Hints for Writing Better Blog Posts

If you're writing a new blog post you should ask and answer some basic questions ... who, what, when, where, how, and why? These are questions that journalists ask themselves when researching a story. 

These questions can also apply to making a better blog post. 

However, one of the problems with this is that you can get mired on one question and go down a 'rabbit hole'. You think of so many things you want to write in response to answering one of the questions that you lose yourself for hours before moving on to the next question.

Following a 'stream of consciousness' on one question can lead to a very long post and actually turn off your followers: everyone has limited time and if they see your post is extremely long they'll ignore the post, won't leave a comment (and, it's the comments you want), and move on to other people that they follow.

Another hint for better posts is to be cheerful about what you write. No one likes a lot of negativity. You don't want your posts to be a 'downer'.

 You may be thinking that you do want to criticize someone sometimes. For example, something that a politician says or does that really bothers you. So, you may not get past the first question of 'who'. 

Another hint is to write out your post long hand (double- or triple-spaced) and edit it on paper. It could save you a lot of time and energy with needed editing.

Last hint: always carefully spell-check your post before publishing it!

Memories

I was looking at the latest radar map of  Manitoba and NW Ontario and it triggered so many memories of  the places that I've visited over the years by myself, with friends, or with relatives. As I approach 80, I have tons of memories, mostly good ones but all sparking good thoughts of days gone by.

Some are sad thoughts. First, I miss friends and relatives who have passed away. We had many good trips together; many good conversations; many sharing of heart to heart feelings. Wow ... there have been so many good people in my life! My Dad, my Mom, my step-father Jack, my grandparents (the Hiscocks), my aunts and uncles ... I miss all of them who have passed away.

I also miss the dogs that were in my life for too few years. Lassie, Laddie, Cassie, Saxon, Megan, Mollie, Holly, and Gus. Saxon, Holly and Gus, are especially missed. Most of all, Holly. Holly and I were totally bonded to each other. If there's a dog heaven, I hope I go there when I die and that I will be reunited with these good canine friends. I'm sure those readers of this post who have loved and lost their dogs will understand how I feel.

On a brighter note, I also feel blessed by my children and their children and by their husbands and wives. I have so much to be thankful for! Of all these people, I'm most thankful for my wife Margaret. I think she's the reason I've lived so long.

And the beat goes on ...

Today, the home renovations continue. Yesterday, the old flooring in the kitchen and dining room was removed an tossed into the large metal bin now parked on one side of our driveway. Also, the remaining furniture was moved to the basement. Because there's a second fridge and freezer in the basement, we can still heat up lunch and supper meals and make morning smoothies.

Today, a plumber is making sure all the pipes associated with the home's plumbing is being assessed and fixed if necessary. Soon, we'll have a functioning dishwasher put back in place. Currently, without a kitchen sink anymore, M is washing out dirty dishes and cutlery in the bathtub in my bathroom.

All of this is challenging to us and to our new 19-month old golden retriever, Johnny. I've posted a picture of him below. We've had him here for only a few days. Coming from Florida, our winter conditions were a big surprise for him! He's adjusting quickly to these conditions and to going for walks with M. He sure didn't like having to wear winter boots to protect his feet.

He's lighter in colour than Gus was. 

Johnny is happily filling the void left by the passing of Gus. Like Gus, he loves people!

Johnny will be visiting our Vet this afternoon for his various vaccinations, including a rabies shot.

I'll keep you posted on his adventures here in the coming weeks and months.

Everybody Needs Somebody

Yes, everybody does need somebody! I was reminded of this today when Josi and Greg and their son Matt came by today to take away an old oak cabinet from our dining room. It's part of our ongoing renovation process. The cabinet had to go so new flooring can eventually be put down in the kitchen and dining room.

They also hooked up a digital picture frame (Frameo) that they had given us for Christmas. Now, we can  put some of our favorite images on it and M and I can watch them together. We can also show these images to visiting friends and relatives. I repeat, everybody does need somebody! M and I couldn't have done any of this alone.

So, thank you J and G for helping us out so much. You are so appreciated!

Sorry But No Christmas Letter for 2023

 2023 brought lots of changes here at 43 Carbutt. Our home is undergoing major renovations this year due to a serious leak that went downstairs. We're still dealing with the fallout from that. Flooring has to be replaced. We plan to upgrade our fridge and stove also to more energy efficient ones.

We had to replace our microwave when it suddenly died. Good thing it was replaced because we're living on morning smoothies, cooking frozen supper meals and making toasted cheese lunch sandwiches.

M visited her sister's place to celebrate Christmas there. We're having some of her family here on Christmas day and we're visiting J and G's on Boxing Day to share gift giving there.

Fortunately, the weather and roads have been good for travelling.

But, even without a Christmas letter, we can wish all of our friends and relatives a Merry Christmas 2023!

I Thought I'd Die at 60 yet I'm Turning 80 this May

 It's surprising  that I've lived nearly 20 years longer than I thought I would. So many of my old friends and acquaintances have passed on but I'm still here. Hey, I'm not complaining. I hope I live many more years.

I'm a grand-father already and may become a great-grandad before I kick the bucket. Not that I want my grand-kids to start a new generation anytime soon. They're still in their early to late teens. If they're smart, they'll wait until they're at least in their late twenties. I just hope they'll be happy in whatever decisions they make.

We Said Goodbye to Gus Today

We said goodbye to our Gus today. It was so hard to do but his cancer had spread through his lungs and he was under deep stress. We're just thankful for the many good years we had with him. He was a valued part of our little family. Rest in peace, Gus ... 

A Work in Progress

 I suppose I could be called a work in progress because I'm not finished yet. Hopefully, I won't be for a few more years yet. It's kind of like our home, too. We're slowly getting our house in order. Looks like it'll be months before all's said and done.

Today, G and J came and took away one of the workbenches from the basement. We're now waiting for M and T to come and get theirs. I hope they do it soon. We have some great books to give to their kids too. 

Some of them I hate to give away but I have to face reality ... I'll probably never use them again myself. I also have some big ledger-style journal books that they can have so they can start writing down their memories for their kids when they have them. Boy, that makes me feel really old!

I discovered today from J and G that kids today cannot read cursive writing. They have to have things printed out in block lettering! What a crazy world they live in!

It may be many months yet before we can get the boxes stacked in our office/computer room emptied and get to all the stuff they contain, supposedly for 'temporary' storage. It's really frustrating knowing you have stuff you could use right now but cannot reach.

 

Dictators are Everwhere

Dictators are characterized by greed, arrogance and hypocrisy. It seems they can be found on every livable continent and in every country. It can be discouraging to see the ongoing wars led by these dictators. In Canada, we have seen many of them throughout our history.

Lately, I've been viewing old National Film Board documentaries (e.g., https://www.nfb.ca/film/david_thompson_the_great_mapmaker/). They give us a new perspective on our country's history.

Oddly, they also give us hope for our future ... adversity can be overcome. There is hope for our county's future and for my children and their children. We can only wish our decedent's will vote to end the madness.

Double Tapped

Four hours ago, I got the latest covid vaccine and flu vaccine. In the past hour, the soreness began. I took a couple of Advil to hopefully fix that.

It feels good to have the latest updates.  I'm going to call my Carman MD soon to get the latest premium pneumonia vaccine prescription. Sometimes, I feel like an old inner tube always getting punctured and patched up.

What bothers me is going into a grocery store, wearing a mask, and most people running around me are  without a mask. Why are people so stupid? Just because you don't have to wear one doesn't mean you shouldn't, for your protection and those around you.

Our home renovations are continuing. We just pre-ordered a new energy-efficient fridge and stove.  Of course, the under mat and the flooring has to be replaced first. We're also getting a new double kitchen sink and countertop. Also, we've pre-ordered new kitchen cabinets and a pantry with pull out shelves. Another pain is having our tiny home office literally filled with boxes of our stuff that we can't access.

In a few months, everything will be livable here again. It's been a pain living for months in a 'construction zone'! But, the end is in sight ... 

Living with Renovations to Our Home at 43 Carbutt Place in Winnipeg

 Our home is undergoing major renovations because of a mold problem. Right now, everything is in upheaval. In our basement, a dehumidifier is running constantly, on one side while we wait for the drywall to be replaced. On the other side, we can toast bread and make toasted tomato sandwiches for one meal of the day. The tomatoes are a gift from one of our neighbors. We can also heat up frozen meals in the microwave for supper, though they tend to be high in carbs which aren't good for us.

Hopefully, we'll be able to give 2 old work benches to my son and daughter soon. I've not used them in years. I'd like to see them used by Greg and Mike.

On the other other side of the basement, we can at least do our laundry every once in a while. Upstairs, in our old kitchen, we're waiting for the underlay to be replaced so that new flooring can go in; thankfully, our house insurance is covering most of the cost. We can still use our new microwave. The 30 year old one just stopped working one day.

We are worried about Gus, our 8-year old golden retriever, who had a cancerous growth on his lip removed. Goldens normally live 10-12 years. He still loves to play and to go for walks with Marg. He also loves to visit our neighbors; indeed anyone who pets him.

We have many decisions to make in the coming days and weeks.

Facts First

 I get so tired of politicians, talking heads, and spin doctors. Everyone seems to have a bias. They all want to make there point. CNN, MSNBC, Meidous Touch, Mea Cupa, etc. Sometimes, it's good to go through them all and see what each has to say about a topic. Other times, I think I'm wasting my time. But, often I'm just looking for the facts.

My History

 “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston S. Churchill.

I've been having fun this evening, checking out places I went to school as a kid (e.g., Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School (where I learned a little French from Madame Macnamara), remembering childhood friends, churches I attended as a youth, my baptism, my 2 years of attendance at Caronport Bible College, etc.

Sadly, I also remember the passing of my father, two brothers, many aunts and uncles, the loss of some relatives during WW2, my Grannie on the porch at 1718 7th Avenue in New Westminster where I lived for a while and watched my Grandfather cook pancakes on the stovetop after wiping it down with waxed paper and getting some jam from the cooler on the side of the house (kept cool by blocks of ice delivered by horse and wagon) , later living next to Oakalla Prison in Burnaby, remembering a German immigrant who lived with us for awhile and had a bicycle with wooden fenders, working at a lumber mill in Burnaby (on the green chain which I still have scars to remind me) and on and on.

All of this reminiscing was triggered by watching Knowing Your Roots on last tonight's PBS show (too many memories to think about very early on the morning May 10th, 2023).

Cheers from an old man starting his 80th decade!

Remembering My Dad

 I often think of my dad as I live more years than he was able to have.

One of my favorite memories was of him on Georgian Bay with his hammer, knocking apart pieces of shale, looking for fossils.  He did find some and later showed them to me.

He died of a heart attack some years later. I never thought I'd live past 60 but here I am, still kicking at 79.

Cheers, everyone!

👴