Thoughts on Dentists and Music

Just returned from the dentist where I had a filling which was leaking fixed. I have not had any dental work for about two years with any freezing so I as I type, my mouth or at least the left side of my mouth, my lips and my tongue are still frozen. It is an interesting sensation as the freezing starts to wear off and the tingling sensation creep into my consciousness. 

The Dentist is friendly, as is his assistant, I was in and out of there in about 20 minutes with a precaution not to eat for about an hour. I can do that, yesterday I went for blood tests and made the mistake of not going in the morning. I was required to fast for 10 hours before the appointment, but I was not able to get in until the late afternoon. The receptionist, when she calculated the time I had been fasting was surprised that I had fasted for 20 hours.

I talked about this before, I was moving on slow down time and it gave me pause to think about the people who have no choice in when they eat. We are very lucky in Canada but we forget sometimes how lucky we are, so if you can please continue to support your Local Food Bank. There are many of our neigbours and friends who use and need these services.

As I was sitting in the Dentists chair, the Dental Hygienist said, I think I was born in the wrong generation, I love my parents music--she was of course talking about my generations music. Our music touched our soul and still touches our children and our grandchildren soul. I think because the music of the boomers was trying to find out who we were and what we valued. The music did not just talk to the right or to the left, but reached us all.

Happy Valentines day

My wish is that for all of you that today is a day that you take the time to tell the people who are important to you that you care for them and how much they mean to you. I have many people in my life that I care for and I feel lucky to have these people in my life.

When we were younger, many of us looked forward to giving and getting Valentine cards, because they were, for some of us, an indicator of what others thought of us and that people cared about us.

Reach out, tell someone that you care for them, enjoy the day and keep in mind that any act of kindness will be appreciated and perhaps rewarded by the universe.

Happy Valentines day to all my friends, family, and readers.

Ideas for Valentine Day for kids

Children love to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their friends. This is the day of the

year that they can show their friends how much they mean to them. One of the  best crafts that your children can do is to make homemade Valentine’s Day cards to hand out at school. There is no need to spend money on the boring store bought  cards when your children can make cards.

Start out by helping your children to cut out card sized hearts for the cards. The hearts can be cut from red and pink construction paper. The front of the heart can decorated with stickers, glitter and even ribbon to make each homemade Valentine card special. A personal note written on the back and signed by your child finishes the back of the card.

Your children will need a way to carry their homemade Valentine’s Day cards to school. A special Valentine’s Day tote bag will be the best thing to carry cards to school and bring all of their cards back home. Start this simple craft with a paper grocery bag. Attach ribbons to the top of the bag to make handles for the Valentine’s Day tote bag. The tote bag it self can be decorated with cut out hearts, markers, ribbons, glitter and stickers.

Your children can make special treat bags to go with each of the Valentine’s cards that they hand out. Start by choosing either chocolate candies or conversation hearts to fill the treat bags. You can get pink and red color tulle from your local craft store that can be cut into squares to make the treat bags. Place the square of tulle on the table. In the center of the square, you can help your children to place a small pile of candy. Finish off the treat bags by pulling up the sides and tying them together with ribbon.

Create homemade chocolate candies for friends. The school may not let you bring these treats because they are homemade but your child can take them to a Valentine’s Day party at a friend’s house or a church gathering. Many stores offer kits that include the candy molds and instructions for melting the chocolate. Another idea is to create chocolate spoons. They can be used as stirrers in hot chocolate since February is technically still the winter season.

Many children like to give Valentine’s Day gifts to their teachers. There are a few gifts that your children can make for the many teachers that they have. The first gift idea is to give the teacher her own special candy stash. This usually works best with small chocolate candies but can be done with any type. Start with a clean dry mayonnaise jar with the label removed. Fill the jar with the candy that you have chosen to use. Cover the lid with a square piece of fabric in colors that remind syou of Valentine’s Day. Tie the cloth onto the lid with a ribbon. You can help your children to print up labels for the jar saving a special message for the teacher.

The second gift that you can help your children make for their teachers is cookie bouquets. Start by helping your children to bake heart shaped sugar cookies. Before you bake the cookies you will want to place a wooden dowel into them to make the stem for the heart flowers. Ice the cookies with red and pink icing and allow the icing to set. Place a piece of floral foam in the bottom of a container to set your flower cookies in. Arrange your heart cookie flowers to finish this gift with your children.

A final gift option for your children to give their teacher is a Valentine’s Day apron. Start out by getting a plain apron from a craft store or cooking store. You will want to make sure that the fabric that you choose for the aprons will take paint. Have your children use paint pens to decorate the Valentine’s Day apron for their teacher. This is a great craft to let your children’s creativity flow.

Modern Aging: Know the 10 signs of Alzheimer's

By: SHERRY PETERSON, KATIE GILSTRAP, published in the Richmond Times dispatch on December 10

 

Many of us will be visiting parents and other aging family members this holiday season. And while preparing for those visits may include cooking, wrapping and packing, it also might include familiarizing yourself with the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's disease:

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life. People with Alzheimer's often forget recently learned information.
• Challenges in planning or solving problems. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or tracking monthly bills
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work or at leisure, such as using a microwave.Confusion with time or place. Losing track of dates, seasons and the passage of time.
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. Difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast.
• New problems with words. Struggling with vocabulary, problems finding the right word or calling things by the wrong name.
• Misplacing things; unable to retrace steps.
• Decreased or poor judgment. Changes in judgment or decision-making.
• Withdrawal from work or social activities. Removing themselves from hobbies, social activities, projects or sports.
• Changes in mood and personality. The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They may develop very specific ways of doing things and become irritable when a routine is disrupted.

If you notice any of these signs, encourage your loved one to schedule a doctor's appointment as soon as possible. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias will help your loved one get the maximum benefit from available treatments as well as offer your family more time to plan for the future.

For information on Alzheimer's disease and support resources, visit liftcaregiving.com.

Unlocking Your Self Improvement Power

When we look at a certain object, a painting for example – we won’t be able to appreciate what’s in it, what is painted and what else goes with it if the painting is just an inch away from our face. But if we try to take it a little further, we’ll have a clearer vision of the whole artwork.

We reach a point in our life when we are ready for change and a whole bunch of information that will help us unlock our self-improvement power. Until then, something can be staring us right under our nose but we don’t see it. The only time we think of unlocking our self-improvement power is when everything got worst.

Take the frog principle for example.

Try placing Frog A in a pot of boiling water. What happens? He twerps! He jumps off! Why? Because he is not able to tolerate sudden change in his environment – the water’s temperature. Then try Frog B: place him in a lukewarm water, then turn the gas stove on. Wait until the water reaches a certain boiling point. Frog B then thinks “Ooh… it’s a bit warm in here”.

People are like Frog B in general. Today, Anna thinks Carl hates her. Tomorrow, Patrick walks up to her and told her he hates her. Anna stays the same and doesn’t mind her what her friends says. The next day, she learned that Kim and John also abhors her. Anna doesn’t realize at once the importance and the need for self-improvement until the entire community hates her.

We learn our lessons when we experience pain. We finally see the warning signs and signals when things get rough and tough. When do we realize that we need to change diets? When none of our jeans and shirts would fit us. When do we stop eating candies and chocolates? When all of our teeth has fallen off. When do we realize that we need to stop smoking? When our lungs have gone bad. When do we pray and ask for help? When we realize that we’re gonna die tomorrow.

Self-Discipline The control you need to take control

How do you attain self-discipline? A few options could be regular exercise, better, healthier eating, even learning to spend less money. It could be something like deciding to learn something new every single day or just getting up an hour earlier than you normally would.

Having self-discipline will help you to complete the most boring and mundane of the tasks you are focusing on. Should you find yourself sitting and thinking thoughts like “Oh, I’ll just do this instead” or “I can do that some other time” when you are working on your goals then STOP, take a deep breath and remember your self-discipline.

The end of the story? You can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be and go where you want to go. All you need is confidence in yourself and the ability to focus. I’ve now given you ideas on how to do that so go on;

Get out there and DO it!

25 tips toward boosting your confidence and self esteem.

23. List:

Write a list of every single thing you're good at, anything from clipping the dog’s toenails to putting up a shelf. Take the time to sit and actually think about what you ARE good at and add them all to the list. You'll be surprised at how many things you end up jotting down, no matter how minor or trivial they may seem at the time.

Whenever you have a spare 5 minutes, or if you're feeling a little low, take the list out of your pocket and read it. This is a great little way to give yourself a nice confidence boost.

24: Help out:

There are lots of ways to help others, and feeling useful and helpful are great ways of building your confidence. Just make sure you do things because you WANT to do them. You could call a good friend who may be down at the moment-even take them out for coffee, you will brighten both your days, or you could possibly help out at an old folks home or similar. Knowing that people appreciate your help will boost your confidence for sure.

25: Show the way:

Think of the one thing you do best of all. Think long and hard about this one. Thought of something? Now, find a discussion group or similar related to that topic and spread your wisdom by answering questions, offering advice or help to anybody needing it. If you can’t find a group, you could even start one yourself.

People will look up to you and that will give you all the more reason to feel confident about yourself

25 tips toward boosting your confidence and self esteem.

15. Say Hello:

Make it a rule to say hi to at least one person you don't know EVERY day. Give them the smile you flash at yourself in the mirror, the biggest and best one you can find. They’ll smile back automatically, and they’ll walk away with a little extra confidence boost thanks to you.

People look their best when they smile, and they also feel better by smiling too! This ultimately means you get a confidence boost too, for making someone else feel good about themselves.

16. Never Say Never....Ever:

If you think something can’t be done, then you'll end up proving yourself right eventually. So never say never, just keep plugging along until it works for you.

If other people are telling you it can’t be done, you're going to feel such immense satisfaction at actually doing it that your confidence will soar.

17. Get Active:

Don't sit around the house just doing nothing. Get up, go out, cycling, walking, exercising, anything that might invigorate your brain. A lively brain full of thoughts will help you gain confidence.

18. “Happy Foods”:

Happy foods, such as chocolate, strawberries, lemons, ice-cream etc will increase the serotonin levels in your brain, leading to an increased feeling of happiness.

Feeling happy is a natural confidence boost. So go on, enjoy your food! (in moderation, of course).

19. Face Your Fear:

Is there something you are afraid of? Face it full on. Doing something scary and overcoming the fear is a fantastic way to boost your confidence. So go on, jump out of that plane (with a parachute of course), drive that car, speak in front of a large crowd, ask for a promotion, or whatever it is that scares you. You'll feel absolutely brilliant once it’s done

What are you going to do with the rest of your life?

My brother-in-law has a simple yet effective visual which he uses to explain why people should retire or move on things they are waffling on. First here is a chart of life expectancy in various countries (The pic is from this link and was posted on November 10, 2007 by Greg Mankiw

 So back to the visual

============================================================

0          10        20        20        40        50        60        70        77.3

==============================================

0          10        20        20        40        50        60    65            77.3

                                                                              X (where I am on the scale)

If you are a Canadian your average life expectancy is 77.3 years. So if you take your age and show it on the chart you will see how much time you have left. The question to ask is how many of those years are productive healthy years and how many will be spent battling sickness. My chart is below the age expectancy chart. My brother in law uses a tape measure for greater effect. Try it at home. Take a tape measure and using the chart above measure out your life expectancy, then check how much time you have left. The last few years will go quickly, so use them wisely as there is no second chance at life

The good news is the younger you are the longer you may live. The chart below shows the life expectancy of those born in the various decades in Canada since 1920 by sex and by province. So if you want to be exact then use the figures below when you create your own measurement. It may make you feel better.

Health-adjusted life expectancy, by sex

	20011
	Life expectancy at birth2	Health-adjusted life expectancy at birth3	Difference
	years
Canada4
Males	76.9	68.3	8.6
Females	82.0	70.8	11.2
Difference between females and males	5.1	2.5	...
Newfoundland and Labrador
Males	75.1	68.4	6.7
Females	80.4	70.2	10.2
Difference between females and males	5.3	1.8	...
Prince Edward Island
Males	75.2	67.3	7.9
Females	82.0	71.7	10.3
Difference between females and males	6.8	4.4	...
Nova Scotia
Males	76.2	66.5	9.7
Females	81.3	70.1	11.2
Difference between females and males	5.1	3.6	...
New Brunswick
Males	76.0	67.4	8.6
Females	81.8	70.9	10.9
Difference between females and males	5.8	3.5	...
Quebec
Males	76.3	69.0	7.3
Females	82.1	72.0	10.1
Difference between females and males	5.8	3.0	...
Ontario
Males	77.3	68.2	9.1
Females	82.0	70.1	11.9
Difference between females and males	4.7	1.9	...
Manitoba
Males	75.5	66.7	8.8
Females	81.2	70.4	10.8
Difference between females and males	5.7	3.7	...
Saskatchewan
Males	76.2	67.3	8.9
Females	81.7	70.2	11.5
Difference between females and males	5.5	2.9	...
Alberta
Males	77.0	67.6	9.4
Females	82.1	69.7	12.4
Difference between females and males	5.1	2.1	...
British Columbia
Males	78.0	68.9	9.1
Females	82.9	71.2	11.7
Difference between females and males	4.9	2.3	...
1. The estimates are based on two years of death data (2000 and 2001). 2. Life expectancy is the number of years a person would be expected to live, starting at birth, if the age- and sex-specific mortality rates for a given observation period (such as a calendar year) were held constant over the estimated life span. 3. Health-adjusted life expectancy is a more comprehensive indicator than that of life expectancy because it introduces the concept of quality of life. Health-adjusted life expectancy is the number of years in full health that an individual can expect to live given the current morbidity and mortality conditions. Health-adjusted life expectancy uses the Health Utility Index (HUI) to weigh years lived in good health higher than years lived in poor health. Thus, health-adjusted life expectancy is not only a measure of quantity of life but also a measure of quality of life. Life expectancy at birth, by sex, by province Males Females years Canada 1920 to 1922 59 61 1930 to 1932 60 62 1940 to 1942 63 66 1950 to 1952 66 71 1960 to 1962 68 74 1970 to 1972 69 76 1980 to 1982 72 79 1990 to 1992 75 81 2000 to 2002 77 82 2005 to 2007 Canada 78 83 Newfoundland and Labrador 76 81 Prince Edward Island 78 83 Nova Scotia 77 82 New Brunswick 77 83 Quebec 78 83 Ontario 79 83 Manitoba 77 82 Saskatchewan 77 82 Alberta 78 83 British Columbia 79 84 Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 102-0512 and Catalogue no. 84-537-XIE. Last modified: 2010-06-21. For more information, consult Health in Canada

Santa in July?

Here's a short story about how to become your own Santa this year.
The message is simple. It was delivered in the late 1960s by Glenn W Turner.  It goes like this . . .

"I remember I wrote to Santa Claus when I was nine years old.  My cousin wrote to Santa Claus and I wrote my letter exactly like his.

I asked for a new pony because that's what he asked for and he was pretty smart and I decided to follow him. Christmas morning I didn't have no new pony but he had a new pony.

I knew Santa Claus must have made a mistake because I was just as good as he was so I didn't bother worrying about it.Next year I wrote to Santa Claus and I asked him for a bicycle
 because that's what my cousin asked for.

I looked at his letter and I spelled it exactly right and got the right address because I wasn't too bright in school.

The next morning no bicycle but he had the most beautiful red  and white bike with the bebop birds on it and the flaps and the whole works.

I went out behind the barn and I cried most of that day.

He wouldn't even let me play with his bicycle.

The next year I wrote and I asked for a new rifle, and he asked for a new rifle and the same story.

All I got was apples and oranges.

I went out behind the barn and I said, "Okay Santa, if that's the way you want to play it. From that day on I made up my mind to become my own Santa Claus.

I challenge you to become your own Santa Claus. I challenge you to get out of life what you and your family deserve.

Tuit

My thanks to Patrick for giving me my own tuit so I thought I would pass this on to you although I have to say I received this gift from Patrick on April 22, and I finally got around to passing it on. So some of you may be like me and have some issues with procrastination!  If so, I found just the thing for you. 

 I got you your very own tuit!  Think of it as my gift to you.

 (PS: I get the feeling that the tuit is a very old idea, but when I saw it for the first time in April I thought I'd share!)

 

What makes you feel alive?

The above question was posted on one of the email lists I subscribe to and I thought Amy had a wonderful answer that struck a chord with me.  What struck me in reading her response is that it is the simple things in life that help her and me and perhaps you. We sometimes get caught up in the struggles of life, the politics of dispair, rather than the joys of life and the politics of hope. Enjoy!

I feel  very peaceful today, and I think I can give it a more accurate response.

The ocean. Listening to the waves, feeling the sand beneath my feet, the  breeze blowing my hair back, smelling the saltspray... and those waves. Endless depths of beauty and majesty. They can seem chaotic when I'm in a sad or grief-stricken place, but they are also beautiful beyond words.

Reading a good book. Letting myself dive beneath its pages, get swept away in the what-ifs. Getting to know the people so much that I cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, feel I know them, feel let-down when the book ends, as if I'm brought back to the mundain, the bland, as compared with that level of letting my mind go.

Puppies, kittens, my animals. I love cuddling them, feeling the cats purr, the dogs lick my feet or my hands or under my chin. I love pressing my hands to them and feeling their breaths being taken. I love when Toby (my black lab guide dog) gets up in the night, repositions himself, and presses himself against my legs. I almost can't sleep without that comforting body there beside me...

Young life. Something about that endless, amazed, curious wonder. Taking things in wit an innocence unmarred by pain or heartache, age, cynicism. Something about letting the little ones, whether or animal or human, snuggle into you. Being able to hold them, play with them.

Music. I've said for so long now that it runs in my veins. I'd be lost without it. I thank God every day that my hearing loss isn't such that I'll just go deaf one day. Music expresses what I cannot, allows me to get lost in it, gives me comfort or strength, or joy. It expresses even those dark, angry or agrieved emotions that lack words. It's beautiful. Simple, intricate, amazing, soothing...

Writing. Often, the depths of my soul can be poured out in it, when words, the audible ones that require me to think how I want them to sound, fail me. I feel that so many people don't understand that longing to just write, to let go and say what's on my heart is more natural this way, or through singing. It's as if I can speak more openly, without fear of how I'll be erceived or judged or misunderstood. I can organize my thoughts in ways speaking does not allow. It gives me a freedom and a creativity, whereas speaking requires more focus, more rigidity. I feel alive when I write, because it's speaking the essence of who I am, not who I want others to think I am.

Building Creativity

Do you think you are not a creative person?  You actually might think you are creative and really not be at all. If you want to live out your passions and make them a reality then you need to be creative.  There are many ways you will need to creatively tackle barriers and make things happen.  The more creative you are the more successful you will be in your life.  Here are a few ways you can build creativity in your life.

Make creativity a game in everything you do.  When you come upon a circumstance you should give yourself the rules.  Think about the objectives and any obstacles or strategic constraints that might be a problem.  The more creative you are with these answers the better you are. 

When you are creative you also have to set goals.  Goals go with deadlines and you need to set a deadline with activities.  When you attach a deadline with tasks it actually makes them more exciting.  You also won’t procrastinate as much either.

Self expression is a very important aspect also.  You need to find every opportunity to express yourself that you can in a creative fashion.  Not only in a creative fashion but every opportunity.  When you look for opportunities to express yourself you are being creative in the process. 

Expressing yourself can be in the way you display dinner on the plate.  You might choose to dress up the meal with cranberries and garnishes.  You may change the way you do a presentation at work and completely changing the style from the way your work does it.  View every activity as a way to express yourself and be creative. 

Allow more focus in your life.  The best things you can do for yourself is eliminating distractions and noise when you focus on an activity.  When you focus on an activity really hard you will see opportunities and qualities about it.  If you really cannot pay attention to something then it really is boring.  Again, find ways to make it exciting. 

When you are working on activities that seem like they are boring then you should view them as smaller pieces of a bigger picture.  You need to see the big picture of things and every aspect of an activity.

Walk around your home

If you are having a hard time figuring out what your true passion is it may be sitting right in front of you.  You may have collections of items like figurines, magazines, hobbies you like to do on the weekends and more. Take a look around your home and see if some of the decorations are a clue to what your true passion is.  You might be surprised you have surrounded yourself with items and not even realized it.

Developing Curiosity to find your passion

If you consider yourself to be curious but you are in a routine of the same thing everyday and basically bored with life you are not really curious.  You may in fact be moving toward being boring.  You can develop curiosity to help you become a more exciting person and see the life you can have.  Once you become curious and you really want to know what your life will be like when you take your passions and make them happen you will be more likely to make them happen.

Keeping an open mind is the best thing you can do when you are developing your curiosity.  You have to be an open minded person.  If you are set in your ways most of the time this may be the most difficult task.  Work on seeing things from a different point of view.  Think about different versions of things and how they could end up. 

Another thing you need to do when you are developing your curiosity is to never take things for granted.  Many people accept things for how they are.  They never dig deeper and they lose they entire curiosity and excitement. 

Many things are a really big deal and although it may seem simple to you it is important.  Your child may want to do something that seems so ridiculous.  It is about the time spent and you should never take these things for granted because they may not be available to you later.  These also include wasting time in your life watching television when you could be working toward your passions.

Constantly ask questions.  As you are developing your curiosity, it is important to ask questions.  Who cares what people think about you?  You are working on you and you need to be curios.   This will allow you to get beneath the surface of things. Ask about how things work and why people are friends of each other. 

Find out as much as you can about everything.  Not only are you working your brain but you are learning new things and developing an understanding also.  You are learning about why people do the things they do.  Although you might do something one way people may choose to do it another.  This is the opening of your mind you need to do.

Never label something as boring. If you are asked to do something with someone else and you think it sounds drab you need to get up and tackle it as if it is a lot of fun.  Being bored is an internal state of mind. Things are only boring wehn you think they are boring.  Labeling an activity or chore as boring completely closes the doors to something that might be your passion.  In addition, you can think of ways to take that boring activity and make it fun.

Look at learning as something fun.  There are many things about your passion you might need to learn.  You might have put off your passion because it will require you to take a few courses.  It is very common for people to think they are too old to learn new things and they don’t follow a passion because of this.  You are never too old to learn new things.  The best thing you can do is continue your learning by reading as much as you can and learning new things. 

You should never put a passion off because of learning.  What you need to do is tackle the learning as a fun experience that is going to help you achieve a goal in the long run.  Being curious is learning.  You are in a lifelong class and learning new things every single day.  So if you have to take a class or read a book to learn something new, tackle it with a new attitude of excitement and fun.  You will learn much more than you would if you thought the learning was a burden.

Reading new things is another way to feed your curiosity and develop it.  You might like to focus on just one thing but you should be open to as many different topics and things as possible when it comes to reading.  This can help you build your curiosity even further.  If you do find you like to focus on just one thing then you might have found your passion.

Wandering in the wood and serendipity

As part of my daily routine I walk about 6 to 7 km a day and when I was in Australia I did this every day. My daughter lives in a small community of about 100 people in the Alpine region of Victoria State. My daily routine, was that I would walk from her place to a general store in Mirimba,  which was about 7 km return. One day I decided to change the routine and walk in the forested area that Adam had told me about. I walked to a park which was about 2 km from my daughters house, and then started on one of the trails.

The sign at the beginning of the five km walk said there would be historical artifacts and buildings along the path that were left over from the logging done in the earlier part of the last century. I was curious so I set out on the path and was hopeful of finding some artifacts. As I went along the path deeper into the woods, I knew I would be longer than usual but as I walked early in the morning only my wife would know if I was later than normal.

I had not said that I was changing my normal walk so that if I was late she would think I was walking along the highway to the store. It was a beautiful fall day about 18 degrees with the sun shining on the trees. As I walked I noticed the odd piece of machinery and other small artifacts. About 3 km into the walk, I noticed a narrow path snaking into the woods along to a small hill and I thought I noticed a small shack about 300 yards along the path. So being curious I wandered off the main walk and went along the path. As I approached the shack, I noticed that there was mosquito netting along the front of the shack. As I went closer I noticed that there were shelves on the inside of the shack filledr with canned goods.

I thought to myself that this was probably someones supply shack and so I glanced in and did not see anyone and then turned to go. As I turned to go I heard a loud voice say "Hello". I jumped about three feet and returned the greeting  looking around to see where the voice had come from. I could not see anyone in front of  me, behind me or on the hill above me. The voice continued, "No I am in here," I turned back to the shack and looked in again and I could see at the back of the shack, sitting on a bed was a man in his early fifties. 

He asked me some questions, without leaving the back of the shack,  about what I was doing and I explained that I was visiting my new grandson and that I was from Canada and enjoying the walk. He asked me if I had enough water and was indicated that he was willing to share his water with me, if I needed it.  We talked about the joy and meaning of life and the wonder of nature and the peace of the forest. He asked if I was a "true believer". I was not sure of how I should answer this question, but since he did not ask if I was a 'true believe in a God" I answered yes, as I am a true believer in the good of  humans.  He then came off of his bed and approached the entrance and handed me a piece of cardboard with a verse from the Bible written in pencil on it.

I realized at that moment that he had been more afraid of me, then I of him. However, once he had established that I was a "true believer" he relaxed and was willing to come out to see me. I thanked him for his kindness and conversation and continued along my walk.

When I returned to my daughters home I asked her about the man, and she indicated that he was a local hermit living somewhere in the woods but every know and then he would come into the community to knock on doors and spread the word of God to the people. She said he was harmless but she was surprised I had found his home as not very many people knew where he lived.

I love the serendipity moments of life, and the wonderful characters that come into our paths and that enrich our souls and make life so exciting. I thought that my grandson will be growing up in a very special community that tolerates and perhaps celebrates those that are different and unique.

Perception

THE SITUATION

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

About 3 minutes:

A middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. 

About 4 minutes: 

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 

At 6 minutes: 

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on

quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: 

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. 

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

 This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. 

This experiment raised several questions: 

• In a commonplace environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? 
• If so, do we stop to appreciate it? 
• Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: 

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .. 

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Enjoy life! 

GOOD ADVICE — but will we take it?

My thanks to Sheila Gair, Editor, of the Retired Teachers Magazine for the following post:

I was clearing a drawer the other day and found a yellowing newspaper clipping. I read it and realised why I had kept it, and felt it was worth sharing. It was from an Ann Landers column of decades ago and was from a reader in Buffalo, New York.

1. When my children tell me I should no longer drive, I will believe them and quit, because I know they love me.
2. When it becomes apparent that I need extra help, I will accept it from outsiders because my children cannot do everything. They have other obligations beyond my daily care.

3. It is up to me to make my life fulfilling. It is not my children’s responsibility. I must stay active and learn to entertain myself so I do not become a burden to them.

4. If my children tell me I am becoming confused and that it is no longer safe for me to be alone, I will believe them and not become defensive.

5. If I am unable to get along with my children, I will seek counselling so we can learn to manage the changes in my life together.

6. I will get my legal affairs in order and trust the advice of professionals so there will be no problems about money or property down the road.

7. I will not constantly complain about feeling poorly. My children cannot fix my health, and such complaints are emotionally draining for them to hear.

8. My children are not my indentured servants. I will remember to thank them for everything they do for me and I will do loving things in return.

9. I will avoid making my children feel guilty. Age is no excuse for insults and manipulative behaviour.

10. For as long as I can, I wifi take good care of myself physically, dress well and carry myself with dignity. Nothing saddens a child more than to witness parents who give up on how they present themselves.

A dog's story

My Thanks to Derwyn for this story
 

IT'S LONG AND PROBABLY WILL BRING SOME TEARS..

To all the dog lovers.  This is well worth taking the time to read.

They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie, as I looked at him lying in his pen.. The shelter was clean, no-kill, and the people really friendly. I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open.

Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too..

Maybe we were too much alike.

For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls --- he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes.

I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I'd get him new things once he settled in. But it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.

I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and "heel," and he'd follow them - when he felt like it.

He never really seemed to listen when I called his name --- sure, he'd look in my
direction after the fourth or fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever.

When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.

This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes.

I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell. The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for th e two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "damn dog probably hid it on me."

Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter...I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that? Come here and I'll give you a treat." Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction --- maybe "glared" is more accurate --- and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down .... with his back to me.

Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number.

But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope.

I had completely forgotten about that, too.

"Okay, Reggie," I said out loud,

"let's see if your previous owner has any advice."

_______________________________________


To
Whoever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter.

He knew something was different.

I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time... it's like he knew something was wrong.

And something is wrong...which is why I have to go to try to make it right.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.

First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier. Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.

Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff

already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones --- "sit," "stay," "come," "heel."

He knows hand signals: "back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left. "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down --- I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.

I trained Reggie with small food treats.

Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.

Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening. Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.

He's up on his shots.
Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with  yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet.

Good luck getting him in the car.

I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.

Finally, give him some time. I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.

Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new.

And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you....

His name's not Reggie.

I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie.

He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it

and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it me ans everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well ... well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems.

His real name is "Tank".

Because that is what I drive.

Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with ... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq , that they make one phone.. call the shelter ... in the "event" ... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word.

Well, this letter is getting downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family ... but still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.  And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.

That unconditional love from a dog is what I take with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things ... and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I have to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.

All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.

Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me.  Thank you,

Paul Mallory

_____________________________________


I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope.

Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies.

Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.

"Hey, Tank," I said quietly.

The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.

"C'mere boy."

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months.

"Tank," I whispered.

His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.

"It's me now, Tank, just you and me.
Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. "So whatdaya say we play some ball?"

His ears perked again..
"Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?"

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room.

And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.