CANADA DAY WEEKEND IN CANADA 2018

Long weekends are great. And one with a big celebration. Ottawa has the huge fireworks. However communities all across the country celebrate too. Local parks and community centres and well everywhere will have flags and food and celebrations.

Flags can even be on quilts.

Lots of watermelon and other fruit.

Pull out the flags for the day or all weekend.

In Ontario, there are lots of proud Canadians.

Festive tables with plates and napkins to be in the mood! Notice the Canada Dry ginger ale on the table.

What's a party without balloons!

And beer- Canadian style!

Oh Canada- Glorious and Free!
#CanadaDay#CanadaDay2018#celebrations#flags#balloons#lotsoffun#eatingwell#whatareyoudoingCanadaDay#pullouttheflags#theredmapleleaf

POST 2602

When I started blogging, I thought I would run out of ideas and themes. Not so. Some post repeat because the seasons and special occasions repeat. Now with retirement pending I hope to be more prolific and find new ideas. Write what you know is the mantra. So themes for old foggies like I am. Parenting for the youngsters. Grandparenting. Yes food ideas with my husband. Yes living with chronic illness and what that means. So here's to 2602 and what else my blog may bring.
#postsonmyblog#2602#writingisfun#bloggingisfun#howtogetnewideas#retirementaroundthecorner

NO MORE PENCILS NO MORE BOOKS

No more teacher's dirty looks. The last day of school. for kids in Ontario Public Schools. My best memory was getting a free pass to the Canadian National Exhibition. It was such a perk. Who cared who my teacher would be next school year.  What is your fondest memory of the last day of school?
#lastdayofschool#nomoreteacher'sdirtylooks#nomorepencils#nomorebooks#schoolmemories

NANA SAYS REMEMBER YOUR WATER SAFETY RULES

Drownings occur every summer. A fact or can they be preventable.
So Life jackets in all boats and wear them. For little ones, life jackets at pools and beaches.
Always swim in pairs. Adults watch those children like a hawk.
Adults can be role models of safe water play. No running around the pool. No pushing. Be safety minded. Have serious safe rules for all water endeavors. If the children do not follow the rules then they do not get to swim. Know where your emergency locations can be reached. If on a beach, look for the life guard, the life raft and any other life saving devices in case they are needed.
So what are your rules for safety?
#watersafety#lifejackets#liferafts#lifeguards#adultsarerolemodelsforsafety

GOOD BYE PARTIES ARE FUN

Endings bring celebrations and parties. Gifts for the outgoing staff. A cake. Time to eat. Planning on a departure is better than a layoff or being walked out the door. There is a sense of being in control and glad to be leaving on good terms. It also brings home that some people care and others could not give a damn. Well the leaving staff knew who really cared anyway. It did not take a party to see who avoided and who was genuinely caring. As older staff take time to retire and drift off into the sunset it is good to know new younger staff are filling the gap. But getting a gift and having cake stands alone and is quite a bonus, don't you think!!
#goodbyeparties#leavingonone'sownterms#driftingoffintothesunset#retiringwhenready#somepeoplecareandothersdonot#enoughisenoughalready

5 REASONS WHY RETIREMENT COULD BE OKAY

So on my road to retirement, some reasons that are doable came to light!

1. No more job searches. No more of a need to update the resume. No fear of a layoff or a walk out.

2. Just can be professional and nice. Even to the big wigs. No ulterior motive. No need to suck up to get a promotion.

3. Time to organize my home, my hobbies, my interests. Maybe lead to some income from the endeavors.

4. Chance to write. The genealogical stories. The short stories. The essays. To augment my blog and find new ideas and themes. Just write and write. Maybe start a project and finish it in a day.

5. Real, quality time with my husband, kids, grandkids and friends/ family coast to coat. Connecting in person, by mail, by phone and maybe one day in person again.

Probably more reasons, but five will do! What do you think?
#roadtoretirement#fivereasons#itemsthataredoable#timetoenjoylife#timetoregroupmyenergy

ENDINGS BRING NEW BEGINNINGS

It is hard to end a good thing. A fun party. A fun vacation. The end of the school year.A death. A wedding. A child leaves home.
But endings can be bittersweet. A new beginning may be doable It can bring unexpected surprises..
Most of us have trouble with change. Especially change that is thrust upon us. Once adapting to the change can bring stability. A new stability. Missing the old can be part of the adaption. So what will the beginning of the new era bring to our lives.
Are you dealing with change? Tell me how you are doing!
#change#new beginning#isanewbeginningdoable#areyoureadyforchange#unexpectedsurprises#stabilitybringsrelief#funtimesareover

WILD DAISIES EVERYWHERE

Letting the garden go wild until time to cut everything back, daisies are popping up everywhere. The white amongst the green is quite pleasurable. What birds and bees and bugs are enjoying them too is hard to say!

Yes there are some pink flowers too!

Oh daisies the happy flowers.
#daisies#wildinthegarden#lovesmelovesmenot#flowerseverywhere

NANA SAYS HANG IN THERE FOR JUNE STRESSES

For parents June brings end of school hoopla. Concerts, track meets, worries about passing and what teacher will their children get next year. For those with family birthdays or crises, then the pressure and stress augments. Breathe, day at a time! Take it all in as one day this too will pass. Enjoy the track meet. Enjoy the dance recital. Enjoy all that comes your way. Children do not stay little forever. Soon all this can become a distant memory. If camp or summer trips or cottage is planned then remember June is doable.
#junestresses#junerecitals#junebringsschooltoanend#gettingthroughthehardtimes#thistooshallpass

FATHER'S DAY- TIME TO REMEMBER AND REFLECT

 Not just a hallmark card day, Father's Day is a time to celebrate all the dads in our lives! The wanna be dads, the uncles, the cousins and the dads we have lost. Having a dad in one's life is a lifetime long event. Having a young dad then an old dad! But still having a dad in our lives. Sons and daughters can have different relationships with their dads. Strong and powerful. Losing a dad young can have lifelong consequences on a child. Strong male role models can help! If lucky the dad gets to become a granddad, a grandpa or papa. Starting the excitement of a chance to try all those dad skills all over again! What are you thinking about your dad.? Do you miss him?  Do you spend time with him? Tell my your thoughts about your dad!

3 WEEKS TO RETIREMENT

As people are finding out about my last days at work, many are congratulating me. Why congratulations, I don't know. Many are saying they wish I was not going as it means having to get used to someone new. I have been asked how I feel about it. I don't. I think when I was considering when to retire over a year ago I had more feelings then. Now I am kind of numb. Neither excited or sad. Just ready!! I just have too much on my plate. I just want to get there. I don't like the idea of pension income. It is just reduced income. Fixed. So the big adjustment will be to spend less!! And coupon clip. I did that today on an item I actually buy. I am trying to get ready but things have been getting in the way. I look at the pile of stuff beside me in the computer room. My writing projects I had wanted drafted and ready to be finished. My main project will be my husband. Supporting him while I do my home projects. So just a day at a time and getting through to the first week of July. I hope I do not burn and crash!! Or just life will go on!!

#retirement#planning#beingreadyforanewlife#spendingless#couponclippingagain#supportingmyhusband#amIreallyforretirement#tiredoftheworkhoopla#doinglessandhavingmore#lifewillgoon

A CORSSROAD IN LIFE-WHICH DIRECTION TO TAKE

Life can bring us to a stop. There are several directions to go. Right, left, forward, backward or just stay stopped. To keep going takes energy and sometimes just courage. It takes a toll too!! What direction are you taking today?
#life#directions#energy#whichwaytogo#areyoustopped#canyougetgoing

JUNE FLOWERS IN A CANADIAN GARDEN

Peonies- the flower of June.

Daisies too are flowering everywhere. Especially the wild ones.

She loves me, she loves me not


1

The fragrance of the lilies of the valley are always welcoming in the air.

Some pink in my peonies!

The poppies are blooming in time for Canada Day!
The great thing about all these flowers is the fact they bloom without any work. They are wonderful perennials. How is your garden doing?
#juneflowers#peonies#daisies#poppies#Canadiangarden#lifeinagarden#photosofJuneflowers#timetotakemorephotos#lifeinCanadainJune

LIVING DAY TO DAY-ADVICE DURING ADVERSITY

Chronic illness takes its toll on everyone, not only the person who suffers. Family members live with the ups and downs. So how to cope. How to survive. The old adage- live day to day. Weather affects some conditions. Preexisting allergies can bring on other concerns too!! Conditions that have a progressive decline can be slow and insidious. Putting joyful activities into the day. Eating good healthy foods help. Organizing the space within reach so the person has some control of simple activities. Hygiene is so important to avoid sickness. Good hand washing is 70% of all infection control. So hand sanitizers throughout the house help too. Ask guests to sanitize before seeing the loved one. Stay away if sick with any colds or flu bugs!! The phone, the computer, face time, texting all help to keep the social life going. Short but significant contact always helps to keep the spirits up. Social contact is almost better than all the medicine that is needed for any condition. If really nice, bring those favourite treats and fruit so everyone can enjoy the time- eating, drinking and being merry! How do you cope with chronic issues? What are some of your strategies? How do you boost your mood when times are tough? Share some of your ideas with me so others can learn!!
#chronicillness#copingwithchronicillness#gettingthroughtheroughtimes#goodhandwashinghelpswithinfectioncontrol#handsanitizers#organizingpersonalspace#sociallifehelpswiththemood#favouritefoodsandtreatshelpwithmood#strategiesforcoping

OH THOSE SUMMER FARMERS MARKETS

Summer brings outdoor markets across the country. Fresh seasonal produce grown locally is always welcome. The markets support local farmers and growers. Taste better too. One of my favourite is St. Jacobs. May try to make a trip there. But there are smaller ones close to me too. So tell me about your favourite local market. Even send me some pictures.
#farmersmarkets#freshproduce#St.Jacobsmarket#farmers#localgrowers

SUMMER WHITE

Summer lets us wear those warmer clothes. The cottons and the linens! The shorter pants and bare legs. Losing the weight of the winter woolies! There is a refreshing feel to becoming freer in the summer. June is the month that prepares us- weather permitting to get used to the idea of freeing ourselves. Planning so the summer months can be enjoyed fully.

Even the vegetation cooperates with the summer white!
#summer white#gettingreadytorelax#summerfreesusup

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION-SOME THOUGHTS

Change brings some angst. So planning and more planning helps to put in place what really matters. The great thing about planning is the lack of real commitment. Make a list. Review the list. Decide what to keep and what to discard. The real investment comes when the plans are put to work. Of course, plans can change so having those backup plans. I usually have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. So if one does not work out then well there is another way. Planning has given a sense of some organization in life. So do you plan? How do you commit to those plans? Or are you someone who just flies by the seat of your pants? Or a little of both??
#planningandorganization#planningworksforabetterfuture#realinvestmentsonourplans#organization

A ROAD TO RETIREMENT IN JUNE

Trying to pinpoint the exact date to be leaving the organization is quickly approaching. Need to backdate from the official date and use up my vacation days. More complicated than it needs to be. Manager- talk to HR. HR-talk to your manager. So do I just arbitrarily set the date and tell them both! Probably. The pensions and all the paperwork has been done. Trying to find a benefit package in cyberland. Because not union, not entitled to continue with the organization's package. So I watch the ads and take down names etc. In Ontario, over 65 there is a drug program so all prescription drugs are paid. Just dental, hospital accomodation, vision and misc are what I am trying to find. People are asking how I am feeling about it. Sort of neutral! When the decision was made months ago, there was more trepidation. Now there is just work in place to be ready. Like cleaning the clutter corners of my life to have a fresh start. I don't want to leave too much of boring stuff to be done as I want to start with the rewarding stuff. Dealing with a sick family member does put a real damper on any fun events like trips, parties and outings. So the drive down the road continues.
#roadtoretirement#juneroadtoretirement#preparingforretirement#applyingforthepensions#morecomplicatedthanitneedstobe#notrepidation#cleaningtheclutterinmylife

JUNE- BEGINNINGS, BIRTHDAYS AND ENDS

June the month for weddings so many beginnings, Several birthdays in my family- two grandchildren, two nephews and my mother was born in this month. Ends- well school ends and coming up to one year of a Dad passing away. Of course school ends so everyone starting to look forward to the summer. Yes for me a job coming to an end. But beginnings and a chance to begin, work on and finish those many projects that need close attention. Oh June the month that brings the warmer weather and longer days! Must love it!

START AT THE VERY BEGINNING

Remember this line. Yes- the Sound of Music. Well as I tackle the events in my life, it is a good reminder to start and at the beginning. The trouble when life becomes overwhelming that the work looks unmanageable. But starting and doing something- beginning starts to make the job doable. Then the next job becomes doable. And Rome was not built in a day so no job that is big can be done in a day either. So are you going to start?