Who Burnt the Toast?
My Gabriola Kitchen. Who Burnt the Toast in my Gabriola kitchen is really a lead in to the end of this article, however I think you might enjoy the journey sandwiched. Today my kitchen is quiet. December 27th. Cozy, warm, in hibernation mode. Simmering a pot of smoked sausage soup in a much too large a stock pot for one. So, I’ll share. Call up a few friends if they aren’t too full of the bird, put on the fireplace, candles for atmosphere. A simple repast. No kitchen is too small to create within. Elbows down, even in my family’s kitchen, 3 to 4 of us can harmonize,...
Read MoreRRSP’s, RRIF’s & TFSA’s
The holidays are approaching and 2016 will quickly be in the past. You still have time to do this year-end checklist for retirement plans; RRSPs (Registered Retirement Savings Plans), RRIFs (Registered Retirement Income Plans) and TFSAs (Tax Free Savings Accounts). 1) If you are planning a withdrawal from your TFSA in early 2017, do it now – you will be able to recontribute the amount anytime next year, instead of waiting until 2018 if you withdraw in 2017. 2) If you are 65 or older and do not have a pension to be able to claim the $2000 pension credit on your tax return, consider...
Read MoreManaging Disappointment
This morning when I awoke, my little girl, with such anticipation, looked out the window, wanting only for the view to be full of snow. The weather bureau had predicted a blizzard, a foot of snow, maybe more. She was so excited! It had been such a long time since we’d had any snow in Victoria and the excitement that had been building over the past couple of days as the first snow in many years fell has been wonderful! To connect again to that sense of transformation, of beauty and softness that comes when the snow falls. You see, my little girl, when she was growing up in Vancouver and...
Read MoreTrust
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, trust means “Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” In these days, trust seems to be in pretty short supply. Assured reliance on anything is in short supply – whether that reliance is on our families and spouses, our jobs, our government or even ourselves. God disappeared from that list probably in the 60’s or at least the latter part of the last century. And that may not be a good thing. In her book, Mind over Medicine, Lissa Rankin points out some interesting findings from a...
Read MoreThe Thursday Writers
Written in twenty minutes by Chris Beryl from this writing prompt: “He Turned the Key in the Lock and Opened the Door” He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To his horror, he saw a huge dog and three puppies. “What…where did these come from ? We’re not keeping them you know. Oh no…” “Daddy daddy, we found them in a field. Someone forgot them. They left them in a box. They were crying Daddy.” ” Left them in field my …. Dumped them more likely” he said under his breath. He looked at his children. They were delirious with joy. Jack and Patricia sat on the...
Read MorehOMe Grown Living Foods
Not many people can say they have successfully built their company by putting lifestyle before profit. However Shani Cranston and Willy McBride, of hOMe Grown Living Foods, are an example of a local business that has managed to balance their entrepreneurial spirits with a deep reverence for Mother Nature. “Nourishing people is our passion, and living a balanced life is one of our core values,” explains Shani, Chief Formulator for hOMe Grown. It is truly impressive how much Shani is invested in her work. She started producing her delicious and healthy snacks over eight years ago after...
Read MoreWhen Good Teeth Go Bad
When was the last time you had a good look in your dog’s mouth? If he’s over three years old, there is a 75 percent chance that he has dental disease—plaque, tartar, and inflamed gums. However, besides causing bad breath and tooth loss, the infection in the oral cavity can spread to vital internal organs. Small breed dogs are prone to tartar accumulation at very young ages. The result is they lose many teeth by the time they are 10 years old. It all begins with the formation of a thin, soft film of plaque (food and bacteria) on the teeth. Left undisturbed, plaque eventually mineralizes...
Read MoreYour Perfect Packing List
Late fall, the birds fly south, and with them, so do many people seeking a change of pace and a change from the cold of winter. Obviously, a different climate calls for a different wardrobe for warmer climes, so this article we will focus on how to shop, pack, and dress for those locations. Many stores stock heavier clothes during the fall and winter months, however, it’s common for stores to begin receiving spring items early. When asked, a salesperson will likely be able to direct you to a few items that are from their spring inventory. If they don’t have spring/summer clothes...
Read MoreBenefits of a Graphic Designer
When you have an idea but you just don’t know how to make it come to life, that’s exactly what a graphic design professional will do for you. They will listen to your ideas, you know your business better than anyone else, and this is the place to start. The designer will then work with you to come up with concepts that work within your budget and business plan. Another huge benefit of using a graphic designer is the fact that they are a one-stop source of services for your businesses. For instance, you are starting up your own business or updating the look of an existing one and you need...
Read MoreMedical Marijuana
I recently attended an information workshop in Duncan regarding chronic pain control and was pleasantly surprised by the range of people attending, their ailments, and their ways of dealing with their pain, or not. The participants were adults of various ages, men and women, and they were looking for the relief of chronic pain for themselves. The causes were numerous and varied, caused by accidents’ and ailments. To help control their pain some used various prescription and over the counter drugs. Some were also smoking marijuana, or using other forms of cannabis. Although I know...
Read MoreKeeping Wills Current
Many things have changed since the ‘good old days’ but, unfortunately, some things haven’t. My Dad died overnight at age 57 from a massive heart attack; to say it was unexpected is an understatement. We were terribly unprepared, both emotionally and estate wise. My Dad had a will, but it needed updating, and everything was in my Dad’s name. The estate took almost a year and a half to settle, and, in the meantime, my Mom had never written a cheque or paid a bill in her life. I talk to many women and couples – it still surprises me how often wills are not done or updated, or, the...
Read MoreClose Friendships are Vital
Bonds of friendship are often formed when we are young, and many of these bonds continue to stay strong well into the golden years. It’s important for your senior loved one to stay socially active, whether it’s through maintaining longstanding friendships or building brand new relationships. That’s because the more social connections a senior has, the healthier and happier they generally are! WHY DO SENIORS BECOME SOCIALLY ISOLATED? Older adults who retire or move in with their families may have fewer opportunities to engage with other seniors. Limited mobility and various other health...
Read MoreAmerica’s Electile Dysfunction
The world watched amazed when Donald Trump pulled off a stunning election upset, defying polls that generally agreed he was not going to win. Everyone thought Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in. After all, she had the support of the larger part of the media, the establishment, the business community… she even had the endorsement of the current President! What we saw instead was the complete and utter repudiation of the established political system by a large, overlooked segment of America: The Rural, blue collar worker. Proven terribly wrong, the political pundits and talking heads licked their...
Read MoreMore Women in Leadership
Last week we got closer than ever before to electing the first woman President, and millions of young girls across the country have been emboldened to dream even bigger and see no role as out of their reach. Despite the progress made by Hillary Clinton’s historic candidacy, the campaign has forced us to reckon with issues of gender bias that emerged in the national dialogue – from tone of voice, to stamina, to what a leader “looks” like, to how the media covers gender. The sadness, anger, and motivation that women across the country are now dealing with are familiar, as we have been...
Read MoreSigns Our Body is Giving Us
Heart palpitations, anxiety, memory difficulties and more. These and many more signs our body is giving us that it is under constant stress from electro magnetic frequencies emitted by the wireless technology we use (see below). These devices emit radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, including cordless phones, cell phones, IPads, Wi-Fi routers, wireless games, baby monitors, and smart meters. An Information Package was sent to Doctors together with a letter signed by Una St.Clair Executive Director, Citizens for Safe Technology Society. On...
Read MoreTrump Election.
Good, bad or ugly the 58th U.S. presidential election is finally over. Donald Trump will be the next President, to the surprise of many observers considering he trailed in most national polls in the weeks leading up to the vote. Riding on his coattails, the Republicans held onto control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives (throughout the campaign most analysts anticipated the Senate swinging back to the Democrats). This sets the stage for a much more aggressive pursuit of Trump’s campaign platform positions that would be possible in a divided government. Among other...
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