parents#timeshavechanged#whatisdifferenttoday#whatisthesametoday#criticismsofmom'sparenting#listeningtothestruggles#familysupport#whychildrenlie#responsibilities#lovingthegrandchildren

LET GO TO GROW

Let go to grow! A simple concept. But how difficult is it? Very!! Letting go of stuff, negative thoughts, toxic people, well you get the picture. And the million dollar question?! Why do we hold onto things in our lives that weigh us down! Some things are just too laden with emotional memories. It is okay to keep some stuff- perhaps just neatly scrapbook it! But negative memories keep us from really moving on! No one does not have to forgive all the nasties in our lives! One just have to learn not to let what they did to us to keep us from growing and moving on! Famous people write memoirs! So maybe a memoir then put it on the shelf and forget about it! Some of us grew up with the adults in our lives holding on to lots of negative memories. For example, children of divorce! Getting the facts and putting them on the shelf with the memoir. Does one share stuff with everyone? No. Be careful who you trust. Often an emotional experience can be negated by the doubting nellies! So do not share! When a negative memory creeps in, learn to replace it with a present thought or event. It is just a memory! Or turn it around and be proud of all we have survived- the good, the bad and the ugly! So how did I come up with this reflective thoughts! While ironing my clothes for work today! Oh January time to purge and grow! How about you? Any thoughts? Any winter purging?

#winterblues#letgotogrow#toxicpeople#purging#riddingthenegativememoriesinourlife#memoirs#childrenofdivorce#personalgrowth#changeiscoming#selfawareness

JANUARY BLUES OR OPPORTUNITY TO DO STUFF

Weather is cold. So indoors finds the majority of people. Even the ski slopes with lots of snow have a reduction in customers- too cold. So the month is an opportunity to visit those indoor places. GTA has lots of exhibits, plays, and just movies. The Royal Ontario Museum has a special Vikings exhibit. So may be a good history lesson there. Even favourite art galleries can be revisited. It is not necessary to stay home as long a warm place can be found. House stuff like decluttering, closet cleaning, finishing projects, annual planning- heh there will be spring and summer so some trips?? Reading books and going to the library to check out some as well. Simple can be good!
For our family, birthdays and an anniversary bring some levity to the month. For me a staycation week with all of the above is coming. Probably try to get together with some friends for lunch. Winter can be depressing or liberating. Using the indoor time creatively. Like any other time of the month, it too shall pass! So what are your January plans?

#January#creativity#projects#indoorfun#januarybirthdays#GTA#Vikingexhibit#wintersports#annualplanning#decluttering#plays#movies#reading#libararyvisits

SO WHAT IS FAMILY?

If someone asked you what is family, it would be your definition! To some it is two parents, children, and grandparents. Then some aunts, uncles, cousins. Some people live close to many members of their extended family. Some people like I have family scattered all over the country. My husband has many family members here, some in the USA and some close cousins in Italy. For some it is bragging rights- " when we get together we have 100 people!" For some a good crowd might be 10! Numbers really do not matter. Bigger is not better! There are intact families, single parent families from divorce or death, 4 grandparents or maybe none as they had all passed away, blended families, step parent families and same sex couples- all with or without large families.
Some would say their family is better than everyone else! Some love their family. Some hate their family and all the social events around it! Blood can be thicker than water but some relations do strain a family. One may not want to be related but did not have a choice.  One could love a step dad better than a real dad.  One family member can taint the whole system with abuse, scandal or just plain meanness. Every family has its share of characters. A good family can be a loving place to visit and share stories. Major events like Christmas can stress the family system of too much togetherness! Birthdays are a good time to share life together. And there is cake! Love family or not, it is a fact of life. So how is your family? Do you enjoy the togetherness? Do you have thoughts about what family means to you?
#family#singlefamily#intactfamily#parents#couples#extended family#immediatefamily#blendedfamilies#divorce#death#braggingrights

BRACING FOR THE STORMS OF LIFE

Hearing about the mega storm hitting the east coast today of Canada and Northern USA, it gives some thought to how to prepare for the times in life that feel like a storm.
We stock up on essentials. Get the milk. Make sure the emergency equipment is available. Are there enough batteries for those battery operated items. Water. Some cash in case bank machines go down. I now have some of those LED candles.
But that's for the weather storm, what about our life storms. Health issues and how to cope. Can they exacerbate if not handled well? Financial. Post Christmas brings in those bills. Getting out of debt one payment at a time. Problems at work. Dealing with the conflicts. Relationship issues. Well face them before the wind picks up. Needing to make changes and the emotions they bring. Sudden tragedies. Sudden death. The biggest of storms!!
Sometimes it may feel that there is one storm after another one. Hard to brace for another one when not quite finished with the previous one. Surrounding yourself with people that help with your storms and you with theirs. Maybe pooling those resources- especially the emotional ones.

Look for the light in the dark to help your way through them. Are you dealing with any storms Real or otherwise? Is life feeling a little rocky right now? How do you brace for those issues in your life?
#life'sstorms#badweather#blizzards#challenges#howtocopewithemotionalissues#conflicts#healthissues#financialissues#postChristmasbills#relationshipissues#death#suddendeath#changes

NANA SAYS THE OUTDOOR COLD BRINGS KIDS INSIDE

A winter break usually brings lots of outdoor fun. However this last week with frigid weather, it has been difficult to enjoy outdoor fun. Movies and theatre visits came to the rescue. Any city with a museum, art gallery and science centre has come to be the place to go.Locally we have laser tag which children enjoy. In the GTA there are lots of indoor venues to use. Outdoor activities are best but health and not worrying about frost bite is the name of the game. Little walks and limited backyard play can still be okay.
#frigidweather#indoorfun#frostbite#healthyplay#movies#museums#sciencecenter#artgallery#lasertag

BARB'S FAVOURITE IMAGES OF 2017

A cone flower with a Monarch Butterfly. How Canadian is that?

The Quilt of Belonging at the CNE in Toronto.

Market trips and the fresh produce acquired. Oh those Canadian buttertarts!

Quilts at the Black Creek Pioneer Village. A wonderful day with my oldest granddaughter.

A finished blanket for a grandchild.

Birthday balloons and the celebrations associated with them.

Anniversary of Vimy Ridge and photos taken from the TV.

Spring tulips.

A trip to the city and how many different angles can one take pictures of the CN Tower!

A trip to Dairy Queen and funnel cake ice cream dish!

The 150 celebration tulip. Mine was red. Some actually in others' gardens came up orange.

Adolph preparing food for a family dinner.

A birthday cake. One of many for the year!

A visit to a BC winery.

A Canada day celebration with family. Even maple leaf burgers.

150 symbols everywhere!

And so the winter arrives and the end of 2017. So many images to chose! What would you chose for your favourite images?
#imagesof2017#cake#balloons#familygatherings#150celebrations#vimyridge#food#tulips#150tulip#symbols#quilts#blankets#outings#downtowntoronto#cntower#photographs#fun#birthdays.

THE NEW YEAR BRINGS CHANGE

Bringing in the New Year quietly. A movie with one daughter, husband and grandkids then home to watch the fun from New York City. Actually stayed up until midnight. Kissed the hubbie then off to bed.
Having read my daughter Sonya's blog post today, I was inspired. If you have not read House of Kerrs I would suggest a quick read sometimes. Her blog post today was very reflective.
She thought of one word for 2018 and went on to use in many ways. Her word was trust.
What comes to my mind is change!
A new year always brings a birthday so there will be a change in the number- almost 68. Hard to believe I am pushing 70.
But my life will undergo change. Change is challenging! Some is positive and some not so positive.
Thinking about a change in the job. No matter when I retire, I can still do some work from home.
Change in the home. When to downsize is becoming more prevalent.
Change in health and dealing with the challenges it brings.
Change in my attitude to lots of areas of my life. I hate crap. I am less tolerant of pricky people. I just want positive people in my life. I don't want to waste my niceness- is it a word on everyone.
Change in the layers of work I want to do. Some things are just boring. I hate boring. I usually want to love everything but I feel with change I can honestly say I hate some things.
Change in the blog. I want to revitalize some of my themes and be more creative. I want to take some risks in what I write.
Change is not always for the better. It can be painful. It can be full of grief. It forces the raw emotions to surface. It makes it harder to put up walls and keep life compartmentalized. Keeping work and home has always been important for me. So letting go at home is my comfort zone. Not letting go at work is a must.
Change can be scary. Not knowing what is around the corner is bad enough but knowing some things are coming is too frightening at times to comprehend. There is no place to hide.
So my one word for 2018 is change. The good, the bad and the ugly!
Do you have one word for the new year? What would it be?
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