Arts Council Tea and Artists in the Plaza.
My garden hibiscus.
Purple rocks.
Aurora Farmers Market.
Strawberries at the farm.
Yeah the EX is back. A fun day with a daughter.
Those June grads was a good celebration for family.
#summer2022images#summer2022#grads#saublebeach#theEX#enjoyingthesummerpace#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
House activities.
Calls to friends.
Emails sent and received.
And lots of reading. Made it to 10 books read for the summer.
Trying to organized finances, house, interests. Always ongoing.
Need a walk in the woods to enjoy the peace of nature.
So still time in my August adventures to do it.
What about you? How has your August been?
#augustactivities#august2022#organizinggoesonandon#read10booksthissummer#goaltoread10bookshasbeenaccomplished#findingjoyinlife#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Lisa La Flamme had grey hair for over a year. It was a covid thing.
She had ideas for journalistic stories which was her job.
They were not well received. Why?
Who knows?
It is about a large corporation like Bell that decided to be a dick.
A real dick.
They thought no one would care. My daughter said a prominent PR person said they used the summer months because they thought no one would notice.
Well coast to coast they were wrong.
Your average Canadian cared. Tired of crap and what gets done to good people.
I boycotted CTV for as much as I could. Wrote letters to executives and corporate in Quebec.
My little drop in the water.
For the record I have not coloured my hair for 4 and a half years. So it is a freedom thing.
So Lisa was and continues to be a treasured Canadian journalist.
I hope she writes a book. I will buy several copies.
#itisnotaboutthegreyhair#itisaboutthejournalism#lisalaflamme#atreasuredjournalist#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
How is your week?
Any scary moments?
When we deal with a scary moment it makes us stop and really smell the roses.
Lately the news can be so disheartening. Like the crash with 6 gone in Barrie area.
Stabbings.
Gun violence in Toronto.
Angry bitchy people yelling at politicians. Especially women without security.
So counting our blessings is what our family is doing right now!!
#countingourblessings#scarymoments#beingthankfulallturnedoutalright#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Lisa La Flamme is a wonderful integral professional.
Was it about her grey hair?
Or a toxic issue at Bell Media??
So my voice.
Boycotting CTV programs.
Letters to Executives and Corporate in Quebec.
Just a drop in the water.
But enough drops make an ocean!
Or sand on a Canadian beach!
It can make a difference. When a voice speaks out for integrity then it is a good voice.
Not hate.
Not racism.
Not gender discrimination
A positive voice for a positive cause.
So Lisa. You go girl. You go for all of us. Thank you for being there in the trenches for us all for all those years.
#lisalaflamme#ageism#goinggrey#adropinthewatermakesanocean#apostivevoiceforapostiviecause#reflectivetthoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
I have mentioned in an early post what happened at an Art Show 2019.
When I was chatting with the Artist whose work I had purchased previously, I mentioned I was retired. She asked what are you doing. I said my interests as well as caring and being with my husband.
Her answer very condescending- well you're just a caregiver and dismissed me.
Hum.
Another friend mentioned how she had a friend that once her husband died she could resume travelling that she could not do while her husband was alive. Almost suggesting that not travelling was a hardship.
A hardship for me? Not really.
Hum.
So what is a caregiver? Is being there and caring for a spouse being a caregiver?
What about the spouse that dotes the whole marriage on a spouse? Is that person just a caregiver? Or is it their relationship?
Is caring for your child being just a caregiver?
For the record I did not define myself as a caregiver during the last couple of years of Adolph's life. I was being a wife, a person, a lover, a friend and in a relationship that entailed some caring functions. We had a relationship. We talked. We gave each other company.
But isn't all marriage caring functions.
The work days.
The garden days.
Who does what in the house
Who cooks.
Who cleans.
Who pays the bills
Are these caregiving functions? Well not really!!
Yes I was a professional Social Worker and knew all the jargon. But I also knew that each situation and meaning for the people varied.
Being there for another person has such purpose. Life's greatest gift. To love and be loved by the person that needs you!
What do you think is the definition of a caregiver? Do you see yourself as a caregiver or just part of the relationship?
#caregiverdiscrimination#caregiverroleilldefined#beingthereforsomeoneyoulovehassuchpurpose#life'sgreatestgift#whatisacaregiveranyway#beinginarelationship#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Okay August is slipping away.
So my reading is picking up speed.
Sharing a pile of books read from previous years was incentive to read away.
Books are our friends!!
Of course, I receive several magazines and have been reading them.
The Walrus.
Canada's History and Geography.
Good Times.
Zoomer.
As well as my email and facebook feeds.
Reading brings ideas and new thoughts. Gives me fodder for life as well as my own reading.
So what are you reading these days? Do you belong to a book Club?
I am thinking of joining one or maybe starting one!!
#readinginthesummer#havingsummerreads#booksareourfriends#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambeo
I get ideas all the time.
So writing them down and now creating some short stories has helped with my inner being.
I am a social person but living alone brings some social limitations.
Rather than talking with myself I write down thoughts and ideas.
As I have mentioned previously I am writing a Widow Series of short stories.
I may share nor not share with others. Depends.
I prefer to share my genealogy stories and ideas as it has helped with family search results.
In my youth I wrote poetry. Not very good poems but I did it.
So why write.
You can journal.
Write letters to the editor.
Of course all your social media sources you use.
Emails. Texts. Facebook pages.
Writing takes the thoughts from the brain to the paper. Writing them down gives a different perspective.
Sometimes the writing is good. Sometimes lame. Needing more substance.
However, doing it is the motto. Just do it. Not every word or thought or item has to be good. But the more that is written than the more the chance that something good will evolve.
Do you write your thoughts on paper? Do you like to read this blog? What are your thoughts?
#writingcalmsthesoul#puttingthoughtstopaper#genealogystorieshelpmyneedtowrite#sometimesIwriteformyselfandsometimesforothers#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Some memories.
Ready to go and create some new memories!
What are your memories of the EX?
#CNE#canadiannationalexhibition#corndogs#lotstoeat#lotstose3#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
I will be boycotting CTV as much as possible.
Here is my letter to the Bell executive.
Small protests can have big results.
#protestaboutlisalaflamme#boycottctv#letyourwishesbeknown#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Why did my baby die?
Why did a healthy 45 year old get cancer?
There can be a Coroner's Inquest and still not the answer wanted.
Life goes on. And often without answers!!
Have you needed an answer to a question or a life dilemma?
Did you get a satisfactory answer?
#answerstolife'sdilemmas#seekinganswerstotdifficultquestions#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Off to the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts where an Arts Council event is being held.
Performers, vendors, coffee&tea and time to relax in the Plaza.
Second one this summer.
On a Sunday expecting a different crowd.
#artcouncilintheplaza#teaintheplaza#richmondhillartscouncil#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
For the last several years, my summer goal has been to read 10 books.
Fiction or non-fiction- it doesn't matter.
So today finished my 7th book.
I did read part of a non-fiction- Seen and not seen by Dr. Donald Smith, a Canadian historian from the University of Calgary I did not count it as read. I had borrowed it from the Library but now plan to buy a copy.
Several magazines read cover to cover do not count as well.
So I hope I make it through 3 more books.
How is your summer reading going?
#summerreading#reading10bookseachsummer#7down3togo#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Doctor's appointment done.
Lab work done.
ECG done.
So wait for results.
Now back to more walking and trying to maintain weight.
Eat a variety of foods.
Work to stay healthy. And luck to have the right gene pool!!
As a woman watching out for my own safety.
Driving responsibly!
Taking vitamins.
Well a little work. It pays to take care of myself.
#worktostayhealthy#vitaminsareagoodthing#drivingwell#doctorandlabworkthisweek#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
For those that lost loved ones during covid no restrictions now do not change their lives.
The death of a loved one changed their lives.
Travel.
Social events.
Getting out there.
Yes it happens. But getting back in the swing of things without the loved one who is missing is not a return to normal but a new life altogether! And not necessarily for the better. Perhaps the sadder.
So remember as you are lamenting about how much you missed the last two years with restrictions lift your head and remember that some people actually had it harder than you.
For me, I was at a local social outdoor music event at the Theatre plaza. A couple sat down with me at the table when I was sitting solo.
He said it was nice to be here after all they went through in the last two years. I saw a healthy older man and wife.
So I said not as hard as the 42,000 Canadians who died. He then shut up!
One thing Covid has taught me is I can no longer tolerate insensitivity or STUPID!!
How about you? What are you doing after the Covid restrictions have been lifted?
#covidrestrictionssettlinghaschangedourlives#missingthosewhodiedduringcovid#noteveryonehadahardtime#besensitivetothosewholostlovedones#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
August has important birthdays.
An Anniversary.
An injury.
An illness.
So Family always has something to report.
For me getting some appointments and paperwork done.
How about you? How is your August going??
#august#familybirthdays#anniversaries#injuries#illness#gettingthingsdone#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
Going to a beach.
A cottage.
And planting oneself gives time to slow down.
For those on tours running from place to place. No. Needing a vacation after a vacation.
Tired but a good tired.
For me those vacations give an opportunity for lots of photos which create lots of memories.
The trip to Italy in 1991 was like that. Touring in hot humid weather. Adolph constantly saying it is so hot her in Italy. Going in a coffee shop with air conditioner for a cold drink every 30 minutes.
My album from that trip is one of my treasures. I have lots of photos predigital time. If I did the same trip now the photos would increase.
So how about you? Do you slow down? Do you rev up your activities and visit as much as you can?
#summertimetoslowdown#summertimetotourtourtour#lotsofphotosbringmemories#vacationsarewhatyouwantthemtobe#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
As a young girl I learned about this main adage- food, clothing and shelter.
All the other things are just window dressing.
People eat and cook and yes there are copious cooking shows.
Clothing- people wear clothes and make clothes and are fashionistas!
Shelter- rent, buy, cohabit- buy, rent, share. We need a place to live. House, condo, apartment, retirement home, nursing home.
So when planning what to post and print on instagram, tic tok, etc. These topics still are in vogue.
#foodclothingshelter#food#clothing#shelter#topicsarebasic#reflectivethoughtsbybarabara#barbaradimambro
My father-in-law Joe/Giuseppe died 38 years ago today from ALS.
He was diagnosed in 1967 and lived until Aug. 4 1974. 7 years.
First few years he shuffled then started to lose functions.
My mother-in-law Concetta worked fulltime and did his care before and after work.
Pureed his food the last few years of his life.
A very debilitating disease.
Now people get feeding tubes, oxygen tubes but the end result is the same.
Sometimes there are suggestions of treatment. I was excited when MS was trying something new.
So as time goes on there is always hope that there will be a breakthrough.
Remember the bucket challenge a couple of years back that helped with funding treatment and research.
My heart goes out to anyone living with this condition today.
#ALS#lougeherig'sdisease#neurologicaldiseases#joediedaug41974#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#alsadelibilitatingdisease#diseasetakesatollonpeople
One thing the Pandemic has taught us is that we love to over analyse our lives.
So watching a morning TV show there was a discussion about Social Fatigue after returning to social events after being so isolated for so long.
Rejoining social events and groups.
Tiring and feeling out of place.
Well I am tired of zoom meetings. Except maybe in the middle of winter.
Many of the suggestions by the psychotherapist was typical advice of how to control your life.
Monitor.
Identify feelings.
Know it is hard getting back to normal functions.
So to pace oneself and not rush to every event under the sun.
Good advice on any day.
We do have this idea that it is important to plan and be doing something all of the time.
Travel is one example. Often asked where are you going and where have you been.
I have done many staycations where I have been having a good time but often judged that it was not good enough since I did not travel anywhere!!
How how about you? Are you experiencing social fatigue? Is there really such a thing?
#socialfatigue#gettingbackintosocialevents#tryingtobesocialagain#understandingyourfeelings#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
August 1 was Emancipation Day.
1834 and slavery was abolished in Canada.
It did not mean that black people who escaped to Canada were not taken back to America.
Look up the story of Suzanne Maxwell and why she came to Richmond Hill with her family in the 1840s.
Her fear was that people could come to Toronto and take them.
So much to learn about all the history of Canada.
#emancipationday#1834#canadianhistory#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
I get the urge to try to cram as much as summer in my day.
August is always a reminder that the summer season is quickly going by!!
With birthdays and an anniversary there is a lot to celebrate. Even lots of cake too.
Might go to the CNE as it is on again. Closed for two years due to the pandemic.
Not sure if I want those crowds yet!
Looking at what needs to be done around the house. Oh those many little jobs are everywhere.
I know the tomatoes and corn locally grown are prolific now. So I will enjoy some good eating.
Some August flowers are just too beautiful to be forgotten.
Oh August, please do not fly by!!
#August#augustmarksthebeginningoftheendofsummer#augustcornandtomatoes#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro
