Here I Am

Your know you haven't posted in a while when you have to "sign in" on your blog site! I've been busy playing volleyball, going into the forest, going to rallies, visiting friends and relatives and going to a "blanket exercise"and other workshops and a memorial service.

Here's a few photos:

Oh...oops! Here's a photo of Lily binging on "The Walking Dead"! Bad girl...., but she is a carnivore after all!

The following photos were taken in Toronto where there was a rally against privatization of public resources - oh look, there's Kathleen Wynne, the premier of Ontario! She loves to sell off so-called public corporations for a little bit of easy cash that she can spread around while making more false promises. Election time next year Ms. Wynne - I don't think it's going to go your way!

 City Hall and Nathan Philip Square where soon there will be an outdoor rink for ice skating. We did get a bit of a snow squall last Friday but it's melted thankfully.

For over two years the Council of Canadians has been protesting weekly against the sale of Hydro One. Sadly we did not win that battle so while in Toronto we walked down the street where there is a memorial to Sir Adam Beck whose wish it was that everyone have access to cheap electricity. He is now rolling in his grave which you can see in the photo below! Since this campaign is now over we left behind our signs and props. I wonder how the gov't will cover the loss of $750 million per year in revenue that they received from Hydro One??

Last Wednesday was a beautiful day so I headed out to do a little forest bathing :) There are still beautiful photos to be taken...milkweed...

 ...wild turkeys...let me know if you need a turkey for the upcoming American Thanksgiving!!

Most of the colour is now on the ground...

Grape vine always makes for interesting photos...

The sky was as blue as it could be...

Still small areas of enchantment...

I had a number of burrs stuck to my clothing when I left...

Lily lapping up the sun...

...and trying to get used to Daylight Savings Time!  Extra naps needed :)

An event I attended last Thursday is called the "Blanket Exercise" which is considered a form of reconciliation with our indigenous peoples through education. It was an emotional, gut-wrenching experience but so worthwhile if you get the chance to attend one, do it!

We started off with the floor covered in blankets to represent North America.

Gradually the areas where aboriginals were allowed to live grew much smaller as treaty land

was taken away from them. 

Also, as aboriginals were killed, mistreated and abused the blankets were decreased in size until there was barely anywhere to stand.

Everyone has a different role to play in order to walk in the shoes 

of a disenfranchised person.

My role was of a woman who left the reservation and her family to become a teacher. As a result

the government took away my Indian Status and I wasn't allowed to return to my home 

and my people. I had to leave the circle and stand alone, isolated.

The toughest part was the loss of so many children who were literally torn from their parents' arms and sent to residential schools where "teachers" tried to erase the Indian from them. 

It was a very emotional night and the shame and guilt I feel from the terrible mistreatment of our aboriginal peoples is heavy indeed. Being a member of an Anglican congregation for many years I have watched as the Anglican Church has tried to right the many wrongs done to First Nations people. Mostly with money. And mostly inadequate to their needs. If you would like to learn more about the blanket exercise I have included a link below.

Blanket Exercise

June Bug...err...Budget!

Probably June bugs are a more interesting topic than my budget! Or the weather, or the democratic nominee! Well, maybe not that hee hee! Oh Bernie, I was rooting for you!

So...the budget...

Hey, speaking of budgets, I thought Trump was made of money?! Why did he only have around $7 million to spend compared to Hillary's $700 million?? Or thereabouts. Yes, I know my figures are wrong but not far off. He hasn't paid for a TV ad in a month and a half while Hillary has spent millions! You know, I thought our federal election was a tough choice - I'm sure glad I don't have to vote in the U.S. election! Wow.

Oh yes, my budget...it's been raining here off an on for about 3 minutes. The rain drops didn't even get a chance to join together and create a wet spot before they evaporated in the sunlight. To say it's dry as a popcorn fart around here would be no small exaggeration! WE NEED RAIN!

I've got the figures right here...so we just found out our Ontario "leader" is coming to London today so we've put a flash mob together and we're going to ambush her!! Apparently there was a flash mob outside her office in Toronto earlier and several people were arrested! That would be fun, right?! No, I'll be a good girl...maybe...

Oh! Here comes 27 more raindrops! Should I get excited yet?

I spent a lot of money this month...and I'm so glad I didn't go to the beach today!! I was going to go with a friend but she ended up having too much work to do (she's a supply teacher but has been working a long term temporary position and has to do report cards etc etc) but that turned out to be a good decision as clouds are looming heavily and occasionally dispersing a few drops of rain.

Well, I'd better get ready to go flash the mob hee hee! I think I've pretty much covered everything I wanted to cover...umm...yeah...

Life's a beach! Hopefully tomorrow!

Sunday Vibes: Blue Rodeo - "Hasn't Hit Me Yet"

It seems like I just posted yesterday, but alas, no. Time has been slipping and sliding away as I go to yoga, meditation, volleyball, dinner out & laughs with friends, activism, and tonight I get to see my favourite Canadian band "Blue Rodeo"!!! Then I plan to spend a few nights at HOME!

February has been a great month and amazingly I haven't run out of money yet. I don't know why but I feel like February is over and I have to keep reminding myself that there is still a week to go before my pension shows up again. So the shortest month is feeling like the longest month. Weird.

Last night Julie, Troy and myself went to Ben Thanh's for a scrumptious dinner and I have leftover pad thai in the fridge for dinner :)  I tried to eat healthily by having fresh spring rolls instead of the deep-fried kind but there's no way my pad thai could be considered a healthy choice! Or the multiple glasses of wine once we got home.

Winter is hard on my waistline - I found that some of my jeans were a lot little snug last night when I was trying to figure out what to wear. I usually wear black or navy tights which fortunately AND UNfortunately can expand to accommodate the ebb and flow of my muffin top. Jeans are not so forgiving.

I need to get more active and spend less time eating! That's hard at this time of year, at least for me. Being inside so much has me checking the pantry for goodies :(  I need SPRING!! I'm pretty faithful to going to yoga and volleyball but I need to walk/hike more. It's just so much easier to pick up a book and a big bowl of popcorn than it is to get all bundled up and head out into a stiff cold breeze!

Speaking of a cold breeze.... on Friday we got some inside info that the premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynn, was going to be in London so some of the members of the Council of Canadians took the "Ontario Hydro is Not for Sale" message right to her door.

We waited in the cold about 2.5 hours before she came outside en route to her black SUV with its blacked out windows and security detail. She saw us, had to hear us as we were so loud, but we were not acknowledged. However, we were acknowledged by the various news teams that were invited to hear her announcement (inside).

Fighting for democracy in the cold!

Waiting to be seen and heard by Ontario's Premier.

We're not giving up!!

Activism

I had a unique experience last week - I became an activist! There is a group in Canada called The Council of Canadians with chapters in many cities and provinces.  The Council of Canadians is Canada's largest citizens' organization, acting for democracy and social justice. I joined awhile ago but hadn't participated in any actions yet...until last week.

On Wednesday and Thursday nights we gathered at the house of the London's Chapter's chairperson and made a zillion posters and other props (whilst drinking wine and eating munchies:) The theme was "Death by a Thousand Cuts" as hospitals and patients all across Ontario and Canada are suffering from continual cuts in funding.  Everything from nurses being cut, home services cut, whole departments being closed, veterans' programs being shut down, maternity wards disappearing etc etc. The rally took place on Friday in front of Deb Matthews office, Minister of Health and Long Term Care. (We don't think she was at her office - at least no one saw her peeking out!)

We gathered outside her office at 10:30am and started setting up...(we filled Deb's foyer with balloons with the various cuts listed on them, hee hee hee!)

Members of other groups and unions joined in...

Here's what happens to a person when so many cuts are made to healthcare - those are "knives" sticking into the hospital bed which is occupied by a skeleton.

Health care in London is really suffering - a fellow blogger faced a 10 hour wait in Emerg last week!

Here's another angle...

Our chairperson is a talented London artist.  This is a papier-mache head she made which looks exactly like Ontario's premier - Kathleen Wynne!

The big worry is that many of our services are becoming privatized which means "user fees" instead of the service being covered by our medicare. Those are bags of money of the hospital bed below representing another $30,000,000 in cuts.

Overall about 200 people turned out for the rally...

Then we marched down to City Hall where we joined striking CUPE members who are looking (in vain) for a fair contract.

This is truly the "summer of discontent" as ALL teachers' unions in the area have been without a contract for almost a year and some are in strike position. And the possible Loblaws strike affects one of our own - Carla! 

Its clouding up AGAIN!! All weekend it rained and was cool. Just miserable. There was an international food festival going on in Victoria Park - I'm lucky I wandered through after the rally on Friday while it was still sunny and warm. I bought some "churros" glazed with chocolate and cinnamon sugar! Delish!

Is it raining a lot where you are??