Following a ruling by the speaker of the House of Commons that found the Steven Harper government in contempt of parliament, the opposition parties used a non-confidence motion to bring down the minority conservative government. As a result, Steven Harper, Prime Minister asked the Governor General to call an election on May 2. An element […]
Month: April 2011
It finally feels like spring — garden resolutions
Although temperatures in Ontario remain stubbornly below average, the sun came out of hiding today and faint glimmers of spring are around. Everywhere, Canadians are impatiently watching for warmer weather. In my garden the purple and white crocuses are providing some welcome touches of colour. In mid-April, it is finally beginning to feel like spring. […]
What are your real retirement needs?
During this week I listened to a CBC radio program on aging in Canada. Part of the program featured telephone calls from retired people from across the country. Many comments were heart wrenching with stories of arbitrary reductions of company pensions, attempts to live on Old Age Security and Canada Pension Benefits, concerns about failing […]
How your face reflects your thinking
At a party last week, the stress that was evident on many faces in the room surprised me. Most of the people attending were my age (60 plus) and the faces looked unhappy despite the gaiety of the evening, the lovely food and the libations. It wasn’t the wrinkles or the smile lines around […]
Learning to say 'NO' — time management in retirement
Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine that retirement would bring such a plenitude of social activities that I would need to learn to say ‘no’ to some of the opportunities. As one of my former colleagues observed, “I’m like a kid in a candy store!” Before retiring, I had subscribed to the common […]
Taking Sibling Relationships for Granted — until they are gone forever
‘Nobody knows you better than your siblings’ quote by unknown CBC broadcaster In late November my only sister died after a short fight with an aggressive cancer. Just a few years ago my dear younger brother also died of an aggressive cancer. With no living parents, the deaths of my only siblings have left me […]