alumni demands

In my 30s and 40s I went back to school for an M. Ed., and this means I am officially an alumni of 3 universities: Ryerson, OttawaU, OISE/uToronto. I am forever impressed by those in their senior years earning degrees. In the last few years I took 8/10 on-line courses for an M. A. in counselling. It kept me interested, researching, and aware. Why not keep learning? I have decided to drop the M.A. to pursue my own research - why do I need another degree?! But that is another story.

This is a fun time in my life. My 3 adult children have gone to, and finished, university. am a grandma who Skypes with her kids. They are all, thankfully, gainfully employed. The joy never ends, mind you. This is the time of year they all call the alumni and parents of same, to see if, having already contributed thousands of dollars to their coffers, you want to provide a donation to keep the lamp of learning burning. As if! I am sure they need help, but I truthfully believe that if you want a degree you should jolly well pay for it yourself! In this economic climate, with the job market the way it is, perhaps college is a better choice. (My plumber earns $65/hour!)

But I digress. On the phone, I am afraid I am curt: we're retired, broke and my own alumni associations are begging for dollars! I tell the lovely young people that, yes, my contact information is the same (you reached me by phone, didn't you?) and NO, we would not move without telling you so that you could phone me 2 -3 times a year and beg for my hard-earned pension dollars! (Severely curtailed by greedy investors who have brought the market down. Taxpayers who demand lower taxes and better services. Budgets that do not help those without means. Yes, another blog post!)

Then, in the mail, I received another offer: two a credit card offers to help support these groups. 'As if' x's 2! Two of my higher learning institutions want a percentage of my pension and spending, to help them prop up universities supported by my tax dollars. Does this make sense? They ended up in my fireplace. How is it that the credit card companies continues to bleed us dry with high interest rates for people who cannot afford nor use credit cards?

choices for childcare

I am saddened that Choice for Childcare can begrudge someone else childcare choice, and resent your choice of language. "Stay at home fireplug" doesn't quite name it. This post diminishes the point of view the Canadian Labour Congress makes, that it takes a village to raise a child.

We fought in the 70s for choices. Too many times women diminished the choices other women made: to work, to break through the glass ceiling, to stay at home, to use formal childcare, informal childcare, to home school. Barbara Byers has it right. This budget does not help the women and children who are such an intrinsic part of society.

I believe we have to share financial, human and physical resources. There are layers to child care, only enhanced by those who help each other. We have learned much form the home schoolers associations, despite being dominated as they are in the US by fundamentalist right-wingers.

I would hope that my granddaughter would have choices and that those who cannot afford to, but would like a hand up, to be able to go out and work, confident that their children are getting good care. Good day care benefits society, as much as the families who depend upon it. For those who choose to stay home, good for you. I made that choice and do not regret it. But it is about CHOICES.

flying squirrel in Muskoka

I noticed our cat sitting in the dark, looking up at a tree, her normal diurnal docking point. I wondered if a mouse was there, or some other nocturnal creature.

I looked up mouse, mice, rodent, white, brown, hopping - finally found it. It is Glaucomys sabrinus. And I still need to find out if it is a Northern or Southern variety. It is the size of a chipmunk, so it seems to be the latter. The former are the size of red squirrels.


There is a great website on Flying Squirrels, with information about these nocturnal critters, a great photo, and a better video...The Wikipedia photo isn't bad, either, but the photo (left) is mine.

They don't actually fly, but glide. Their little flat, thick tails must be a rudder of some sort. Ours simply hopped on and off the tree, onto the railing or the bird feeder directly, with cats hovering underneath. It went around the back of the tree where I managed to get a photo.

Ecological footprints

The headlines scream:
"Brazil's loss of Amazon rain forest escalating" - more than twice as fast as last year, [more].

"Scientists say carbon dioxide emissions up 3%" 9/30/2008- carbon dioxide — the main gas that causes global warming — jumped 3 per cent last year. [more]

I have been contemplating this issue lately. One's ecological footprint I define as the energy we use from land, water and air, to provide us with our needs; food, clean water, clothing, shelter, as well as transportation (to work), and wants, goods and services - such as leisure time activities: boating, snowmobiles, entertainment activities.

You can measure your Ecological Footprint using a Flash calculator. You can attribute Ecological Footprints to humans, buildings, communities, countries and the human race.

Your water footprint is a concept derived from your ecological footprint: the impact your daily living habits has on the environment in terms of the water you use, the electricity to heat household water, garbage you produce, and the costs of clean water in industry.

What size is your water footprint? How much do your activities put pollution into our lakes and bodies of water? The Lake Erie ice fisherman left various pieces of equipment to sink and rust in the water. Snowmobiles, boats and PWC continue to scream across lakes, dumping unused fuel into air and water. We need to examine our practices. "Yet our use of water has largely been overshadowed by measurements of our carbon footprint."

Acid rain caused long-term damage to lakes: Study (10/6/2008). Acid rain continues to damage the Great Lakes.

How do your activities affect the land and water around you? What is your ecological and water footprint?

There are many Acts of Green that we can carry out. There is a large community of young people who run cars on veggie oil, and use biofuels.
Others have installed geothermal furnaces. Let us hope for changes in attitudes and practices, education of consumers, and politicians who have the courage to enact tough love.

Why blog?

One really needs a clear picture of why one blogs. Here is a picture of where I blog: in my living room, often in the brightness of a sunny front window!

A fellow blogger, Judy in KY, says that she doesn't blog for money or recognition. She doesn't want to specialize, either. And she keeps her posts simple, without photos. (Me, I'm addicted to my digital camera & iPhoto - 10,000 photos so far!)

Judy values kindred spirits, as I do, and she tries not to get too into politics. (She also reads many other blogs, as I do, but that is another post!) I like jumping into politics, having lived in Ottawa it cannot be avoided.

I began blogging to do some daily writing, and share My Muskoka with others. I liked sharing photos and events with my children, who live in other cities, and blogging fit the bill. I have toyed with posting some of my poetry.

Then, I wrote a book, Living and Dying With Dignity. I wanted to blog to share information I learned when researching the writing of my book. After the book was published, I felt that wanted to find current research, and needed a new blog home for that. I was invited to participate on the Wellness information portal, and thought that the blog required such a transformation. My information morphed into Ontario Seniors blog. Other than this information, I have refrained from those AWFUL, annoying Google ads...

Then, I began ranting, that required this blog. There are those who keeps stats on opinions. I felt mine was an informed, valid viewpoint from a demographic that often gets short shrift!

The final piece to my puzzle is the book I want to write on teaching. I realized how little we Thank Our Teachers, and my goal, before my parents became so ill, was to write this book. I ended up writing about the health care system. Such is life!

Safety and seasonal visitors

The seasonal visitors have much more sense than the tourists, but many find our region a great place to play. They leave their common sense at home. They drink too much and play too much - in that order. *See other blog posts (below) for details.

Currently, with an anticipated melt this weekend, I fear that we will lose some tourists to thin ice. You can see our lake shore photo. There is a bit of a puddle, and open water where the land snow melted into the lake. The lake is a constant 4 C. temperature underneath all that ice. The ice bends and flexes with the wind. (See my YouTube video! It is quite fascinating.)

They say the ice on Lake Simcoe, to our south, is 35 cm thick. And that may well be, but we still lose snowmobile drivers at an alarming rate. Most accidents occur off-trail, which implies that we ought to be much better at training our young people.

In one story,The Bracebridge Examiner and Gravenhurst Banner - 2008: The Year ..., ice fishing and drowning resulted in the deaths of three Lake of Bays men. The great Lake Erie ice fishermen rescue is a big story of stupidity. (Stupidity being the active pursuit of ignorance.) Why would you not listen to broadcast warnings of daytime temperatures of +7 C.? Why build a bridge across a crack in the ice. The ice is floating on a fluid, permanently liquid lake that remains at 4C . all winter. This does not change, except for the depth of the ice.

What bothers me is that with Marine Laws governing speed vs. distance from shore for boaters. Mostly, it is the noise. You just never know what these people will do, or where they will go.

When I complained about a neighbour's lack of respect in tree huggers, it resulted in an obvious taunting and disrespect for our peace and quiet and enjoyment of the lakefront. They did the snowmobile equivalent of wheelies in front of our property. Today they go back and forth and back and forth. The power of the machines frightens me.

At what point do the by-laws kick in? It is my belief that we are to respect each other. This should include our right to enjoy this beautiful land, sans these useless toys. If they kept to the trails I would be happier. While the noise is still offensive even back in the forest, across the railway tracks, it is much less so. They race each other back there, but they are confined to the trail.

The laws are toothless and powerless. Our by-law control officers are best utilized in the towns, not by the lakes. The Marine Laws are ignored and flaunted in summer, I suppose there is no reason it should not happen in winter!

The seasonal visitors won't be back until May - there is that. I look forward to the ice disappearing and cool temperatures that keep the tourists away. There are differences between residents, seasonal visitors and tourists, who lack any understanding that many of us live and work here. We have to get up in the morning for (volunteer) work or other activities. I shudder as I read about Realtors who suggest more seasonal visitors rent properties to be able to afford to keep the cottage. These rentors have no respect, Fireworks continue to fly. Meantime, I hope for + zero temperatures and a little caution. Our EMS folks need not be called out for carelessness, they are busy enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~
More on the recent weekend wackos:

• Ottawa man dies in snowmobile crash
• Two folks lost their truck on thin ice on the Ottawa River.
• The Lake Erie ice fishers with one life lost.

My MPP sent me some information:
Below are the speed limits for snowmobiles. You may find the information on this website of some help. If you are having problems with speeding sleds in your area, you may contact the local OPP detachment. They can arrange for a sled patrol to perform radar enforcement in the problem area.

Speed Limits

50 km/h - on snowmobile trails
20 km/h - on roads where the speed limit is 50 km/h or less
50 km/h - on roads where the speed limit is over 50 km/h

5 ways blogging changed my life

I read an interesting post last year. It was not truly a study as it fails to reflect scientific validity and reliability measures. However, reflection is good for the soul.

1. One way blogging has changed my life is in its influence on how I must understand my values. To clarify my position on politics, the environment, and other issues, I might put these notions into language.

2. Studies in autobiography and therapy demonstrate that blogging is good for your psyche.

3. Blogging makes the long, dark, cold winters easier to take. I can share the beauty of the winter, and better appreciate what is going on around me.

4. Blogging helps me to improve my writing practice, essential for a writer to 'practice', and put thoughts into words, finding just the right nuance of phrase, or particular word.

5. Blogging keep my brain in gear. I have spent the last two years writing and researching a book, and now find there is a bit of a void. I don't want to lose those skills.

I hope blogging is not a memetic behaviour, since many are only using blogging to fill in their own agenda: for profit. I resent those who advocate for affiliate marketing, as I do not want to be influenced by those only in this for profit.

I am tired of looking at web pages created by big corporations, like Oprah, or tax-funded ones, like CBC.ca, who must ravage my eyes and force spam upon me. Surely Oprah has enough money that she need not advertise on her pages?

day care subsidies in Ontario

It appears we will lose 6,000 subsidized child care spots. These are 1/4 of the spots are supposed to disappear in Ontario, and in a CBC articles, more is spoken of, including the bizarre $100/ month PM Harper thought would help working families. As if, with day care running

These are families who are the low-income and working poor. They would have to rely on private home day care, in undependable, unregulated spots with caregivers who may or may not be trained. Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care is up in arms. They say that 22,000 day care places are at risk. Waiting lists, yet to be filled, would require 14,000 day care spots.

We know what good day care does for a family. It allows good teachers to work with children who may be socioeconomically disadvantaged. The kids can play and eat with children in a group environment in which they are exposed to a rich array of educational opportunities. Teachers can model behaviour and parenting skills.

If you are so moved: Send your message today! www.childcareontario.org/ontariobudget

Angels Crest

I am enjoying shoveling the deck, feeding the birds, and reading and writing. I read a marvellous book the other day. Angels Crest, a mystery, as well as a reflection on life.

I have been reading this book all day. What a masterful work, others agree! The
characters I want to embrace. --I can't say that about my last book! But it helps to while away the hours.

Angels Crest by Leslie Schwartz -

The author tells me the movie rights have been sold, but I cannot imagine that the movie could create as spectacular a story that the reader can create with her imagery.
Each chapter is like a painting in a wonderful art show. A beautiful gallery that has helped me pass the time today and ended up moving my spirit. At my age, wrestling with the next stage in my life, I seek solace in books and new ideas, as well as biographies that help me see a purpose in my life.

This book deals with small town, many of us can identify with this!
This type of story, Angels Crest, provides us lessons in life and love along a similar theme. I heartily recommend it!
Visit The Book Review club: and read more reviews!

walk on the wild side

We try to walk the cats every day.

We have to go out before the kids get home from school and scream across the lake on their snowmobiles, since it frightens the cats. The snow is over the cat's heads on the path we have tromped out. It is so funny.

The birds watch us from the trees and wait until they can get back to their feeders.