Category Archives: Uncategorized

Feb22

Say Your Name

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Say Your Name

Say Your Name

One is constantly barraged with requests to “SAY YOUR NAME”. The problem is that some of us have had a few name changes over the years, and on a distracted day, one could inadvertently blurt out one of those previous names… I’m saving those stories for another post!

My first “change of name” experience happened on the first day of school.  The teacher was confronted with 2 MARY LYNNE students.  She made an on the spot judgement call, announcing that I would be MARY from that day forth, and the other little girl would be LYNNE.  It stuck.  I lost my dual name that day and never looked back. Albeit, my mom continued … Read the rest

Feb18

Accepting Mindfulness

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Accepting Mindfulness

There’s a lot of discussion about “mindfulness” in the self-help and educational sectors these days.  It’s something that started to develop within me through journal writing after an unexpected divorce in the early 90’s.  Smacked with the realization that I was in complete control of myself and life’s choices, the written reflections enabled me to focus on my goals and well-being. It became apparent, early in the days when “mindfulness” wasn’t actually a common term, that one had to seize the day and try to make the most of it through one’s choices. It’s not a skill one masters.  Often times, one’s “mindfulness” is contradictory and completely messy! I have taught myself to wake up each day and look forward … Read the rest

Feb11

LEARN to SAIL the HARD WAY

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LEARN to SAIL the HARD WAY

A Book Review:

LEARN to SAIL the HARD WAY!

               -written by Don Watmough

                     -illustrations by Dave Alavoine

 

Anyone who is a boater will get a kick out of Evergreen Pacific’s latest release. The book is a chaotic and hilarious tale of a novice sailor who bungles his way through purchasing the perfect boat (NOT!), learning to sail it through numerous mishaps, while simultaneously entertaining the “sea gods” above with the mayhem in his wake. Dave Alavoine’s illustrations, (the cartoonist for Pacific Yachting Magazine’s, COCKPIT CONFESSIONS), capture the humor of the nautical follies experienced by Skip and his mate, Muffy. The final part of LEARN to SAIL the HARD WAY addresses the mistakes made by rookie … Read the rest

Mar27

EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #7

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EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #7

BACK TO REALITY

So now we’re headed back after our two months away, and I’m back to rain and wind in Portland. I feel cold and chilled, but this too will pass. Whenever I think of our vacation, the warmth and the sunshine is front and center. My husband and I are both looking forward to returning home and spending time with our family and friends, repairing the damage done by the deer in our yard (Did I say looking forward to that?), and settling back into our Island life. I know that more than ever, I will be hiking, biking, sailing, and just enjoying my time spent in the outdoors and nature. Hopefully the sun will … Read the rest

Mar26

EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #5

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EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #5

HOW DID THEY KNOW WE WERE CANUCKS?

Having pedicures available across the street from our condo was fantastic. My toenails continued to be flaked, dry and ugly looking from swimming. Scraping one’s feet and nails against the rough concrete sides of the pool was disastrous!

The fellow giving me my pedicure took one look at my toes and remarked, “You’re Canadian, aren’t you?”

I admitted I was and asked him how he knew.

He replied, “It’s March! No one in Phoenix swims in March! It’s too cold! (Oh yeah, 86-90 degree weather is chilly… right!) We never hit the pool until May. You have to be Canadian to go swimming in the middle of winter!”

 Who knew my pedicure would … Read the rest

Mar26

EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #4

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EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #4

SOCIALIZING IN THE DESERT

Fortunate for us, we had lots of family vacationing or living in the Phoenix area, so we had tons of get-togethers and went several places with one another. That was a real plus to our desert experience!

2015-03-01 17.39.57

2015-02-08 18.54.11

2015-03-01 17.39.34We also had the good fortune to have friends vacationing in Palm Springs. A highlight for us was having them stay over for a couple of nights on their way home. Now, you have to know that these two are extremely fit, and so we planned a couple of early morning desert hikes with them. Of course, the one morning when we wanted to be up and at it before it got too hot, the hosts slept in! We … Read the rest

Mar24

EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #2

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EXTENDED VACATIONS in the SUNSHINE- Instalment #2

PACKING FOR TWO MONTHS IN A RENTAL CONDO

What was it like to pack for a two month car trip down to the Phoenix desert? Well, considering one needed to take one’s office – computers X2, printer, iPads and tablets, cameras, phones, besides all the anticipated clothing and shoes for the different climates- it was a most daunting task!

Reflecting back to what was packed and what should have been left at home is an interesting exercise. Yes, we used and needed every technology gadget packed. No, neither of us required multiple pairs of shoes, hikers, and boots (especially since, we still bought Sketchers, Sperry Shoes, and Nordstrom Rack deals). Clothing items could have been cut down to one single … Read the rest

Mar3

CHRONICLES OF DESERT HIKES

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CHRONICLES OF DESERT HIKES

CHRONICLE #1

Hiking the Phoenix desert mountain peaks is a fascinating study in human behavior. One’s approach and compulsion can differ drastically from person-to-person- let alone from couple-to-couple.

Take my husband and I, for example. Upon arriving in the desert, we were automatically at different fitness levels. I had been power walking the rocky hills of Nanoose Bay daily for a few months prior to our arrival. He, who still works from home in front of a computer, had gone on the occasional stroll…

I am primed to get up at whatever hour it takes to get a hike in (surely 7:30 is a reasonable time to rise when one is on holiday), while he must be up before … Read the rest

Jan6

UMBRELLA RESOLUTION

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UMBRELLA RESOLUTION

I’m not sure about you, but I’m not always ready by New Year’s Eve, to articulate my resolutions for the upcoming year ahead. I’m learning, as I move forward through the years (such a poetic way of saying aging), that everything in life comes down to RELATIONSHIPS. I used to get annoyed in my profession when the buzzword relationship-building became over-worked. I wanted to shout out at times that if everyone just did their job to the best of their ability in a principled way, relationships would never be an issue.

Now that I’m retired and have had the luxury of time to contemplate and appreciate the wisdom of valuing, maintaining, and further developing deeper relationships with others; I … Read the rest