...to say that I went back to my original blog title - Life Begins at Retirement - which is also my blog url.
www.lifebeginsatretirement.blogspot.ca
I've been considering a move to a different blog platform - any suggestions?
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Monday, November 13, 2017
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??
...wild turkeys...let me know if you need a turkey for the upcoming American Thanksgiving!!
Most of the colour is now on the ground...
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 :)
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
Here's a few photos:
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!
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...
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...
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.
Blanket Exercise
Thursday, December 24, 2015
It's a Charlie Brown Christmas!
Poor Charlie Brown - destined to put that red ball on his wee tree for eternity! I know how he feels - my tree leans to the right and the star leans to the left. But I don't dare touch it - it just needs to stay in place for a week or so.
Oh crap, I made the mistake of leaning forward on my chair and now Luna is behind me - she's a rascal - if I leave my chair for 5 seconds she nabs it. She loves to be in or under - wherever it is warmest. This morning she climbed up on my bed between the comforter and upper sheet - she keeps me warm and lies very still while I meditate....she's a good girl.
Luna is like royalty - she moves solemnly and with great majesty. She reminds me of the great Sphinx with her legs stretched out in front of her. Lily is like the court jester - constantly running and jumping around, being silly. Right now she is running back and forth from the front door to the patio doors - there's a ginger cat out front and squirrels out back and it's driving her crazy. Luna just watches her with infinite patience. She knows Lily will get tired out eventually.
It is Christmas Eve. I hope everyone is settled in with their loved ones waiting the great arrival. From my home to yours I wish you the very best of Christmases!
Monday, November 16, 2015
Update from a Crazy Person
Well, I'm not doing too well keeping this blog up-to-date! I see I haven't posted since last Wed.! That's crazy!! It seems that I am rediscovering old interests which is great because that means I'm beating the depression little by little. I also must confess that I've spent a lot of time watching the news after Friday night's horrors in Paris!
I recently pulled out 3 art books that I've hung onto for years and years because they are about crafts and techniques that I was really enthused about back when I was an art teacher - one is about finger weaving, one is about monoprints and the other is about collage. So I went to my local thrift shop and bought some cheap balls of yarn to practice with and I am really enjoying "playing" around.
When looking up tutorials about other methods of finger weaving I found several youtube videos about finger "crocheting". So I've been trying that out as well as crocheting with a crochet hook - I don't know where the hook came from - it was in one of my sewing baskets - I inherited my mother's sewing basket and my gramma's sewing basket. My mother crocheted a bit and my gramma crocheted millions of things - she was so gifted she could look at projects in crochet magazines in a store then go home and replicate them! My oldest "seester" is also very gifted with both crocheting and knitting but I never really got into it.
I've managed, so far, to make a slipknot, crochet a chain and add rows of single crochet. You can pretty much learn to do anything on the internet these days!
Over the past year I've been trying to decide where I could volunteer my time. Then it hit me: the work I've been doing with the Council of Canadians IS my volunteer work! I guess it just doesn't seem like work! More like fun! And I've always been a bit of a rebel! Now I'm a rebel with a cause! Friday I was involved in a "sit-in" at a provincial MP's office, Saturday I helped to sew a banner for an upcoming climate rally, Sunday I delivered informational flyers about the controversial sale of a crown corporation to - Hydro One - and then did some prop painting also related to Hydro One.
I don't think I need to look for any more volunteer work!
Of course, in addition to all of that, I try to exercise daily (try...) I go to yoga and meditation, I meet friends for coffee or walks (or WINE)...and then there's housework (blech) and home improvements (double blech!) Today I'm going to do some finishing touches in the main bathroom - I got it mostly done and then it got too nice to be inside :) I'm a master of excuses...if you ever need an excuse for something, anything, just let me know!!
I will get back to posting trip photos, I promise. I was doing well for a couple of days then stuff happened. And I still stick my nose into books a LOT! Can't help it - I love to read!! But then nothing gets done!
Well, I'm off! Kazi is visiting her boyfriend in New Jersey and she'll be home tomorrow. That's why I'm finishing the bathroom - she has all her potions, lotions and makeup with her which makes it a whole lot easier to maneuvre in there!
TTYL (talk to you later!)
I recently pulled out 3 art books that I've hung onto for years and years because they are about crafts and techniques that I was really enthused about back when I was an art teacher - one is about finger weaving, one is about monoprints and the other is about collage. So I went to my local thrift shop and bought some cheap balls of yarn to practice with and I am really enjoying "playing" around.
When looking up tutorials about other methods of finger weaving I found several youtube videos about finger "crocheting". So I've been trying that out as well as crocheting with a crochet hook - I don't know where the hook came from - it was in one of my sewing baskets - I inherited my mother's sewing basket and my gramma's sewing basket. My mother crocheted a bit and my gramma crocheted millions of things - she was so gifted she could look at projects in crochet magazines in a store then go home and replicate them! My oldest "seester" is also very gifted with both crocheting and knitting but I never really got into it.
I've managed, so far, to make a slipknot, crochet a chain and add rows of single crochet. You can pretty much learn to do anything on the internet these days!
Over the past year I've been trying to decide where I could volunteer my time. Then it hit me: the work I've been doing with the Council of Canadians IS my volunteer work! I guess it just doesn't seem like work! More like fun! And I've always been a bit of a rebel! Now I'm a rebel with a cause! Friday I was involved in a "sit-in" at a provincial MP's office, Saturday I helped to sew a banner for an upcoming climate rally, Sunday I delivered informational flyers about the controversial sale of a crown corporation to - Hydro One - and then did some prop painting also related to Hydro One.
I don't think I need to look for any more volunteer work!
Of course, in addition to all of that, I try to exercise daily (try...) I go to yoga and meditation, I meet friends for coffee or walks (or WINE)...and then there's housework (blech) and home improvements (double blech!) Today I'm going to do some finishing touches in the main bathroom - I got it mostly done and then it got too nice to be inside :) I'm a master of excuses...if you ever need an excuse for something, anything, just let me know!!
I will get back to posting trip photos, I promise. I was doing well for a couple of days then stuff happened. And I still stick my nose into books a LOT! Can't help it - I love to read!! But then nothing gets done!
Well, I'm off! Kazi is visiting her boyfriend in New Jersey and she'll be home tomorrow. That's why I'm finishing the bathroom - she has all her potions, lotions and makeup with her which makes it a whole lot easier to maneuvre in there!
TTYL (talk to you later!)
Thursday, September 10, 2015
POST 1000!!
So what the heck should I talk about for my 1000th post?? Well.....here is one of the first posts I wrote dated March 24, 2009 which illustrates perfectly where I was at and why I was blogging.
*Prior to this blog I had one other personal blog plus I contributed several times weekly to a group blog that had 4 members - my brother Gord and a husband and wife duo who were mutual friends of ours. That blog was called "Four Mugs and a Crock"; us being the mugs and occasionally having a guest blogger take the "Crock" personna. It was a ton of fun and I was sad when it dwindled away to nothing; mostly because Gord and I started our own "spin off " blogs :)
So did I succeed with my retirement goals? - I'll let you be the judge!
"My five year plan, if successful, will allow me to retire on a reduced pension two years earlier than waiting for a full pension. That means "freedom 58" rather than "freedom 55" but since I didn't get into teaching until I was 36 I have to hang in there a little longer than most.
Taking a reduced pension means approximately $375 less per month. For me, it's not about the money, it's about realizing my goals sooner. Is it worth it to me to have two extra years of retirement instead of having an extra $375 a month? That sound you just heard was my resounding YES!
So to make that happen I have to plan. In five years I want to be debt-free and have approx. $125,000 in savings, not counting my home equity. Now, my blog isn't directed to those folks to whom $125,000 is spare change (although there are 373 fewer billionaires than there were a year ago...boo hoo...) but is instead aimed towards people like me, who have worked hard all their lives to make an honest living, who have lived on ONE income, who may be a single parent like me, and don't want to retire with nothing more than the old age supplement.
Yes, my numbers are modest but I believe in "living small". Forced to live frugally for most of my life, living on a reduced pension with savings to back me up and no debt to weigh me down sounds pretty manageable.
We'll see how it goes....."
*Prior to this blog I had one other personal blog plus I contributed several times weekly to a group blog that had 4 members - my brother Gord and a husband and wife duo who were mutual friends of ours. That blog was called "Four Mugs and a Crock"; us being the mugs and occasionally having a guest blogger take the "Crock" personna. It was a ton of fun and I was sad when it dwindled away to nothing; mostly because Gord and I started our own "spin off " blogs :)
So did I succeed with my retirement goals? - I'll let you be the judge!
"My five year plan, if successful, will allow me to retire on a reduced pension two years earlier than waiting for a full pension. That means "freedom 58" rather than "freedom 55" but since I didn't get into teaching until I was 36 I have to hang in there a little longer than most.
Taking a reduced pension means approximately $375 less per month. For me, it's not about the money, it's about realizing my goals sooner. Is it worth it to me to have two extra years of retirement instead of having an extra $375 a month? That sound you just heard was my resounding YES!
So to make that happen I have to plan. In five years I want to be debt-free and have approx. $125,000 in savings, not counting my home equity. Now, my blog isn't directed to those folks to whom $125,000 is spare change (although there are 373 fewer billionaires than there were a year ago...boo hoo...) but is instead aimed towards people like me, who have worked hard all their lives to make an honest living, who have lived on ONE income, who may be a single parent like me, and don't want to retire with nothing more than the old age supplement.
Yes, my numbers are modest but I believe in "living small". Forced to live frugally for most of my life, living on a reduced pension with savings to back me up and no debt to weigh me down sounds pretty manageable.
We'll see how it goes....."
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