Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
I've watched a couple of interviews recently that got me thinking about different personality types. More specifically, where do people get their drive from? The first interview was with Maria Shriver, who grew up as part of the Kennedy clan. At the dinner table, she and her siblings would have to share what they'd contributed … Continue reading Achievement or Contentment?
I've been thinking a lot about death and obituaries lately. The thoughts started when I attended a Celebration of Life, and were amplified when our latest book club pick was I See You've Called in Dead. When we moved in across the street from Loris, I was pregnant with Nick, and Loris was in her … Continue reading What Will Your Obituary Say?
I ended my last post with Ray, Nick and I exploring Canmore. For our second day there, I told the guys they could climb a mountain together and I'd entertain myself in town. They decided on Mount Lady MacDonald. Canmore is grizzly country, so they rented bear spray, packed some snacks (for them, not the … Continue reading Life on the Edge
Ray and I are back out west, in part to watch Nick compete in the Vancouver T100. The T100 is a triathlon series that includes a 2k swim, an 80k cycle, and an 18k run. It's a pro circuit, but has a separate amateur race. Only one T100 is held in Canada, and it just … Continue reading Triathlon Qualifiers, Angry Otters, and Imaginary Birds
My summer of cancellations has continued unabated. Tutoring is back off the table after only two sessions (just too much going on in their life right now). A Toronto meet-up with a friend from the UK was cancelled because she got sick, and a sister's weekend in Kingston got cancelled because Karen was sick. Keeping … Continue reading Is it lonely being an only?
One thing you have to figure out in retirement is how much structured time you need. How full do you want your calendar to be at the beginning of the week? My summer schedule includes tutoring twice a week and dragon boating three times a week. On top of that I'll usually have a few … Continue reading Amorphous Blobs of Time
I had a humbling experience this week. And not the, I'm-so-humbled-to-win-this-award kind, but the I'm-not-as-smart-as-I-think kind. Years ago, I read about The Four Agreements, which are: Be Impeccable With Your Word. Don’t Take Anything Personally. Don’t Make Assumptions. Always Do Your Best. If you can manage to do those things, it's quite powerful...but it's hard. … Continue reading Don’t Assume It’s Personal
Canada's birthday is coming up and, coincidentally, I've been digging into my Canadian ancestors again. I've been exploring the French Canadian branch of the family tree, who arrived in the mid-1600s. That line also includes French-Métis ancestors (as opposed to the Scottish-Métis ancestors I'd already discovered). Growing up, I was told our ancestors were English, … Continue reading Miraculous Grains of Sand
"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children". Nelson Mandela Almost everyone had a special teacher who had a significant impact on their life. Mine was Mrs. Lenz, my grade 5 and 6 teacher. She helped me come out of my shell without ever forcing me to talk. … Continue reading Sailing into Summer
Ray and I flew to Victoria to watch Nick compete in his first Ironman 70.3 event. That translates to a 2k swim, a 90k cycle and a 21.1k run. Nick picked us up at the airport late Friday night, then Saturday was devoted to race prep: bike check-in, practice swim, kit pick-up, and pre-race athlete … Continue reading Nick’s First Ironman 70.3
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