FEBRUARY-THE SHORT BUT BUSY MONTH

 Winter months are a good time to get stuff done. Indoor stuff!

So some sorting of papers and decluttering prevailed.

I keep thinking I need to be busier with downsizing and decluttering.

However, it has been ongoing for years. 

Adolph and I had plans so starting to decide what to keep, what to sell and what to give away has been happening from many years ago.

There is only so much of organizing and decluttering I want to do.

Focusing on my interests and downsizing the genealogy information for example is more compatible with my interests.

Writing the family stories with documents and photos is a different decluttering project.

Decluttering the garage can only happen in warmer weather. Putting items on the curb when the snow plow can go by the yard is not a good idea.

Did I get much done? A little. I always have bigger goals than I am able to completed.

Besides having some family time with grandchildren was important too. Taking in a few hockey games, driving them to school or work or just having a family dinner has rounded out the month.

A couple of snow storms with shoveling has provided some much needed exercise.

A month of love and red and lots of chocolates helped as well.

How was your February?

#february#declutteringandorganizing#keepingbusyinwinter#shovelingsnowasneeded#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

BARB'S GENEALOGY TIDBITS-ONE PERSON'S SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE STORY

 SOE or Special Operations Executive was Churchill's special force in World War Two.

Cloaked in secrecy, it often came under scrutiny.

Much has been written about the active members- men and women. Those that received medals and valour.

In our family Ellie Park was in the SOE. He could not talk about his involvement as all members were sworn to secrecy. He did mention some involvement. 

He was recruited from the RAF-Royal Air Force.

He was a young flier. 

Although most pilots flew the Lysander, Ellie preferred the Avro Anson.

I once asked him where he flew. Mostly he flew into Norway. Tromsted and Bergen. I often wondered why there until some research on the war revealed there was heavy water in Norway that would help to make nuclear equipment.

I recently reviewed a book by Colonel Bernd Horn about the Canadian connection with the SOE. It is worth reading and is available to buy as well as available at the local libraries. His book reflects the philosophy around covert missions. No one person knew the whole story. It helped to keep secrets so if caught one could not tell more than they knew about their own involvement.

Ellie had a code name as did Lieutenant Commander in the royal Navy he flew often into enemy territory. Neither knew their real names but only used their code names. Ellie's was Sharkey.

A couple of years ago I wrote to the Canadian National Defense to obtain Ellie's war records. 13 months later I received a very watered down version. The year and a half in Special Forces only said that he was in Special Forces.  No record of his missions. One brother has his flying log book and could try to match missions.

A gentleman in the Kelowna area wrote a book entitled on veterans in the area. 

Book is called flight Into Yesterday by L.W. (Les) Perkins, 2002. Trafford, Victoria BC.

Some of Ellie's stories are there.

There is a website to visit where the SOE was stationed in England. Tempsford is the small town where it appeared ordinary during day and from the sky but many missions flew out of there during the night.

Like many men and women that served in the war, Ellie did not like to talk about his experiences nor did he like to celebrate with other veterans.

He had a very good career flying with Trans Canada Airlines which later became Air Canada. from1946 to 1976.

SOE was the precursor to MI6 and other spy operations following the war. 

There are two brochures written by the Canadian Government entitled Uncommon Courage and Valour Remembered. Ellie's missions are not included as are so many that served with the SOE.

I did purchase another book- Churchill's Most Secret Airfield- RAF Tempsford by Bernard O'Connor. 2010,2013. Amberley Publishing. Gloucestershire  England. 

There has been so much information written on World War Two. Finding more stories to do with the efforts in Norway is ongoing. 

Knowing the efforts of one officer helps to put a face to that terrible time in history.

#tempsford#SOE#specialoperationsexecutive#churchill'ssecretforces#royalairforce#elliepark#elleringtonpark#ERTPark#AirCanada#TransCanadaAirlines#uncommoncourage#valouremembered#effortsduringworldwartwo#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

HOT CHOCOLATE AND MARSHMALLOWS IN A CUP

 Who doesn't like marshmallows and hot chocolate?

Winter makes it a must for a warm drink. If lucky with a fire crackling by a fireplace!

So with another storm approaching, maybe it is time for another cup!!

#marshmellows#hotchocolate#marshmellowsandhotchocolate#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

UKRAINE IS STILL STANDING ONE YEAR LATER-SUPPORT TO ALL UKRAINIANS

 One year since the war on Ukraine started.

160,000 Ukrainians came to Canada for safety.

May their strength continues to shine!

New days. New hope.

Sunflowers the flower of survival. 

Gira al Sole- in Italian means turn to the sun!

Let's think of a free Ukraine which means a free Europe!

#ukraineoneyearlater#jukrainestillstands#supportforukranineissupportforallofEurope#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

FAMILY DAY LONG WEEKEND

 Five provinces celebrate Family Day. Ontario is lucky to be one of them.

A day off in the middle of winter really helps with mood and family life.

For a retired Nana it does mean more time with the grandchildren.

A hockey game.

A Saturday night dinner out.

A Monday lunch.

So finding the meaning of family and what it means to different people. 

Only a couple of malls are open so walking around the mall will not be an option for many.

The Zoo. The Museum. Outdoor rinks and parks.

Or with the sunny weather, a nice long walk.

So enjoy the family day.

As we know families come in all shapes and sizes as well as colours

#familydayinontario#familiesinallshapesandsizes#colourstoo#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

LOVING AND LOSING

 It is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all!

This thought came into my head today.

Loving means we can lose.

Grief is love with no place to go that I heard lately on a show or someone wrote. It was not my original thought.

So why do we chose to love someone? What provokes us to love? Why does loving feel so good?

Why does it hurt too?

#lossandlove#losingsomeone#loveingandlosing#bettertohavelovedthannotatall#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

TIRED OF ANTI-AGING STRATEGIES-MAYBE BE HAPPY TO BE ALIVE AND ABLE TO AGE

 Yes I use moisturizers on my skin. I know that with aging hydration is necessary.

I try to exercise more. Stretch. Weights. Walking. All good.

Eat well. Lots of veggies more than fruit.

But is aging a dirty word.

Is youth wasted on the young?

At age 73 I am still ticking well enough. Some minor ailments but okay.

So should we be happy to be alive and able to age?

I would rather be here and part of life. With family and friends and interests life is good. 

I do not need razzle dazzle. But enough to keep me going.

So aging not quite with grace as I really do not know what that means.

So we are bombarded with anti-aging products, ideas and thoughts. 

But is aging a dirty word? I ask again. 

I like to be part of my grandchildren's lives. I like to know new songs, movies and ideas. 

I like the fact I can keep learning. Reading. Writing. I even registered for another online course. And I will do the tests and assignments. Yikes at my age. A challenge.

Maybe some local travel or maybe a trip somewhere!! 2023 is still young. 

The opposite of anti-aging is death. Die young and beautiful. Or age and live.

I chose the latter. How about you?

#antiagingstuff#agewithgrace#isagingaterriblething#beingpartoflife#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#happytobealiveandaging

CANADA FLAG DAY- FEBRUARY 15, 1965 AND STILL TICKING

 Do you remember the debate about the flag?

The designs that were presented.

Some still wanted the British flag.

Others were ready for the change.

Then voila the flag as we know it today.

On plates and napkins.

Red and white are so vivid.

As a reminder when someone dies. These flags at half mast were for the Queen. September 2022.

At events the flag reigns.

#canadianflag#february151965#ourbeautifulflag#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

VALENTINE'S- A DAY TO REMEMBER LOVE OR JUST ANOTHER DAY

 So the debate is whether Valentine's is a true love day or just another cash grab.

My point of view is it depends on the person or couple.

Flowers.

Chocolates.

Cards and maybe a dinner out or take out in!!

Having a sweetheart to celebrate love is always a good thing.

But pressure can be had.

The year I was graduating from university Adolph bought me a clock radio, card and something else. I told the psychiatrist on the team and he said what is he hiding. I said what did you get your wife? He had not got her anything and rethought his comment to me. I used that clock radio for many years and still have  it! I use a different radio now. 

I remember being in West Kelowna arranging for flowers for my mother's funeral in 2012. The number of men who arrived at the Flower Shop to get flowers last minute was incredible. 

Then we went to Super Centre to order platters of food for the wake. A store clerk was sitting at a table with a pile of roses waiting for men to arrive.

It was the first Valentine's I was away from Adolph. We did talk on the phone. 

Another time he was in hospital and we celebrated bed side. 

The last Valentine together I bought my own flowers from him.

Now I remember the good times and put out a previous Valentine Card from my sweetie.

But being sweet and saying you love each other often is a good thing!

How about you? How do you celebrate?

#valentineday#howdoyoucelebrate#rememberingpastcelebrations#makeyourowncelebrations#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

A DAY OF ORGANIZING IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS BINDERS AND ENVELOPES AND WELL PURGING

 I have a habit of keeping lots of stuff.

But items that were over 10 years were purged today.

Also some accounts that no longer have relevance.

If I were a famous person and every scrape of paper I have would be put in a museum well maybe keep everything.

After 4 hours I feel very liberated. I now know what I need to get organized in my affairs for my daughters when the time comes for them to take care of my estate.

I really feel good that the stuff that I threw out made less work for them.

I spent time helping to clear out my mother-in-law's stuff. My parents' home took so much time. I made a promise to myself that I would not leave everything for my girls.

I have so many corners to attack this February. 

I have made February the clean the cluttered corners of my life month. Organized the photos. Getting the grandchildren's memory boxes better organized.

How about you? Are you cleaning out the cluttered corners of your life?

#gettingridofstuff#cleaningtheclutteredcorners#makinglifeeasyforanyonesettlingmyestate#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

WHAT ARE YOUR FIVE WORST JOB INTERVIEWS?

 In my 43 year career as a Social Worker, I had copious job interviews. Of course many of them led to real jobs.

For some more than one interview. Screening one. The shortlisted etc.

Most interviews were okay but some stand out as quite horrendous. Considering they were for a profession where sensitivity and non-judgemental attitudes were supposed to prevail it is surprising isn't it that some interviews were less than professional.

1. York-Finch Hospital- A child and perinatal position. The whole Social Work department needed to be in the interview. There was an air of anger in the room. The position needed was because the worker had gone to a conference in the States and obtained an offer for a new job. From the beginning one worker stated we do not like change and anyone starting here will have to do things the way they have always been done. Basically they wanted a clone of the person that was leaving. The icing on the cake was when the question about how I handled conflict was answered. One person did not like my answer and said that is not how we do things here. So I questioned what do you do! She answered we chew it up- meaning conflict and spit it out. I looked at another worker and asked is that what you do! Very adamantly she stated yes. So I looked at the first worker and said give me an example and you say it to her indicating the second worker and show me how you chew it up and spit it out! A person I knew from another work encounter, put her head down and tried not to laugh out loud at what I did. She knew me and knew I had had enough of that bitchy interview. As soon as I left the interview, I had decided I really did not want to work with that team- ever!

2. North York General Hospital- Professional Practice position. I was screened by a perky 25 something HR person that determined I was good enough to go to the next round. I was told there would be 3 people interviewing. So when I entered the room and saw a long table with about 15 people I was perplexed. It was explained that everyone on the Social Work team needed to be involved. Many questions were fired at me and not in a friendly manner. After a lengthy duration of questions, I was asked if I had any questions.  When I asked what did you like about working at this place, every head went down with people looking at the table. One finally said she liked the team she was on. No one said they loved working there. When the interview was almost finished, one part-time person looked at my resume stating I see there are some gaps in your work history. Can you explain them? Funny because I had informed them earlier about gaps- time off with my children's births and layoffs that made me job hunt. Again it was asked in a very condescending way. When the HR person phoned a few days later to say I was the second selection but did not get the job. I was okay with the rejection. She asked if I wanted to know why I did not get the job. I simply said No and ended the conversation.

3. Children's Aid- Toronto North York Branch- Child Welfare Worker. I was returning to work after being at home for almost a year with my first child. I was into child care and baby care so had been reading and writing while home with my baby. The branch manager and a supervisor were interviewing. Every time when I would offer some new insights into child knowledge, the supervisor would challenge the simplest statement as if any ideas of my parenting knowledge and skills sucked. Even as I tried to sugar coat and say my answers in a kind way she would jump on me.

4. Markham Stouffville Hospital. A psychiatric Social Work position. It was a Friday and the interviewers all had casual Friday attire- yes blue jeans and casual tops. I had gone to the interview with a business suit. The interview was in a small room almost like a broom closet. I had been asked questions on my general knowledge of Social Work as if it was a First Year Quiz. The hospital was new at that time and there were doing a hiring blitz.

5. Blue Hills- Aurora. Supervisor and therapist position. Imagine going for a Supervisor position that needed many years of experience and one of the interviewers wanted to do a Role Play to assess my interview skills. "Mary" the client was the interviewee and I was the interviewer. I felt like I was in Social Work 101 class. Quite insulting. I asked several times this is for the supervisor position, correct. There were no management or supervisory questions at all. The pay was barely a penny more that what I was already making.

I have had interviews where the interviewer took phone calls; did not read my resume asking to describe all my work experiences that were clearly on the resume and challenged any answer I made.

One of the reasons I like being retired is the fact I have a pension and do not need to worry about applying for another job to earn an income.

How about you? What are your five worst job interviews?

#worstjobinterviews#jobhuntingsucksbigtime#didyoureadtheresume#socialworkersshouldbekinderinajobinterview#gladnottobejobhunting#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

GETTING MY GROOVE BACK-ON A ROLL

 I feel like I have passed by the down side of my life.

I feel Adolph's presence. He wants me to live and be.

So with my community activities keeping me busy I have expanded what I will do with them.

So if interested, write me about-

Richmond Hill Arts Council

Richmond Hill Historical Society

Celebrating 50 years of serving the Richmond Hill community.

Check out my Facebook page as well for details of Speakers.

York Region Branch- Ontario Ancestors/Ontario Genealogical Society

Kawartha Branch- Ontario Ancestors/Ontario Genealogical Society

Heritage Committee- City of Richmond Hill- 2023-2026 Term.

Family comes first. So any involvement with my family members.

I had another sweet sleepover with two of my youngest grandchildren.

Connecting with family and friends regularly is so important.

Of course writing and more writing of posts, family stories, short stories.

How about you? Do you have involvement you have been avoiding?

#communityinvolvementkeepsmebusy#richmondhillhisoricalsociety#richmondhillartscouncil#yorkregionbranchontarioancestors#yorkregionbranchontariogenealogicalsociety#kawarthabranchontarioancestors#kwarthabranchontariogenealogicalsociety#heritagecommitteecityofrichmondhill#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#familycomesfirst#sleepoverswithgrandchildren#grandchildrenarethebest 

OH CANADA-GROND HOG DAYAND AMERICA TOO

 In Ontario we have Wiarton Willie to help decide if Spring is around the corner or 6 more weeks of winter.

How did a little ground hog become the predicator of seasonal changes?

Wiarton in beautiful Bruce County Ontario.

And here's Willie!

#wiartonwillie#groundhogday#trustingagroundhogwithweatherpredictions#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

FEBRAURY THE MONTH OF LOVE AND COLOUR RED

 Valentines gives us a break in the midst of winter.

Celebrating Valentine is okay even if you do not have a sweetheart. You can have sweethearts as family members or grandchildren or friends.

Any excuse to eat chocolate or have pretty flowers or just to celebrate with a good meal is okay.

But February gives time to enjoy those winter activities. 

Skate, Ski. Snowboard. Rubber tube. Walk to get fresh air. Exercise of some kind.

My main one has been shoveling my driveway.

The month gives time to do more indoor activities until it is time to do outdoor cleanup.

What will the month bring?

#february#februaryoutdooractivities#enjoyingthewinter#beingpartofwinteractivities#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

FEBRUARY THE MONTH OF LOVE BUT ALSO MORE WINTER BLUES

 Even though there is a fun time with the hoopla of Valentine Day celebrations February is a sad month for suicides.

So when celebrating reach out to others and say connected. 

Social isolation during winter months prevail,

Do you know someone that suffers from depression? Check in with that person.

#febraury#suicidesprevail#socialisolationprevailsinwinter#sufferingfromdepression#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro