Happy Halloween

Growing up Halloween was a special time. I lived in rural community and Halloween was a big night, we would meet others and then start on about a 3 to 5 mile circle to make sure we hit all of the farms, and homes in the area of the community we could reach on foot.   

Costumes were important, because they showed off our individuality and our creativity. In the time before safety was a big issue, we had fireworks and firecrackers, and we used them to scare the younger kids and to show off. Lucky no one lost a hand or a finger or had their costume catch on fire; although one of my brothers did have a fire cracker land in his pillow case full of candy. I had to share when I got home. 

If someone did not give a treat, then we played a trick, which consisted of toilet paper rolls on hanging branches, very tame stuff.. If you were not in costume, no one would give you any treats, and even if you were in costume many neighbours delighted in having you perform. Sometimes you would tell a joke, or you may have been asked to sing a song. 

At the end of the night, everyone usually congregated at one of the houses where there would be food and always fireworks. So when my kids were little, Halloween was a big deal for us as well,  every year from when my son and daughters were about 3 and 5 we organized Halloween block parties. 

All of the kids were taken around the block for trick or treats and then at the end of the evening, we would congregate at one persons home (alternating every year) where food, drinks for kids and adults. Fireworks were bought by the neighbours and one person would be in charge of lighting the skies.  We were continuing the rural spirit in our block and it worked. Everyone had a blast. As my kids grew older the tradition continued, but we eventually moved and the tradition and the evening changed. 

When my grandson was born in Australia, my daughter decided to revive her early tradition, so she involved convincing cousins and other family in Australia and so for the last four years, my grandson goes to Melbourne and does trick or treats in costume at his uncles house. 

The first year they had to go to all of the neighbours and explain the idea and now they still send out a reminder and those neighbours who want to see the kids in costume, turn their lights on, as we did. So the idea of dressing up and getting treats or playing tricks is alive in one small area of Melbourne and Mansfield. 

I think the idea of Halloween is catching on in Australia and I am glad. Halloween has changed much over the years, but I have always enjoyed it and I am glad that my grandson and his cousins are enjoying it as well. You never know what can become a family tradition.

Grief

At  our age, we are starting to lose loved ones, and grief is something we all have to deal with over this time.

Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including:

• Divorce or relationship breakup
• Loss of health
• Losing a job
• Loss of financial stability
• A miscarriage
• Retirement
• Death of a pet
• Loss of a cherished dream
• A loved one’s serious illness
• Loss of a friendship
• Loss of safety after a trauma
• Selling the family home

The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, you might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling your family home, or retiring from a career you loved.

Everyone grieves differently

Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried—and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. 

For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it’s important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.
In 1969, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced what became known as the “five stages of grief.” These stages of grief were based on her studies of the feelings of patients facing terminal illness, but many people have generalized them to other types of negative life changes and losses, such as the death of a loved one or a break-up.

The five stages of grief:

Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”

Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?”

Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.”

Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.”

Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what happened.”


If you are experiencing any of these emotions following a loss, it may help to know that your reaction is natural and that you’ll heal in time. However, not everyone who grieves goes through all of these stages—and that’s okay. 

Invest in yourself in uncertain times.

In the Recessions of the early 80’s and the mid nineties, many Canadian Boomers started to realize that there were no safety nets when it came to employment. As a result, they started to invest in themselves by upgrading their training and education. People realized that if they were going to keep their job, they needed to invest in themselves. It paid off for the individual, and it did pay off for business, both large and small. Employers gained a more educated and trained labour force and workers were able to keep or get new jobs.

What suffered was the concept of company loyalty. The idea that one would work for two or three companies over your employment life, went the way of the Dodo bird. Young people today realize that they are the ones who can use their training in almost any employment setting. As a result, employers, as Boomers retire, will have a more difficult time finding and/or retraining workers.

A report by the AARP on how the Boomers did after the “Great Recession” of the early 2000’s built on the theme of self reliance, which many in Canada had learned earlier. Here is some highlights from the report:

·       A number of policy options could address the employment and retirement income prospects of America’s boomers.

·       Encourage workers to take advantage of training and retraining programs that their employers offer. The unemployed obviously lack this option, but they may have had it before becoming unemployed. Not only might the training provide boomers with marketable skills, but it also may demonstrate to current employers that they are willing and able to learn new ways of doing things. Training might help those without work to find a job and those with jobs to increase productivity and stay employed. It might also help them change careers and give them an option to remain in the labor force longer.

·       Urge workers close to retirement to engage in training in light of the possible need to postpone retirement or return to the labor force after retirement.

·       Expand opportunities for jobless boomers who need financial assistance to get the training that might enhance their career opportunities. Offer financial assistance to cover costs, particularly in the case of the unemployed (who may need such training the most). This training may help offset some of the costs through lower Unemployment Insurance benefits paid and higher tax receipts. Ensure that information on where the jobs are and what skills employers are seeking in the way of skills is current, accurate, and readily available.

·       Encourage workers to save, to save more if they are already saving, and to keep retirement savings invested for that purpose. When unemployment strikes, savings become especially vulnerable. Adequate unemployment benefits coupled with job-training and job-search assistance might keep some unemployed boomers from raiding their retirement savings accounts and/or opting for Social Security prematurely.

·       Invest more resources in government efforts to monitor and enforce anti-age discrimination laws to better protect older workers, especially in economic downturns when labor surpluses enable employers to discount or overlook the potential contributions of older employees or job seekers.

·       Identify government and private programs for advising older workers on the wisdom of starting their own business as a primary or secondary source of income. Assisting them in doing so could improve the financial well-being of older workers who cannot find work and provide added income for workers who need extra money to supplement their wages from other employment.

·       Recognize that Social Security is, and will likely remain, the bedrock of retirement-income security in the United States. Perhaps in a generation or two, retiring workers will have accumulated sizable funds in their retirement savings accounts and thus be better equipped to weather economic storms such as the one that workers have faced over the past several years. It is highly uncertain that this will occur or that it will happen to everybody. Unless it does, workers—including the many millions of boomers yet to retire—will remain heavily dependent on Social Security for support in retirement. As traditional pensions decline, Social Security remains the only major stable retirement income source. It is critical that this program be protected.

Some dark humour for dark times

I went to the thirtieth reunion of my preschool. I didn't want   to go, because I've put on like a hundred pounds.

Every time I sit down to try to take a dump, I start reading the newspaper and end up forgetting to do my business. I think I might have Attention Defecate Disorder.

Tampax Launches a New Ad Campaign: "We're Not #1! But We're Way Up There!

Upon taking a seat at the bar, the exec noticed that each stool had a number painted on it. Sitting next to him was a rather depressed-looking gentleman and an attractive young woman who was obviously enjoying herself. The newcomer turned toward the unhappy fellow and asked if he knew the purpose of the numbers. "Sure," the guy said. "Every half hour, the bartender spins a wheel and whoever has the winning seat gets to go upstairs for the wild sex orgy they have up there." "That's terrific!" exclaimed the surprised customer. "Have you won?" "Not yet," the man said, miserably, "but my date has, four times in a row!"

A little old lady was sitting on a park bench in The Villages, a Florida Adult community. A man walked over and sits down on the other end  of the bench. 
After a few moments, the woman asks, 'Are you a stranger here?' 
He replies, 'I lived here years ago.' 
'So, where were you all these years?' 
'In prison,' he says. 
'Why did they put you in prison?' 
He looked at her, and very quietly said, 'I killed my wife.' 
'Oh!' said the woman. 'So you're single...?!'