THE ROAD TO RETIREMENT IN APRIL-IS THERE A RIGHT WAY

So received a notice one pension is approved. Told a few people at work. My manager wants to inform everyone this week and post the position. I wrote up the role of Social Work on the programs where I work. Still busy and covering for other programs with some workers being on leave. It is tough doing my own job and the job of others. Stressful too as I want to be available to Adolph and all his needs. Plus time to spend couple time. I am trying to organize areas of my life and house so once the day arrives I can quietly slide into the activities that will bring me joy and peace. One task is to get the tension right on one of my small sewing machines so I can begin a simple small quilt project to get me started again. Also purging some genealogy duplication so the paper mountains I have will be reduced and the real writing and projects will be ready to go. Although I have been tackling them for the last year anyway.  But at a slower pace so jobs can be done once and not needing to be corrected all the time or redone! The nice thing about aging is the reality to do it right the first time! So since I only hope to retire once from the outside working world , I want to do it right! But for those who have retired is there really a right way??

#roadtoretirement#pensionapproval#retiringtherightway#retirementstress#activiteswithjoyandfulfillment#sewingprojects

APRIL TO MAY- IS SPRING REALLY HERE

We ask the question when the weather stays cool for too long. April should bring the May flowers not snow and sleet. Sunny and nice does help our mood. Just feeling the fresh air on our skin! So the last day of April and the weather is changing to double digits this week. So being outside more and hearing the birds sing is a good thing. Some garden cleanup and a little planting in May. Doing a back porch veggie garden for Adolph as he can not make it to dig and do too much in the bigger garden. Looking forward to a cousin visit for him. If you know me well - May is my favourite month of the year. Why? The beginning of the warmer months. Days keep getting longer. The garden is blooming with a variety of colour. Yes the trees start to become green again. The photographer in me can't wait to find more wonderful photo opportunities! My anniversary is in May so can be a little festive too. Goodbye April. Hello May! What are your plans for May? Did you enjoy the month of April?

#April#goodbyeApril#lotstodoinMayintheare#birdssing#flowersblooming#springplanningandplanting#weallneedgoodweatherforourmood

APRIL COMING TO AN END

The month started with birthday plans, Easter celebrations and more preparations for my life. Snow/ice storm and upset. The tragedies in Canada- Humboldt and Toronto. Love and laughter. Sadness and grief. Lots of time for a variety of reflections. Told a couple of people about my retirement plans. The position will be posted May 1 so my manager wants the world to know. I really think it is a personal decision that does not need lots of discussion from others. Not as much outdoor work done as the weather has not been conducive or I have been at work. The large pots and some soil for our back porch garden are bought- ready to go when the nice weather rolls around.Hopefully  vegetables plants will give Adolph something to do that he likes and he will be outside!  Even though the temperature is below seasonal the spring bulbs are blooming. The leaves of the tulips are up. Mother Nature kinda of sticks up the middle finger and grows along despite the weather. Even the song birds are chirping away. Many robins have been seen everywhere.I am two months closer to a new stage in my life. Excited/scared/getting organized for it/ can't wait/ worried about Adolph/ well you get the picture- lots of overthinking! So maybe get the hands busy to keep the mind clear! April- a month that was busy and full of hope! How was your April? Did you get things accomplished? Did you feel sad about the tragedies in this country and the world? Are you ready for May?
#aprilhappenings#apriltragedies#canadalovestheirpeople#sadnessandgrief#loveandlaughter#preparationsforMay#badweather#backporchgardenforhusband#vegetablesinapot#reflectionsofalifelived#MotherNatureishardy

DO BARRIERS KEEP US SAFE?

With the recent tragedy in Toronto, more barriers are being erected around the city. Dump trucks were placed outside Jurassic Park in Toronto for the recent sports events where large crowds were gathering for the Raptors game, the Leafs game and the FC. Has the city become more unsafe or not? Safety is always a good thing. Wearing seat belts. Adhering to the traffic rules! Wearing boots in winter. Careful using ladders. Not texting or using a cell phone when driving. Safety. But barriers in front of buildings have been a standard in some countries like Israel. The thing with barriers or blocks of cement is they can be painted or decorated and look pretty. They can have signs on them. Like security checks at the airport, if I am checked and everyone else then it is safer for all of us. What do you think? Do barriers help? Should we be more safety minded? What is safety anyway?
#barriersforsafety#arewesafe#sportseventsandsafety#drivingingsafely#rulesoftheroad#wearingbootsinwinter#carefulusingladders#dobarriershelp

THE SPRING GARDEN-A METAPHOR FOR GRIEF

Metaphors are all around us. So viewing my brown back spring garden a reflection occurred. Popping through the brown were my snow drops and a variety of crocuses. Colour in the dull brown. A symbol of hope. Like grief with the recent tragedies, colours of hope shine through. Looking at it- the colour is viewed first. The brown does not look so bad. It is bearable. It can be managed. Tragedy is brown. It is almost unbearable. But with community, people, finances- the colour of hope shines. It is does not diminish all that is lost but it brings a life line to all affected. So what would be your life line of hope? Do you see the colour in your life?

#grief#metaphorsaroundus#springgarden##peopleandtragedies#lifeisbearable#coloursofhope#symbolofhope#colouroflife#community#peoplebringhope

DOES A VICTIM NEED TO BE GREAT OR JUST ORDINARY?

With two recent tragedies in Canada- the Humboldt crash and the Van incident in Toronto, thoughts came to mind. We always hear how great and wonderful and almost super human the victims were! For me I don't care about all of that. I just feel that some one's wife/husband/daughter/son/friend/mother/father- well you get the picture has died. An innocent who lost a life. Don't have to be great. Ordinary is okay. The life lost is huge regardless of the life lived. An ordinary life lived is just okay and fine to me. All the people were loved. All the people had a purpose. All the people did not deserve to die in the way they did. A face to the names of the victims hit home. A diversity of people from different backgrounds. The impact on the communities is huge too. The jobs of the first responders. Again not human but doing a very difficult job. Lives lost! How sad!
#victimscanbeordinary#victimsareloved#dovictimsneedtobegreat#isordinaryokay#Humboldt#Torontocrash#peopleareloved#thecommunitylovesyou#Torontothegood#diversitydoesnotmatterindeath#Canada

THE ROAD TO RETIREMENT

Retirement planning begins years before the official event. What does it means anyway? Buying a sailboat and sailing the seas! Well not for this senior. Working past 65 or as I call it- my expiry date has allowed for some personal choices and assets. For me it only means from a regular job and now pensions can be collected. Retirement from work- well not really. To convert interests and hobbies into work is a goal. So I am only sharing the goal of retirement publicly for the first time. Few people know. Why? This senior does not like all the ageism and thoughts that go with it. Or how lucky you are! Life changes are intense and emotional. It depends what is needed to continue. I really view it as if I am just leaving the job for something new. As I put more things in place, perhaps I will share and perhaps I will not.
#retirement#work#hobbies#interests#life'schanges#emotionalrollercoaster#seniorpreparesforretirmentfromwork#seniorpreparesforthenextstageof lifeoutsidework#personalchoices

APRIL WITH ITS UPS AND DOWNS-SNOW WOES

Okay the snow and freezing rain and cold and ice can go anytime. April Showers bring May flowers so what does April snow bring. Perhaps lots of moisture in case we have a dry summer so water will go to the deep roots. April plans of putting out the patio furniture so Adolph can get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Well so I can enjoy some outdoor reading too! Shovelling snow in April is the pits. Well I was locked in my driveway for 3 days as being the corner lot I had a 2 foot high and 3 foot wide band on the road that could not be hand shovelled. Snow boulders. Now a little lane way to get me to the road.

Don't you just envy the person on the corner. The contract for the backhoe to clear the road must have ended in March. Could not move those boulders! Then the plow came around a second time and dumped the mountain of snow right in front of my driveway on the road. So the girls tell me there is a town grant for Seniors to have work done on snow removal. Guess I will be applying for it next year. How is the snow in your area? 

#April#snow#snowremoval#seniorslockedintheirdriveway#snowboulders#shovellingsnow#outdoorreadingnotyet#canwintereverbeover#springflooding

NANA SAYS WHAT MAKES A GOOD GRANDPARENT!

Grandparents just like parents vary in shape, knowledge, age and availability. Some are handons. Some see grandchildren at special events, get a picture then are off to their life.
Do grandparents have to be involved with their grandchildren? Already raised their own.
Some children do expect their parents to be their full time babysitters for all the preschool years. Others just appreciate all the support as it is given. So for this Nana, handons but not full time. Available as much as I can be but without interfering in the lives of the families. I need my grandchildren fix. When I do not see them for awhile, well I miss them. The other main point is to establish a relationship. It does not happen with 5 minute happenings. Spending time with them. Talking with them. Doing things. If possible some one on one. When they are all together, they play and sneak cookies from Nana and make lots of noise- well good noise. But alone so this Nana can get to know the child and listen to the child. Am I a good grandparent? Well best to ask the grandchildren how I am doing!!
#handonsgrandparent#parents#timewithgrandchildren#relationships#Nana#Grandpa#grandchildren

WEATHER IS THE STORY COAST TO COAST

Okay can winter really end. The brutal ice/snow/rain storm in the GTA over the weekend. Heading east to regions already slammed by spring storms. Then weather in the west. Maybe Victoria has some flowers but no one else. Little water in my back basement/ cantina area but so far doing okay. How about you, wherever you are? How are you coping with it all?
#winterweather#copingwithbadweather#tryingtostaycalm

REMEMBRANCE OF ALL LOST-HOLOCAUST, HUMBOLDT, SYRIA

Thursday was Jersey day in honour of the Humboldt team and others lost in that horrific crash April 6 2018. It was also Remembrance Day of the Holocaust that must never be forgotten. Chemical warfare in Syria killing people but especially children. We can have remembrance burnout. But it is vital as human beings to show we care and to show support for causes. Pick one. Fund it. Do your little part on this earth to support a good cause. It is not the rich and celebrities who make the difference. They get good recognition and tax receipts. The little guy and gal in their corner, their town, their community who collectively mean more All those small ways and efforts add up. Remembrance occurs year long. As a Canadian, I am proud of this country and all the efforts and love sent west. So continue to send love and support to others who need it.
#remembrance#holocaust#Humboldt#Syria#trynottohaverembranceburnout#chemicalwarfare#loveandsupport#celebrities#fundinggoodcauses#Canadianproud

NANA SAYS HELPING CHILDREN DEAL WITH GRIEF IS DIFFICULT

Depending on the age of the child and the circumstance, approaching grief with children is difficult. If a child has not had a grief situation, it is hard to gauge as a parent how the child will respond. A close family member death can not be avoided. Question- did the child have a relationship with the person.When another child dies it can be a different story. How does a parent reassure his/her child it will not happen to them? The couple expecting a baby loses the baby. What to say? This is a huge topic with lots of suggestions and information. I will be addressing various themes dealing with grief in future posts. However, if you have a question or a particular concern or need, write in my comments and I will gladly review and write more on that topic.
#grief#circumstancesmakethedifference#parentstellingtheirchildren#whattosay#reassuringyourchild

VIMY RIDGE REMEMBERED

Last year was the 100th anniversary of this famous battle where Canadians came into a new age. Now 101 years has gone by. For our family we remember our dear grandfather Ernest Ellis who fought there and received many medals. Over the years I have written several posts on this event. Time to remember April 9, 1917 as an important day in Canadian and world history. Do you have family members who were there? Why not share your thoughts?
#VimyRidge#WorldWarOne#enrolls#Canadianhistory#remembrance

PUT OUT YOUR HOCKEY STICKS FOR THE BOYS

A male initiated campaign to honour the lives lost in Humboldt is to put our your hockey sticks on the front porch area. The rationale- in case the boys need your sticks. Simple and poignant. So Canadian eh?
So I searched my house for Adolph to put one out. No hockey sticks. Stopped playing years ago. But the thought is there. So if you have a stick put it out.
#Humboldt#hockeysticksfortheboys#hockey#tragedy#remembering#grief

TRAGEDY STRUCK HUMBOLDT SASKATCHEWAN-CANADA MOURNS

What a horrible tragedy in Saskatchewan. 14 lives lost from the Humboldt Broncos hockey team. A terrible crash with the bus carrying 28 people crashing with a transport truck. As that community mourns the loss of these precious lives.Not just the hockey community but all communities. Canada mourns with them. Hoping all the best for those in hospital. Our love, our thoughts and prayers to all the families, friends and community!
#humboldtsaskatchewan#humboldt#28dead#hockeycommunity#liveslost#survivors

APRIL BIRTHDAYS AND CAKE

Birthdays are fun because there is always cake and goodies. A time to celebrate the life of the person- big and small! Even if not a big event as long as there is cake, well then it is a festive time. Children love gathering around their cake with the lit candles to be able to blow them out. The Happy Birthday song! And how old are you? The favourites. So what is the history of the birthday cake! Perhaps I will do some sleuthing to find out!
#birthdays#birthdaycakes#historyofbirthdaycakes#celebrationsarealwaysagoodtimeforall#everyonelovestheirbirthdaycake#thehappybirthdaycake#cakewithcandles

A FULL LIFE HAS MANY BOXES

If we put our life in a series of pictures and themes, how would it look? Our family. Our interests. Our successes. Our failures. Our hopes. Our dreams. Remembering the past. Living in the present. Hoping the future will bring joy! Life with its ups and downs. But it is life! Each day brings the opportunity to go on! Like the song from Titanic! So how would your wall of boxes look?
#life#future#present#past#hopes#dreams#successes#failures#opportunities#makingthemostoutoflife#singingourwaythroughlife#beingoptimistic

APRIL- A GREAT START TO THE MONTH

Clean house for Easter dinner. Grandkids, noise and all. Too much to eat. Lots of leftovers. Celebrating a daughter's bday early as it is a couple of days away.
Thinking of the social activities coming up. A tea for a fundraiser. Another birthday celebration. Time to plan and write and finish those winter projects before the garden work begins. A new month. A new beginning.
#April#newbeginning#bdaycelebrations#eastern