I could not possibly devote a month to highlighting wisdom, without devoting at least one day to the great Albert Einstein! Albert Einstein was the German theoretical physicist best known for his theory of relativity (E=MC2). He is also celebrated for his genius intellect and tremendous sense of humor.
I could not settle for one Einstein quote, so I am sharing three of my many favourites.
“Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live it’s whole life believing it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein
So true! I grew up in small town Saskatchewan where sports is everything. Athletes are the be all and end all! I went through the educational system at the top of my class academically. I came out of the educational system believing I was stupid because I was constantly harassed since I couldn’t (still can’t) throw a ball and ran (still run) like a drunk penguin.
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it.
– Albert Einstein
Either I understand math or I have an especially bright grandson. Driving him home from school recently, Dom told me that two days equals 28 hours because two times 4 is 8, so 24 plus 24 is 28. (We have odd random conversations while I drive 🙄). I told him that two days is 48 hours because he also has to multiply the 20 times 2. I expected an argument, but he agreed that I was indeed correct and that he had to multiply the 20. 💞
“Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity; and I am not sure about the universe.”
– Albert Einstein
Let’s just go with a window to the infinite universe. 🙂
* Many words of wisdom have been attributed to Guatama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. According to Bodhipaksa, a popular Buddhist teacher, this quote often attributed to Buddha, is not a true Budhha quote. Bodhipaksa has determined that this quote is actually one by Eknath Easwaran who was paraphrasing Buddha’s teachings on anger and karma in his book “To Know Me is To Love Me. The Bhagavad Gita For Daily Living Vol. 3. ”
You will not be punished for your anger. You will be punished by your anger.
– Eknath Easwaran
This is definitely one of those quotes that resonates with me. Anger is such a destructive, exhausting emotion. Yet, there seems to be so many people who are often, and even typically, angry these days. I do not understand why – I do not understand the motivation or the pay off. I do not understand why they believe that their anger is worth the price.
I have seen any number of angry people in my day. I have seen ‘adults’ throw infantile tantrums, make violent threats, and heard them say terrible hateful hurtful things. I have seen such people pay the consequences, for their anger. I have seen them drive away loved ones, destroy their businesses, ruin their careers, damage their own personal possessions, cause accidents, and create chaos in their own lives.
I can see that being angry is punishment, in and of itself. Yet, when people get angry they will do or say anything to justify their anger. And… Anger is not only tolerated in our society, it is often condoned or encouraged. Why? It is detrimental to everyone including, and especially those who are angry.
I have my own self-destructive issues, but I am seldom, if ever, angry. Occasionally annoyed, befuddled or the like – but seldom angry. I really do not understand why people so often resort to anger. Am I missing something?
That is it for today. As always, all comments are welcome and appreciated.
Today’s ‘words of wisdom’ come from Japanese writer Haruka Murakami.
“When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm is all about.”
– Haruka Murakami (Kafka on the Shore)
In my mind, that is what all of life’s storms are about – to change us.
My mother used to tell me “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. At the time, I thought she was literally talking about death and I would think ‘Just kill me already’. 🙄 As time went on and I saw my experiences and the experiences of others from a distance, I realized she was talking about becoming a survivor and thriving or giving up and being left broken.
Through my life, I have been through many storms. Inevitably,the storms have helped me to survive and thrive. Sadly, I have seen others who did not fare as well. I don’t know why I was one of the fortunate ones. I do credit the example set by my father, who had amazing strength in overcoming adversity – humor, integrity, perseverance and more. I also credit my mother and her many other favourite phrases, such as “If you want to whine, I’ll give you something to whine about!”. 😧 Failure was never an option in my mother’s family – we were brought into this world to survive the storms and thrive.
I love these words by Haruka Murakami. They ring true for me, especially now. For a couple of years now, we have been caught up in this global pandemic. Worst in my mind, has been the ongoing efforts to ‘protect’ everyone from the stress and mental anguish of this passing storm. It might change us. And it just might change us for the better. It might make us stronger. That is what such storms are all about. (Note: I am not callous or un-compassionate to those who’s lives have been devastated by Covid. My intention is NOT to minimize their pain and grief , loss and sacrifice in any way. 💞)
But for most of us, this storm has been, more than anything, an opportunity for change. For most of us this storm has been an opportunity to become stronger – more patient, more kind, more compassionate, more grateful – as individuals, families, communities and as mankind as a whole.
Once this storm has passed, there will be those who will have survived and thrived and there will be those who gave up and are left broken. Most unfortunate in my mind, are those who will come through oblivious that there was a storm – those who were coddled and carried and sheltered from the storm.
After the storm
That is my thoughts for the day. As always, feel free to comment below.
Today marks the beginning of a new month. For me, that means an opportunity to shift gears and take my blog in a new direction. For November, I have decided to focus my attention on WISDOM. Wisdom is obviously an infinite subject, but I will learn and share of it what I can for the next thirty days.
Searching for the actual meaning of wisdom, I found that the information from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary resonated the most with me.
Excerpt from the Merriam Webster Dictionary –foundhere
As noted in previous posts, I am fascinated by those brilliant souls who provide us with quips and quotes that bring clarity to our lives. One of such sources for myself and countless others is Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, politician, and teacher who lived from 551 to 479 BC. His goal in life was to create a peaceful society where people could live happier and more fulfilling lives. To this end, Confucius spread his message of knowledge, benevolence, loyalty, and virtue. Fortunately for all of us, his words have been passed down to us through the generations. While his goal for a peaceful society has yet to be realized, we can still work towards it by studying and following his teachings.
By three methods may we learn wisdom: First by reflection, which is noblest; Second by imitation, which is easiest; And third by experience, which is bitterest.
– Confucius
When Confucius spoke these words, I wonder if he realized that twenty five centuries later, we would still be contemplating them. I wonder if he knew that we would still be: ‘Too busy’ for noble reflection; Taking the easy way out by trying to imitate the likes of him; And for the most part, cussing and carrying on about the experiences that life holds for us because we do not take the first two options.
That is my deep thoughts for the day. As always, feel free to comment below!
Today’s subject for my last news story of for October was a no brainer. Having spent a reasonable amount of time sourcing out an entertaining Halloween article, the one I finally opted for can be found here .
This article focuses on food and the part it has played in the celebration of Halloween over the years. The entire article was quite informational and entertaining, but I did find a few things to be of particular interest.
Back in the early days of Halloween, ‘soul cakes’ were given out to children, beggars, and wandering Halloween minstrels in lieu of candy.
Way back in the early days, before pumpkin carving became a popular pastime at Halloween, people would carve potatoes and turnips
And my personal favourite – Before bobbing for apples became an entertaining event at Halloween parties, people would attach an apple at one end of a stick and a lit candle at the other end. A string would be tied to the middle of the stick and the stick would be spun around. The participants would try to take a bite out of the apple while avoiding getting smacked in the face with the lit candle. Such merriment was to be had in the ‘good old days’ !
Halloween, and the fun and games with foods that came with it, has become a much tamer celebration over the centuries. None the less, there are still many who choose to join in the festivities and many, the likes of us, who delight in seeing the little ones out and about in their adorable little costumes and pumpkin baskets filled with enough treats to keep them happy until Christmas.
Costume shoppingDominicout on Paw PatrolPrim-mousePrim & Maddy – spooky…Genie & Rory (Suzy & Casey) –we are all so excited 😋 Brook 😁
That’s it for today! Take care out there and have a great Halloween! 💞
The news story for today, found here, is all about the new and improved Facebook, ‘Meta’.
For those WordPress readers who were, like me, born before the debut of the fax machine, this leap into the future of social media is no doubt a bit daunting.
From what I understand, the ‘Metaverse’ is a place where we humans will exist as our chosen avatars (cartoon characters of ourselves) and where we can hang out with the avatars of our real life co-workers, family, or friends. We will wear a virtual reality headset, which will enable our avatar to reflect our facial expressions and our real time movements. 😋💃🤸
With ‘Meta’ Facebook we will hold virtual meetings, dance parties, and participate in online games. We will make crafts and play sports. Our entire mission in life will be to have happy, healthy, fit, convivial avatars.
So, that brings us back to Facebook and how they expect to profit from this new Meta version. Their plan is to profit off of merchandise sales. Naturally, much of this ‘merchandise’ will be of the technological type like apps to create and expand our own little Metaverses. But, the big winner will no doubt be the sale of digital clothes that one will buy for our avatar. Seriously, no one wants to be seen out and about in the Metaverse in last year’s stretch pants and t-shirts. We will buy expensive designer outfits and accessories for our lucky little avatars, while we stay at home and slump around in our stretch pants and t-shirts. Why didn’t we think of this ages ago? 🤦
I suppose it was inevitable that we would eventually fade from our livingroom couches to the digital spaces and places that only technology can provide. I am just not sure that I am ready.
Anyway, that is it for today. As always, feel free to comment below. Yay or nay, are you ready to celebrate this latest step in social media?
Today’s news story, coming from CTV News, can be found here. This story touches on the subject of paternity leave.
Joe Rogan, who works for Spotify, posted a tweet bashing US Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, for taking six months of paternity leave to care for his newborn twins. Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palentir Technologies Inc., responded by calling any man “in an important position” who took six months of paternity leave “a loser”. He went on to say that “In the old days, men had babies and worked harder to provide for them…”
IN MY VIEW:
Joe Rogan and Joe Lonsdale are in no position to judge anyone for how they use legitimate employment benefits or how they should prioritize their career and their family.
Joe Lonsdale is in no position to decide if one’s ‘position’ is important or not. If you are employed, it is because what you do is important enough to warrant a position.
“In the old days, men had babies and worked harder to provide for them…” In the ‘old days’ a lot of men worked at home – with their wives. (Ie Family farms, family businesses with living quarters). Even those who worked out of the home, did not face the commuting times that exist today or the amount of travel away from home that is part of employment nowadays.
Many fathers today are far more hands on than they were years ago and many mothers are employed outside of the home. It makes sense for both parents to spend as much time as possible with their newborn.
As wonderful as infants are, and parenting is in general, transitioning from being a couple to being a family is challenging. A challenge that has often ended in divorce court. If a few months of paternity leave helps to make this transition successful, it would be beneficial to the child, the parents, their community, and society in general.
Work to live, do not live to work. Golden advice that becomes more obvious as life goes on.
That is it for today, folks! As always, feel free to comment below. You don’t have to agree with me to comment, but I will appreciate it if you keep it respectful.
This morning I went searching for information on muscle cramps and it led me to an interesting news story, here.
Most people suffer occasional, if not frequent muscle cramps. I have certainly had my share, so I am familiar with that excruciating “kill me now!” pain that they cause. Most of my muscle cramps affect my toes or my calf muscles. My previous boss would get cramps in his hands that looked brutally painful. My husband Dan generally experiences his worst cramps in his thigh muscles.
Last night, Dan’s right thigh muscle cramped. I heard him let out a moan/groan/scream cuss word. By the time I got to the kitchen, he was clutching the back of a chair. By his facial expression, I was convinced that he was suffering a heart attack. Quite possibly one that could turn fatal at any moment. Through clutched teeth, he mumbled that he had a cramp in his thigh.
Having no idea what I could do to help, without risking making the situation worse, I started to gently massage his thigh. The muscle felt like twisted steel rope. The pain went on, and on, and ON! I don’t know how long it lasted, but it seemed to go on for ages. Gradually the cramp eased to the point where Dan could move. He slowly and cautiously walked (shuffled) across the kitchen and livingroom until the pain ramped down to a dull ache.
This morning, I set out to determine what could be done to diminish the frequency, severity, and duration of muscle cramps before one of us lost a toe or a leg to one of these insidious events. I expected to read about the prevention of dehydration, or the need to take supplements such as magnesium or calcium. I did not know what, or if, I would find anything to ease a cramp that was already in progress.
Amazingly, I found a number of articles, from credible sources that suggested PICKLE JUICE as a quick and effective means for releasing a muscle cramps. While a number of theories have been tested as to how pickle juice alleviates muscle cramps, most research that I came across pointed to the same conclusion. If one is suffering from a severe muscle cramp, tossing back a couple of ounces of pickle juice triggers a reflex in the back of one’s throat that shuts down the misfiring of neurons in muscles throughout the body, effectively releasing the muscle cramp.
Apparently this is not news to a lot of athletes, who have been using pickle juice to ease muscle cramps for years – and who totally swear by it.
Personally, I have not tried it – yet! But the next time Dan gets a muscle cramps – I will be ready. Maybe I will tell him that it is vodka, just in case he is not into the whole pickle juice experiment. 😏
They are even Hungarian pickles! 👍
That is my news for today! If anyone has tried pickle juice as a muscle relaxant, I would love to hear about the results in the comment section below. 😊
Today’s news story, found here, is on a subject that I did not expect to touch on this month. But here it is and well worth the time to read it.
This article from Today’s Parent magazine was written by an actual mother struggling to get her child introduced to a variety of foods. It could have been written by any mother getting a child to do, or not do, anything over the course of a regular day. That is what makes it such a refreshing, enjoyable, and valuable article.
As a young mother, I read articles and entire books that promised perfect parenting. I was a mother for about two days before I realized that my children were obviously not perfect. They were children – adorable, precious, unique little human beings who had obviously not read any of these articles or books. Likewise, and just as obviously, these articles and books were not written by anyone who had ever raised, or seen, an actual child.
My Three – Mark, Jen, & Dan
I have checked out a few parenting articles in recent years, since becoming a grandparent. While the articles today still tend to spew the ‘one size fits all’ rules for perfect parenting, they seem to have gotten more obnoxious over the years. Many push young parents to embrace their updated parenting skills while rejecting any ‘well-meaning’ advice from grandparents or like. Seriously 😒
If you are, or are about to become a parent, chances are you will read up on the subject. Here are a few of my own personal tips on parenting – take them or leave them, ignore them at your own risk. ☺️
Do not believe everything you read – if it sounds wrong, it probably is.
Every child is unique – and every grandchild is unique. They are meant to be that way. Do not frustrate yourself or them by trying to shape them into something they are not. 🙄
What works once for one child, will not necessarily, or generally, work for another child, or even the same child.
Worry less. Never worry about what may or may not worry your child. If it is really a problem for them, you will know. If it isn’t a problem, don’t create one.
Good parenting doesn’t have to be serious to work. Have fun! It might not seem like fun when your little one is power puking across the Christmas tree, or shooting their new panties up into a neighbour’s tree, or putting a dead hamster on your pillow, but someday those times will be priceless memories (to be recounted at graduations and weddings). Then, if you are very fortunate, you will graduate to grandparenting!
Granddaughter Maddy
That is it for today! Take care and have a great day!💞
These days, the news in Regina features articles such as this one found in the Regina Leader Post.
Upwards of a hundred nylon tents have been set up in a small park at the centre of town to shelter the homeless in our city. Sleeping bags, food and other necessities have been donated and secured. Kitchen areas and port-a-potties have been set up. A windbreak has been built to surround this make-shift community. Those who are homeless continue to arrive at ‘Camp Marjorie’ and the camp expands to meet the growing need.
I certainly applaud the efforts of the volunteer organizers and the community groups who have worked to provide assistance for the homeless in our city. But, this is Regina, Saskatchewan and this is the end of October. Our temperature is drifting above and below freezing. Frigid winds whipped through Regina yesterday, followed by rain. Snow is in the forecast. I cannot imagine nylon tents supporting the considerable weight of snow – or giving much protection from the wind and the rain for that matter.
‘Camp Marjorie’ is not a permanent solution for the homeless crisis in Regina, but it is bringing much needed attention to the situation. The local police and fire department are attending regularly, doing what it is within their jurisdictions to do. Social service care workers are attending and doing what they can to resolve issues – ma y of which have been created by their government employers. Some of the needy have been placed in hotels temporarily , while permanent arrangements are being made. Others wait.
Housing and feeding the vulnerable in our community is a start – and it is a good start. But hopefully this is just the start. There is so much that needs to be addressed before our homeless can experience the security and quality of life that they deserve. There are so many support programs that would provide a hand up to those who have virtually nothing and nowhere to go. And there are those who are, and will always be, incapable of proving for themselves. Our city and our province need to do better to help those who are in need, regardless.
‘Camp Marjorie’ in Core Community Parker
That is my sad, but hopeful, news story of the day.
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 