Surfing Other Blogs

Maybe, it's just procrastination, avoiding writing in my own blog, but I do enjoy surfing other people's blogs, especially those of artists. I've just spent the last hour, reading some such blogs and marvelling at the photos of paintings and ceramics that these artists have completed or are working on. It's truly inspirational (if not motivational). I find it incredible that there are so many talented people out there, in blog world. Not only do they find time to work on their art, whatever it happens to be, but they also write about it. Yes, I know that it's a way of promoting their work but that's okay. If I was an artist, I'd probably do the same thing. I just think it's wonderful to be able to visit so many artists and to see what they're doing and, in some cases, to see the steps that they've taken to complete a project.

My Golden Years

This morning, I thought it would be good to reflect a bit on where I've been and where I am going in my life.

I decided to retire a few years back. I always thought that the day that work stops being enjoyable will be the day that I call it quits. My consulting business was beginning to tail off then, with only a few new projects coming my way, projects that weren't really that interesting to me. Many of the new projects were essentially 'repeats' of projects I done earlier or projects that I really didn't enjoy but that I simply did to maintain cash flow.

I was beginning to be much most interested in my hobbies, reading, woodworking, and nature photography. I had even started to renew my interest in travelling a bit, with trips to Vancouver Island and the Yukon. And, as always, I was getting more and more interested in cooking.

So, at one point, I started to withdraw from the business life, referring offers of new projects to my colleagues in the business and divesting myself of memberships on various committees. I concentrated on improvements to the Carman acreage.

Well, that all changed when I agreed to move back to Winnipeg and took up city life. Each life-style has its pros and cons. Certainly, city life is physically easier in many ways than country life. And, that's important, considering my age and health. I began to enjoy the easy access to shopping, entertainment, and restaurants. All went well for awhile. Then, there were some changes in my personal life that were difficult to cope with, for a time.

Now, everything is back on an even keel and I'm again enjoying my life in the city. I've really gotten back into my favourite hobby, nature photography. Margaret and I have a nice home, a couple of great dogs, and we share many good times together. We travel occasionally, we get out at least once a month to a fine restaurant, we attend many plays, concerts, and musical comedies. And, so important, we're in close and frequent contact with our families and friends.

The moral of this little story is that life is too short and too precious to be wasting it doing something you’d rather not be doing. Horace, the Roman lyric poet said it so well: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero or "seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the future".

And Then There Were Five

Papa now has five grand-children, with the birth yesterday of Becca. All are well. Happiness is ...

"De-clutter in 5 Minutes"

I just saw this cover headline on a magazine at the Safeway check-out. I almost laughed out loud. It's taken me a lifetime to amass all the clutter in my home and some advertising agency for this magazine thinks I'm stupid enough to believe that nonsense. Maybe, they do. Maybe, some people believe this silliness.

It would take me at least 5 minutes just to wade through all the clutter in my basement, let alone the whole house. And that wouldn't de-clutter anything. It'd just discourage me.

I did do some de-cluttering today. I cleaned out my Ford Escape for the coming winter months. I vacuumed up a lot of dog hair, sand, and straw. I even wiped down the seats a bit. Maybe, I'll clean the insides of the windows tomorrow. If I have 5 minutes ...

Wind-swept Winnipeg

It's not too often that we get wind warnings in Manitoba but, for the past couple of days, and today, they have  been common. Cottagers along the southern beaches of Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg are suffering more damage as the waves on these large, shallow lakes become fearsome. Docks get washed away and beaches erode as the surf pounds them.

Here, in the city, the branches of trees and shrubs are whipping around, scattered all but the most tenacious leaves. Around my home, the leaves have been swirling on the walks, making little clumps here and there. A little sweeping and raking will take care of them as the winds die down over the next few days,  Our big section of our back fence, now tied to a tree, took a beating and will have to be replaced soon.

I keep telling myself that these winds would be much worst if they were associated with a blizzard. There's a lot more hard work involved, cleaning up after a winter storm.

Jumping for Glee

Last night's opening show of "Jump for Glee" at Celebrations Dinner Theatre, here in Winnipeg, was a hit with the capacity audience of over 400 people. Everything about this show was stellar, from the energy, singing, and dancing of the cast to the set design and lighting. It made me realize once again that Canada is full of talented young people.

Even the accompanying dinner was great, served by the costumed and characterful wait staff.  If you and your family have the opportunity to see this show before it closes in early January, take it. You'll thoroughly enjoy the evening.

Autumn Again

John Burroughs (writer and naturalist in the late 1800s) said, "How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and colour are their last days".

Someone else said that autumn is when every leaf becomes a flower. It seems every shade of green turns to yellow and gold and, in some cases, to red.


Many people bemoan the coming of winter. I don't. Sure, I love spring and summer the most on the prairies but winter has its charm as well. I think of watching the snow fall, covering everything in white, and mornings when the bare trees are cloaked in heavy hoar frost. Those days can be magical in themselves but are even more of a treat for a photographer. Blizzards are the most unwelcome of winter events here but, when things calm down, the roads are cleared, and the sun shines again, it's great to go for a drive and watch for the sparkling, wind-sculpted snow drifts along the way.  Happiness is ...

Jargon

Eric Bentley, an author, editor and translator, once said “Ours is the age of substitutes: instead of language, we have jargon: instead of principles, slogans: and, instead of genuine ideas, bright ideas”.  Jargon is the vocabulary that is peculiar to a trade, profession, or group.  We often encounter jargon when we go to a doctor's office or try reading the fine print of the limited warranty for some expensive product that we've just bought. However, jargon can be found in any group of people with similar beliefs or activities.

During my life as a university student and, later, as a government employee and as a consultant, I was constantly bombarded with jargon. I even used it, in varying degrees, in my own business writing.  Jargon is fine if your audience understands it.  If you're giving a technical presentation to people in your profession, most of the audience will expect and understand your words. But, many people would argue that jargon is simply a protective barrier, put up to prevent others from infringing on territory. 

Brian Martin, with the Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Wollongong, in Australia had these critical words to say about academic jargon: "Academics may battle among themselves over knowledge, but they have a common interest in maintaining the status of academic knowledge in the eyes of outsiders. If what academics do is too easy to understand, then it becomes harder to justify comfortable salaries and conditions". One could say the same thing about doctors, lawyers, publicists, plumbers, and other groups of like-minded people.

What jargon users fail to realize is that ordinary people who hear them speak or who read their words give them less credibility than they give to people who speak or write plainly.  So, if you want to be heard, believed, and understood, speak with words that paint clear pictures.

Normality Returns

The turkey dinner is just a pleasant memory now as the short work week begins for most people. I expect these same people wish every week was this short.  Retired people, like myself, don't really care.  We've "been there; done that" and most of us are enjoying our golden years.

It doesn't mean we don't work. We do. But, we work at our own pace, in our own place. In the early hours of today, I still don't know what I'll do to fill the hours but that's okay. There's always stuff "to do", in and around a home. It's just a matter of picking some things to do off the mental list and getting them done.

I'm now thinking of all of the things I could or should do today.  I can't say that there many things that I 'want to do' today. Most of them actually sound like tedious, boring activities. But, life is like that. You have to do the things that have to be done so you can spoil yourself a bit later, doing the more pleasurable things you enjoy. I do know that I will have a nap soon because I didn't get enough sleep last night. Usually, I need "two sleeps" to come close to having 8 hours of sleep total per day. Fortunately, I can do that.

Today, the weather looks good for some outdoor work.  The yard is more or less ready for winter but there are still some small jobs needing attention. I would like to get those done because the weather forecast is for cool, rainy weather for the next few days. At this time of year, in Winnipeg, we can suddenly receive a staying snow so it's best to get all the yard work done that you can, while you can.

Leaf by Leaf

After a short walk with the dogs last night, as we drove to a nearby Starbucks in downtown Charleswood, it was like driving through a blizzard of blowing leaves and dust, with a smattering of rain drops every few minutes.  Inside the store, all was calm, except for the occasional gust of wind and leaves against the windows.  Armed with a chai and pumpkin spice latte and decadent brownie and a cappuccino and a molasses-ginger cookie, we sat and enjoyed the atmosphere inside.  It was a good evening to be on the inside, looking out.

Later, while Marg enjoyed watching the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-cats 33-17, I surfed on my laptop, studying various photography subjects on the blogs of some exceptional good photographers.  One topic I researched was night-time photography.  I would like to take some better moon shots and to photograph the milky way.  I'll drive outside the glow of the city lights sometime soon, in the middle of the night, to capture these scenes.  Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll also be able to capture the aurora with my camera, with some leafless trees in the foreground.

Calm Inside

But the weather outside is frightful.  To quote our weather office (wherever it is these days), "Very strong south winds are associated with a strong low pressure centre moving from Montana into Saskatchewan today. As a result, wind gusts throughout parts of the Red River Valley including Winnipeg are expected to occasionally be in excess of 90 km/h this afternoon. Winds should diminish slightly this evening".  And, this evening, it's supposed to rain.  Maybe, even a thunderstorm.


Yes, Martha, our Fall weather is back.  Looking out the window, the tree and shrub branches are crazily whipping around and the leaves are blowing down the street, occasionally forming clumps where the eddies occur.  It's amazing that there are still so many leaves on the trees.  I chuckle when I think of all the people that have been raking leaves off of their lawns this week.  Now, all of their work has been for naught as leaves blow from one neighbour's yard to another. I rarely rake leaves.  Our small patches of grass out front and out back don't collect that many.  Most of the fallen leaves end up in the flower beds where they belong, acting as winter insulation and summer mulch.  It's much easier on the back if you don't fight nature.

It's Not the Heat

Finally, summer has arrived.  Well, maybe not.  Our high yesterday of 31 and today of 28 makes you wonder what's happening with our local weather.  These record-breaking temperatures are certainly not normal for this time of year in Winterpeg.  Snow flurries ... yes.  Heat waves ... no.  But, no-one is complaining in our fair city.  Meanwhile, the leaves are blowing in the wind and the geese are continuing their training flights.

A friend was telling me the other day of watching two flocks of geese during evening twilight, flying overhead.  Through some miscommunication, on the parts of the leaders, the two flocks crashed into each other and there was more than the normal amount of loud honking going on.  There were lots of ruffled feathers but no serious casualties.  It reminded him of rush hour traffic and what can happen when some people aren't paying attention.

Maybe, the geese crashed because they were just confused by the heat ...

What Kind of a Learner are You?

Visual learners tend to understand and process information through observation. They like to use pictures, charts, concept maps, and demonstration. A visual learners are usually good at recalling colours, details, and faces.

Auditory learners are best are best at retaining information by listening to lectures and benefit from discussion, reading aloud, and forming study groups. Auditory learners are usually good at interpreting speech intonations, names, and languages.

Kinesthetic learners learn best through touching and moving around (also called hands-on-learners). They are easily distracted when having to sit still for long periods of time. They are usually good at sports, dancing, and activities that use the motor muscles.

Put more simply:

          Visual learners need to 'see it'.

          Auditory learners need to 'hear it'.

          Kinesthetic learners need to 'do it'.

Of course, it's not all this simple.  People cannot be so easily pigeon-holed.  Some people may have a tendency to learn more one way than another but, as often as not, most of us use a combination of all three ways of learning.  You might be a visual learner in most areas but switch over to a kinesthetic learner in others.  For example, you might be a visual learner when it comes to needing to see someone's facial expressions when they are talking to you but you have to switch over to an auditory learner when it comes to playing a musical instrument.  Similarly, you may be a hands-on learner when it comes to understanding how to use a camera but you may not be very good at such motor activities as sports or dancing.

Maybe, you need to do all three (see it, hear it, and do it) to really learn something well.  I remember, as a graduate student, when dealing with complex theories or concepts, having to listen to lectures and to make copious notes, complete with illustrations.  The next step was using mind maps or charts to plot out the inter-relationships.  Finally, I met with other students and discussed the theory or concept.  Only after using all three styles of learning did I finally know and understand the theory or concept.

Reading

I have a confession to make. I love to read books. Although, now, I really enjoy mysteries, I've gone through many categories of books over my life. Adventure, science fiction, fantasy, historical novels, and biographies Occasionally, I will go back in time and read some classic book that I enjoyed many years ago.

Some authors are well worth reading, over and over again. "Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read" Francis Bacon. Ones that come to mind are Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rex Stout, and Orson Scott Card. Obviously, some books are very old, others less so.

I've got to go now. I have to finish a book by Ian Rankin that I'm reading. Happiness is ...

Coping with Problems and Worries

You don't have to go far these days to realize so many people are trying to deal with problems and worries in their life.  Their problems or worries may be simple or they may be complex.  Small or large, they can cause a lot of stress to these individuals and to those around them.  Coping is sometimes very hard, especially when it involves a family crisis.

It might be a financial problem, moving to a new city, an ill child, a serious illness of one's own, ageing parents, or a death in the family that is the concern. Sometimes, we get stressed out, trying to solve a problem that we don't realize we can't solve.  Sometimes, just waiting for a problem to slowly resolve itself is all that we can really do.  Reaching out to someone you trust can help, even if all they can do is lend a sympathetic ear.  Talking about a worry can put it into perspective.  Other times, it may help to simply sit down and write about what is happening.

Some people face their worries by taking long walks, escaping into good books, indulging in a favourite hobby, going out to dinner with family or friends, listening to their favourite music, or submersing themselves in work around the home.  Sometimes, it takes a combination of all of these coping exercises to get through the weeks or months of stress.  If it seems that the worry is getting too intense, just too hard to cope with, then we should probably see a counsellor.