LIFE IS LIKE A GARAGE SALE

Life is like  a garage sale. Taking a risk to try to sell old treasures to new people. Not everything will sell but lots will go. Never judging why a buyer likes an item. Just -here you go sir! Take the money and be glad something is moving from the sale. Planning and advertising work but one does not know what brings in a buyer. Sometimes just passing by or saw your flyer. What doesn't sell can go to a variety of places- the curb, a charity box, pickup from such a charity or back in the garage for another time. Giving away to family and friends like good old fashioned trading helps to rid the stuff. A garage sale is just a drop in bucket of what remains in most people's homes. It is a good way to cleanse and declutter. Especially if a few dollars are made it can be worthwhile. Some sales have nicer customers than others. Depends on your neighbourhood! Grouping with some friends who bring their stuff to make for more fun. A street sale can be good too! Theme sales are good but it is better to try to be more eclectic with the stuff. Couples may be looking for a variety of items. If possible maybe rent a table at a flea market sometime to be more aggressive in selling! If it is a collectable, do not put it in a garage sale. Find a dealer who will give a better price or buy lots of things! Life with all its stuff! What to keep, what to sell and what to give away!

THE SUMMER SOLSTICE-THE CANADIAN SUMMER BEGINS

June 21st is the longest day of the year. The summer solstice! The first day of summer! How meaningful as we all look forward to the lazy, hazy days of summer. Changes in season always bring some reflections. Remembering other times in our lives when summer was so anticipated. As a young child waiting for the school year to end. Hoping I passed! Who would my teacher be the next year? Waiting to get my free ticket to the CNE-Canadian National Exhibition- that all school children received in the Toronto area! Sometimes being pulled from school early to go to Algonquin Park with my family to secure a good camping spot at Rock Lake. A week at Ball Point on Lake Scugog! In High School, writing exams! University-well into my summer job or jobs! Now this day is the birthday of one of my sweet grandsons! He turns 6 today! What new events and reflections will come from this summer! Canadians will be on the move soon- to the cottage, south to beaches and Disney World, to Europe for those adventures, cross Canada country trips and others enjoying their local events with meaningful staycations!  A change! More of the same! Dancing like our ancestors of old! Remembering my Celtic roots! Oh summer Solstice- bring it on!

HOME IS A PLACE TO CALL OUR OWN

There is no place like our home whether it is a mansion, a modest house, a condo or rented apartment. Even the basement at our parents! A place to hang our hat or other clothes! Where we cook and keep our stuff. Often making a family there! Losing our home can be a very devastating event! Through fire or floods or bad weather like a tornado, everything we have can be gone in a flash! We all have things that have emotional attachments or just necessities of life. The "home' is the container for those things. The word home brings up many different definitions. Warm feelings, sense of belonging and often safety from the world. Our home country! As many new immigrants and some old ones still feel out of place in their new home and long for the old one.  Home Sweet Home! Even a song-Country Roads Take me Home! People take trains, buses, planes and even drive to go home for the holidays! Home is where the heart is! What does the word home mean to you?

TAKING CONTROL IN OUR LIVES

Control and order in our lives well contained brings a sense of safety. However, it is difficult to obtain and our well ordered world can be undermined in a flash. Sensible dialogue at a meeting can change with snide comments or challenges. A storm can cause property damage. An accident can cause an injury. So how to cope in life without trying to hide from any dangers. Coping is knowing that there are possibilities for events that throw us on our butts. Having strategies that are individual to get through what life throws at you. Knowing this too shall pass! But what about the need for control! Taking control of our lives has been the subject of many books for decades. Ways to manage and feel good about ourselves. Telling us it is in our hands. But is control always in our hands. If your work wants to restructure and your division is on the list to be let go, did you have control? No! However, keeping your resume up to date and checking for other job opportunities on a regular basis can be a way to find some control so when the axe fell, you had some preparedness! Knowing the tasks are done so you can deal with the emotional piece. Keeping a work network! Strategies for self employment can help. Insurance on a house and contents will not replace any major loss completely but will help to move on and rebuild. The word control is an interesting idea and concept. It means different things to different people. Losing control can be very overwhelming emotionally and cause physical illness. Even if we have a false sense of control, it may be enough to get through the difficult times in our lives. I always tell people I dress colour coordinated because it is one of the few things I have absolute control over! Of course I am often met with frowns and looks of condescension but think about it! What do you feel gives you absolute control in your life?

NANA SAYS SUMMER IS COMING-ARE YOU READY?

With summer quickly approaching, parents have been busy with the June activities as well as gearing up for plans for the children. Being ahead of children's laments- I'm bored, there is nothing to do- can be challenging over the next couple of months. Time to accommodate skills like taking little ones to the beach or pool to practice swimming skills. Family bike rides. If lucky to be camping or at a cottage or lodge- time to learn that great Canadian skill- canoeing. Or rowing a boat! Water skiing can be the new skill acquired in the summer. Setting some goals for children with a reward at the end. Sounds a little like a bribe- well if it works use it. The old fashioned summer reading programme. Set an appropriate limit. "If you read 5 books then you get the reward the end of August!" A pretty summer journal to write down activities, thoughts, doodles etc can be fun for children. Especially on long car rides. I use a hard cover journal book, keeping it on my lap to record ideas, names of places, things I see on my road trips or even day trips. A large pen or pencil for children so they can write big on the pages works. What skill are you teaching-observation? Oh yes they could be glued to their favourite gadget and avoid looking out the window, but as parents it could be encouraged to use some opportunities to look and form some ideas and opinions outside of social media! I was discussing with one of my daughters about how unenjoyable summer was when they were little for the various reasons discussed. The pressure of the cost for camp, classes, taking vacation to be with my kids- two months or 8 or 9 weeks is a long time to try to keep children occupied and safe. I did buy summer activity books too that were fun to do with them. Use walks and picnics as a time to use natural items. Even on my walks home from work I have been collecting some nice size pine cones to use for summer crafts with the grandchildren. If not used they can be put in the barbecue fireplace in the Fall or saved for Christmas. Routine activities are good. Like every Wednesday you go to the Library to take out some books. Thursday is Ice Cream day- as examples. If home with the children for any period of time- household chores or some gardening to teach the skills of self reliance. Of course if your children are receiving an allowance- a little monetary incentive goes a long way. Have an item they want to purchase or have you purchase but let them save for it with the money from the paid activities. Another lesson-the value of earning money and how difficult it can be. The most important suggestion is to sit back and enjoy the time with your children. Life goes rapidly by and trying to create memories are good. Go to the same things every year and take that changing picture. I have some of my girls at one of my favourite places The Toronto Zoo. The panda picture from the 1980s is precious. I want to go with them now and take another picture with them at the Panda sign. Another favourite annual trip was to Black Creek Pioneer Village. So do the same things over and over each year as favourite family events. Those country fairs or large ones like the Canadian National Exhibition can be annual events. The local Canada Day celebrations are always good and inexpensive for everyone. I remember wanting to take the girls to the Fire works in their teens and they reluctantly came but discovered all their other teenage acquaintances were there- so it was cool to be there. For me remembering the lamenting of boredom does come to mind but I also remember some really good times. Like the time I took my girls- preteen with two friends to a rented cottage on Lake Simcoe and could be Mommy for a week with Adolph coming up midweek and on the weekend. My little rubber inflated row boat  with two people paddling in it was tons of fun. Summer can be a dirty word or a great word for parents. Planning activities that you too will enjoy rather than just tag along will make life more exciting and enjoyable.

CANADIAN BARNS-A SYMBOL OF THE LAND!

Our Canadian farms bring food to the table. A jaunt in the country always reminds us of the hard work of the farmers and their staff that work every day.I like barns with the variety of shapes they can have. The architecture can be a cultural design or modern. It makes me want to go hunting for barns in the country.

Some can seen off the highway so with your shutter on high speed there are a few opportunities to capture some photos.
Do you like barns? Their shape? Their use? The importance of the work held in them!

DAISY BRINGS A LITTLE HAPPINESS TO THE CANADIAN GARDEN

Season for the variety of daisies in the garden. Smaller than a Sunflower, it is a happy little flower. It adds some colour differently. Between the purple, yellow and red colours of others, the white draws our eye to it. Besides we can all play- he loves me, he loves me not! There are some wild ones that like to grow in my paths and in the garden. I leave them until they are finished flowering. Letting some wild ones abound allows their little seeds to go to the wind to grow elsewhere. Although I do not have a wild flower bed per se, I actually have several wild flowers growing so I feel I am doing my duty to save the natural growth. Of course, weeds do find their way too. Since the laws changed about what kind of week killer can be used , the weeds at the side of the roads are abundant and ugly. Needless to say they make their way to gardens. So when a few wild flowers that are actually pretty arrive, they are a wonderful addition. Thus the daisy with all its varieties is a June/July garden flower. Do you have daisies in your garden? What varieties do you have?