annemariedemyen

October 25th – Breaking News in 1955

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

Being at a loss for anything newsworthy today, I flashed back to the news headlines of 1955. See here.

1955 was a very prolific year, news wise. According to The People’s History website, these were some of the top headlines.

The St. Laurence Seaway opens
Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat for a white passenger
The first McDonald’s was erected
TV dinners, featuring fish sticks, went to market
James Dean killed in auto accident in California
Coca Cola, previously available in bottles only, was now sold in cans
The average minimum wage in the USA reached $1.00 per hour
7 out of 10 US families owned a car
USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine, was launched
The original Salk polio vaccine was introduced
The Mickey Mouse Club debuted
California Disneyland opened
The Baghdad Pact was formed to unite the Middle East
The Warsaw Pact was formed to unite eight Communist countries
USA begins involvement in the Vietnam conflict
Great Britain declared a State of Emergency due to National Rail Strike
Great Britain also affected by winter storms causing road and rail problems for food and medical supplies deliveries
Inventions of 1955: Pocket transistor radios, atomically generated power, Hovercraft, Lego, Velcro, polyurethane

1955 saw Rock and Roll hit a frenetic pace with the likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and the Platters. Families gathered around their television sets to watch the debut of shows like Gunsmoke, Lassie, and The Lone Ranger. Theatres were packed for the showing of hits such as Oklahoma, Rebel Without a Cause, To Catch a Thief, and The Seven Year Itch.

1955 celebrated the arrival of Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Bruce Willis, Kris Jenner and Yours Truly. That is right, my mother gave birth to me in July 1955 as the parish priest filled the hospital with his live and apparently very loud rendition of Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around The Clock’ – the Number One hit in the USA at the time.

That’s it for today, folks!

Take care and have a great evening! 💞

October 24th – The Cost of Food

October 24, 2021October 24, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

Today’s news story, found here, relates to the ever rising cost of food. The gist of this article, is that the federal government is supposedly underestimating inflation in Canada by how they track the cost of groceries.

The federal government determines their average cost for specific products based on information received from three national grocery chains on a regular basis and compares it to previous data reported from the same chains. Melanie Morrison of Better Cart Analytics in Saskatoon, Sask. is saying that this is not as effective as the system that her company uses. Better Cart Analytics tracks product at thousands of chains and independents across the country.

Since most people do their shopping at larger chain outlets, I am not sure how including pricing from smaller, independent outlets or specialty shops would be any more accurate. The only thing this article seems to show is that the large national chains are not being as affected by inflation as the independent outlets – based on their rate of inflation.

One thing that does seem to be obvious, is that the cost of groceries are increasing and that is not good news for a lot of people.

Food cost is a major part of every household budget. Fortunately, it is also one of the most flexible. There is room for improvement in almost everyone’s shopping habits. Here are a few tips for grocery shopping that we have found to help keep our food budget in line.

Compare pricing for products sold in bulk and/or smaller packaging. We have at least one chain here that often sells larger size (bulk) packages at a higher price per unit than the price per unit of smaller packages. (Especially meat but other products as well).
Compare displays of same product. This same chain will often have a large display of chicken breasts, thighs or wings at a high price. Follow the path that most shoppers take and you will find another display – exactly the same packaging and best before date – at a much lower price
Check discount pricing compared to regular pricing. I have seen slightly damaged goods go on sale for higher than the same regular priced goods. (Not just at food stores)
Do the math Two for $5.00 instead of One for $2.00 is never a good deal but stores will offer it.
Check package weights Some chains sell entire displays of product (especially cheese) at so much per package. The weight is shown on the package and can vary substantially. I don’t check every package, but I no longer grab the first one I see.
Note the price of products (Dan is much better at this than I am) and make sure it rings in at the correct price. Most stores have a generous policy if an item rings in higher than it should – and it happens frequently!
Check product for damage – especially, fruit, vegetables, and eggs. There is no point in spending top dollar on poor quality product.

Of course, there are countless other ways to save money when it comes to food costs – watching sales fliers for good deals, buying ‘in season’, avoiding wasteful food habits, cooking tasty and cost conscious soups, casseroles, and stews, and avoiding impulse buying.

I know it is really hard to revise one’s shopping habits when one is working, raising a family, or just dealing with life’s issues. But, even small changes can make a big difference to one’s food budget. After a while, the only thing you notice is the money you save.

That is it for today! On a personal note …

***Saving money for the things that matter – Happy 3rd Birthday, Cason!***

Take care and have a great evening! 💞

October 23 – Elephant Evolution

October 23, 2021October 23, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

My news story of the day comes from CBC News. It is a piece about elephants and being a lifetime elephant fan, I naturally had to check it out.

Unfortunately this story turned out to be sad and shocking.

The first shock came from how fast elephants are evolving in some areas. Elephants in Mozambique are rapidly losing the beautiful tusks that they have historically used to dig for water, strip barks from trees for food, and joust with other elephants. These tuskless animals are all females and they now make up two-thirds of live elephant births in that area of the world.

The second shock is that, the reason this elephant evolution became necessary, was to avoid extinction at the hands of illegal ivory hunters. These hunters were decimating the elephant population in Mozambique to finance both sides of a war effort there.

The third shock was a little side note. When authorities in Sri Lanka seized a massive amount of ivory tusks from these illegal elephant hunts, they ultimately destroyed them! I cannot believe they could not be turned over to some historical agency to be preserved or sold for a legitimate purpose. The funds from such sales could have provided financial help (medical assistance, food, housing, etc) for people in Mozambique. Surely that would have been far better than just destroying these tusks!

Altogether a sad news story today. It is hard to imagine that humans can be so greedy, bloodthirsty, and destructive. It makes one wonder what else the warmongers around the globe are destroying. Obviously, countless innocent human victims are just the beginning.

That is it for today! Take care, take care of each other and our vulnerable animal population, and have a great day. 💞

October 22nd – Fractions

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

Today’s news story was just too good to pass up. 😲 Sometime in the 1980’s, fast-food chain A&W introduced a 1/3 Pounder to compete with the McDonald’s 1/4 Pounder. Selling it at the same price as McDonald’s was selling their smaller burger, they thought it should be a sure winner! It was not.

Decades later, they decided to figure out where they had gone wrong with their genius marketing promotion. They used focus groups to find the answer to their dilemna. The focus groups got right to the heart of the problem. 50% of the geniuses in their focus groups believed A & W was ripping them off because they thought 1/4 pound was larger than 1/3 pound. Seriously?

If focus groups are an accurate representation of the general population, we are in some trouble.

In all of my sixty-six years (two thirds of a century there abouts), I have run across one person who had zero concept of fractions. He honestly had no idea how to cut a pie in half or how far to go if I told him that a certain shop was half a block away. He just could not wrap his head around fractions.

The rest of the people I have know, could tell the difference between 1/2 , 1/4, and 1/3 by the time they were three. Some struggled with adding 3/16ths to 5/32nds, but how often does that come up outside of the construction industry?

I could possibly understand if these focus groups were twenty year olds from Canada (where we use the metric system a good part of the time), but these were Americans. They must have been taught fractions in school. What is the deal?

Anyway, to turn this promotion debacle around, A&W has decided to offer a limited time 3/9 Pound Burger. If sold out, one can buy a 2/6 Pound Burger for the same time.

I may be wrong, but I think that half of their customers may flock to Burger King to avoid the math madness.

***Prim & Maddy – long before the math controversy made headlines 💞***

That is it for today! Take care and have a great one! 💞

October 21 – Shortages

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

Today, the news story that caught my attention comes from Bloomberg.com. In this article, food shortages are discussed at length.

According to this article, the three main forces driving these shortages are labour shortages at food processing plants, transportation issues/getting products to store shelves, and hoarding by consumers.

I have seen a number of articles discussing goods shortages, gas and oil shortages, and the like. They go into detail about how and why these shortage occur, how long these shortages will last, etc. Most seem to suggest that they will, in time, return to pre-covid supply levels.

I can only speak for how things are in Canada, specifically in Saskatchewan. So far, we have had limited shortages and not so limited price hikes – which of course are most detrimental to those who can least afford them.

In my view… We need to adapt permanently! – personally as well as retailers. In Canada we waste an obscene amount of food, product, and fuel. Suppliers encourage this waste by their packaging and by their promotions.

There are some things that Dan and I have done for ages. When it comes to vehicles, furniture, appliances, electronics and the like – we do not buy, or trade up, unless we have to and we do everything possible to keep such things out of the landfill.

**Mother-in-law’s rocker that Jen reupholstered. (I love this chair – I live in this chair** 💞)

Since this pandemic started and I retired, we have gotten way better at being purposefully less wasteful. A number of the things we do now –

We shop way less frequently – saving gas, wear and tear on our vehicle and avoiding a lot of impulse buys – food and otherwise
We are getting way better at watching expiry dates and using up food before it gets tossed
We are way better at using our leftovers
We take better care with our food – preparing vegetables before putting away helps keep them fresh longer. Freezer packing our meat in usable portions before storing in the freezer also helps.
Buying condiments, etc. in smaller bottles so they get used up before being tossed out
We did way better at using and processing (for later use) our garden produce this year
Using REAL dishes instead of paper plates (mostly).
We are doing way more to weather-proof our house this fall to save on energy and to save my lungs and sinuses from the effects of forced air heating this winter
Buying better quality clothing and home linens – less often!
Using rain barrels to water our garden this summer
Giving grandkids money for gifts in lieu of ‘things’ that they may or may not need or use. Especially now that they are getting older, they would rather have the money to do something that they will enjoy.

It is little things – but they all help. It definitely helps with me being home all of the time, especially when Dan has days off. We have time to get things done together. That is not a luxury that everyone has. But if everyone who could, did a bit more it would take the pressure off of supply chains and make life a bit easier for others. We could actually be helping instead of hoarding.

We don’t really do that much, it doesn’t seem like that much, but I cringe to think of how wasteful we were before the pandemic.

Retailers could also do so much more to help control waste – especially food stores. Some perishables you simply cannot purchase in smaller quantities (like Bok Choy) or they are price prohibitive in smaller quantities. Many current promotions are only for quantities of two to four units at a time. Anything perishable – from salad dressing, to crackers, to cereal is impractical purchased in multiples for a small household. But, the price per single unit is rediculous, compared to the multiples price.

That’s it for today! My views were rather wordy compared to my news, but if you got this far ‘Thanks for listening!’

Take care and have a great day! 💞

October 20th – Full Moon

October 20, 2021October 20, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

Today’s news story was an easy choice. As I have said in the past, I am no expert when it comes to astrology in general. I am however somewhat of an expert when it comes to the chaos and drama of a full-moon.

Personally, I become a walking disaster to anything mechanical or electronic during a full moon. Copiers jam, random bits and pieces fly off of my vehicle, radios and televisions go silent as I pass by, and computers cringe when I enter a room. I do not understand why. I just know this is how it is. 😟

I am hardly the only one affected by full moons. Over the years, I have dealt with the teary, the weary, the cranky, and the outright idiocy of others in the light of the full-moon. Years ago, I worked the night shift at a small motel and quickly learned that the full moon would bring out the weirdness in many – and for whatever reason, many of the weirder would get an overwhelming urge to strip down in front of me. They were all harmless but I did have the police on speed dial – just because. 😳

The full moon today, is promising to be an exception! For some time now we have been bumbling and fumbling under the influence of SIX planets being in retrograde. This full moon marks the ending of retrograde cycles for four of these planets – Jupiter, Mercury, Pluto, and Saturn. Definitely an ending that many are ready for. In retrograde, each of these planets are troublesome in their own way. Jupiter retrograde brings hard work without expectation. 😟 Mercury in retrograde brings difficulty to travel, communications, and technology. 🥺 Saturn, always known as the taskmaster, goes karmic in retrograde. 😧 Pluto in retrograde brings out hidden energies of the subconscious mind, power dynamics, control issues, and structural shifts. 😳 Anything that marks the end of that sh–show has to be a good thing!

The two planets that are still in retrograde, Neptune (until December 1st) and Uranus (until January 19th), are benign enough. Neptune highlights honesty. In retrograde one tends to see themselves and those around us as we truly are. 😇 Uranus in retrograde brings confidence and calm. 🤗 Neptune and Uranus have obviously been holding us together for the past few months so they should positively shine now that the troublemakers have turned around.

There were a number of interesting and informative articles regarding the current full moon to be found online. I chose the one that I did because it presents many options for how to make the best of this day. Any good day can be made better and any bad day can be made tolerable, with the right attitude and effort. This article would help anyone to do just that. 💞

**Playing Peek a Boo with a full moon.**

That is it for today. Time to go turn my life around while the planets are in my favour. Take care and have a great day! 💞

October 19th- Covid Care

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

My news story for today is a sad one for Saskatchewan. Some Covid patients requiring ICU care are now being transferred to Ontario, to take the pressure off of the Saskatchewan medical system. After all that could have been done, everything that should have been done, we have come to this.

You can see Premier Scott Moe’s official announcement on You Tube.

Thoughts and prayers going out to all who are currently being affected by Covid in Saskatchewan and elsewhere around the globe.

**Thank you to Ontario** ***for providing your assistance to Saskatchewan!*** 💞

Take care, stay safe and have a great day. 💞

October 18th – Smelly News

October 18, 2021October 18, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

Today I went searching for a news story on a specific topic. A smelly subject to be sure but one that deserved a bit of research – especially today.

Dan and I went shopping this morning. We went to three stores and rounded off our shopping spree with store number four – a quick stop at a nearby Dollar Store to grab a few bags of peanuts for our neighbourhood squirrels and Bluejays.

Entering and exiting the store, I did what I have always done since the beginning of the pandemic – I took a shot of hand sanitizer and applied it thoroughly. On the way out of the store, I touched my facemask to readjust it. By the time I got into the Jeep, I was choking on the smell that had penetrated my mask. Since misery loves company, I had Dan take a whiff. By the time we got home, the entire Jeep reeked. The first thing I did was toss the mask in the outdoor garbage can. The second thing was to thoroughly scrub my hands.

I cannot believe that this is the first time I have had such an issue and I cannot believe it was so bad. It was as strong and as repugnant as bug spray. And according to today’s very informative news story it was probably deliberate!

We are one of those many families who have issues with chemical scents. We buy virtually everything unscented for a reason. Many of us suffer from migraines, respiratory issues, and allergies. It is a genuine health issue, as it is for many!

I cannot imagine why anyone would be allowed to create hand sanitizer that has been scented with noxious chemicals. I really cannot understand how anyone can be allowed to provide such hand sanitizer to an unsuspecting public as part of a health order to prevent the spread of a life/health threatening disease.

I have scrubbed my hands three times and changed all of my clothing since we got home and there is still a scent wafting around me. Not only is this smell brutal, but obviously it is not going away. 😒

That is my news for the day. Live and learn! I will not be venturing out without a container of unscented hand sanitizer any time soon.

**Looks like a good day for a walk in the FRESH air.**

Take care and have a great day! 💞 (And don’t trust public hand sanitizer).

Sunday Drive

October 17, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

It has been a beautiful day here today so we went out for a bit of a drive this afternoon. I thought I should share a few of the shots I took. 😁

‘**The Littlest Hobo’ (that was not her litter)**

***Oops… Train’s a coming around the bend..***

**Waiting for the lonnnngggg train to pass. Who would have thought that was a main rail line?** 😏

**Maybe a quarter of the vehicles at ‘Happy Valley’. Everyone looked so HAPPY.** 🤗

At this point we had to turn back to the city via the paved highway!

Time to put together a pizza for our supper! Take care and have a nice evening. 💞

October 17th – Harvest Season

October 17, 2021October 17, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in News & Views - October 2021

My choice for news story of the day comes from The Globe and Mail and it highlights the cranberry harvest in Quebec.

Living in Saskatchewan, I have grown up seeing fields of grain and the annual spectacle of massive combines harvesting the crops. Nowadays, thanks to the modern miracle of technology, I am finding it interesting to see how other crops are harvested across Canada and around the globe.

Long known for being the number one global supplier of Maple Syrup, Quebec is also a major supplier of cranberries – second only to Wisconsin.

Seasonal workers from Mexico and South America are instrumental in maintaining and harvesting the cranberry crop in Quebec. They come to Canada in April and remain until the harvest is completed at the end of October.

The harvesting is unique in that the cranberry fields are flooded, machines loosen the berries from their vines, and workers corral the floating berries so they can be pumped into waiting trucks.

The facts in this story are fairly basic and limited but there are a number of great photos that are definitely worth checking out. Here

As a matter of interest, I checked out an article on the cranberry harvest in Wisconsin – here. The overall method for harvesting the berries seems very similar but this article includes some mouthwatering ideas for serving up this fascinating crop. Their versatility obviously goes far beyond the cranberry sauce served at traditional turkey suppers.

That is my news for today. It has definitely sparked my interest into how other crops are harvested across Canada and around the globe. I might have to revisit this subject in a later post. I might even devote an entire month of posts to how food is grown and harvested around the globe! That would be fun to source out. 😊

**Not quite Quebec, but I love this French courtyard at Cafe Paris in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. 👏**

Thank you for dropping by! Take care and have a great rest of your day! 💞