In November, I went to a screening of Dexiny Productions' "Death By Joy". It's a true and candid story of a lady named Mary who upon receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, chooses to find the joy in dying. This movie is not for those who think they would have a problem watching a real person, not an actor, dying.It is for those who want a glimpse into a journey faced with courage and fortitude.
Our heroine, Mary, has a wonderful sense of humour and it shines throughout the hour and a half presentation. At one point she gets a glimpse of the colour of her soul and hopes to polish it up a bit because it appears to be like that of an old, weathered, tortoise.
That got me thinking about what colour I would like my soul to reflect. Would it be bright pink? Turquoise? Red and passionate? Saints must have pure and clear ones. Sinners, maybe black?
To preview or order a copy of Death By Joy, go to www.deathbyjoy.com
After viewing the documentary, the audience was encouraged by the film maker to express their thoughts. One lady who identified herself as a cancer clinic nurse said that she thought it was excellent and that it should be widely distributed to as many people as possible. Certainly people volunteering or working in palliative care would get a lot out of watching it. I think anyone who has had a loved one pass away would find this a bittersweet reminder of how the last days were lived and may see similarities. A cautionary note: sensitivity must be used when giving this out to a friend who has recently lost a loved one. The pain and emotion still may be a bit raw if not enough time has passed.
On a lighter note, at the beginning of December I decided I had to get a new vehicle. My 1998 van was costing too much on upkeep. I made the bold move to order a brand new KIA SOUL. It has a black interior and the exterior is a gleaming "Polar White". I am still working on shining up my real soul that is my true essence but in the meantime, it's fun making an announcement that I have a pure white SOUL!
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Friday, 16 November 2012
Random Acts of Kindness
Whether you call it a Random Act of Kindness, Paying it Forward, Circle of Kindness or a Kindness Boomerang, it makes no difference. The terminology is one and the same for expressing a good deed often done anonymously or with little fan fare. It usually takes place between strangers. One person sees another and wants to do something kind.
There's homespun kindness too and today was an exceptionally good day for that as I found myself on the receiving end of two completely unsolicited and unexpected gifts of kindness but not from strangers. I happened to be home this afternoon when I heard a knock at my door. I opened it to find one of my neighbours with a gift of half a dozen cookies his wife had just baked.
The second surprise was opening my mailbox later in the afternoon and finding a wrapped gift from a friend I haven't seen in months! The card reads "This book reminded me of you. It is about being happy and about diversity! Both of those things make me think of YOU" and "I think you're wonderful".
Instantly, the cover of "HAPPY", which is published by Lonely Planet had me excited and its secondary title "Secrets to Happiness from the Cultures of the World" had me intrigued. As I quickly flipped through the pages I saw awesome photos and headings like "Live in the Now" and "Allow yourself to luxuriate".
You can bet I was grinning ear to ear that someone could be so sweet as to send me such a fun and thoughtful gift. After a cup of tea and a gift cookie, I started to read the foreword of gift book:
"There is a famous story about two children who set out to find a bluebird; they travel all over the world only to find it in their own backyard when they return home. The bluebird, of course, represents happiness and the moral of the story is that happiness is found when you stop looking for it..."
I'm gobsmacked. I quickly recalled my day thus far. Just this morning I met a neighbour --not the cookie gifter but a different one --for a walk, and as she and I strolled and chatted, a Steller's Jay chastised us as it flew past and perched in a nearby tree. Michele commented on how she loved his blue colouring and I agreed. It's the only kind of "blue bird" we have in this area. Anyway, Michele is not only my neighbour but has become a dear friend over the years and because yesterday was her 50th birthday I had asked her to come in for tea and sweets after our walk and as we sat together I presented her with the gift bag and the card that I had written on last night. I had selected her favorite colour of blue for the contents of the bag and the card had a bluebird on the cover with my words inside: "May the bluebird of happiness sing for you every day of your 50th year".
Cue the music from "Twighlight Zone" folks, this was an extraordinary day
There's homespun kindness too and today was an exceptionally good day for that as I found myself on the receiving end of two completely unsolicited and unexpected gifts of kindness but not from strangers. I happened to be home this afternoon when I heard a knock at my door. I opened it to find one of my neighbours with a gift of half a dozen cookies his wife had just baked.
The second surprise was opening my mailbox later in the afternoon and finding a wrapped gift from a friend I haven't seen in months! The card reads "This book reminded me of you. It is about being happy and about diversity! Both of those things make me think of YOU" and "I think you're wonderful".
Instantly, the cover of "HAPPY", which is published by Lonely Planet had me excited and its secondary title "Secrets to Happiness from the Cultures of the World" had me intrigued. As I quickly flipped through the pages I saw awesome photos and headings like "Live in the Now" and "Allow yourself to luxuriate".
You can bet I was grinning ear to ear that someone could be so sweet as to send me such a fun and thoughtful gift. After a cup of tea and a gift cookie, I started to read the foreword of gift book:
"There is a famous story about two children who set out to find a bluebird; they travel all over the world only to find it in their own backyard when they return home. The bluebird, of course, represents happiness and the moral of the story is that happiness is found when you stop looking for it..."
I'm gobsmacked. I quickly recalled my day thus far. Just this morning I met a neighbour --not the cookie gifter but a different one --for a walk, and as she and I strolled and chatted, a Steller's Jay chastised us as it flew past and perched in a nearby tree. Michele commented on how she loved his blue colouring and I agreed. It's the only kind of "blue bird" we have in this area. Anyway, Michele is not only my neighbour but has become a dear friend over the years and because yesterday was her 50th birthday I had asked her to come in for tea and sweets after our walk and as we sat together I presented her with the gift bag and the card that I had written on last night. I had selected her favorite colour of blue for the contents of the bag and the card had a bluebird on the cover with my words inside: "May the bluebird of happiness sing for you every day of your 50th year".
Cue the music from "Twighlight Zone" folks, this was an extraordinary day
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Nobody Knows The Truffles I've Seen
Longevity beckons to boomers! We're looking for something to keep our minds alert and our bodies strong. My eyes have been drawn to chocolate and cookbooks and yes, in that order.
John Robbins is a best selling author of a number of books including Healthy at 100, and he wrote the foreword in a friend of a friend's cookbook "Health By Chocolate". He speaks of the wonderful mood-enhancing phytochemicals in chocolate that benefit both body and mind.
As I grab for a piece of 70% fair trade dark chocolate, I remember that little gem. "Mmmm chocolate, this is going to make me happy today." My voice sounds oddly like Homer Simpson, when he says "doughnuts"!
The fantasizing begins as I flip through "Health By Chocolate" by Victoria Laine. Wonderful pictures of chocolate creations (ALL GOOD FOR ME!) and recipes which the author promotes as "health benefits with guilt-free pleasure". The "Double Double" Chocolate Fudge Brownie recipe has me roped in and I begin sounding like Liz Lemon from 30 Rock as I stare at the chocolate creation on the page, "I want to go to there...."
www.healthbychocolatebook.com
I grab for another piece of chocolate. This time it's a piece off the Licorice Manuka Honey Chocolate Truffle bar I have recently purchased. It was a toss up between the licorice or the mint chocolate. Both are excellent from ZibaDel Natural. The outer wrapper says "Happiness Guaranteed" ! For a supplier near you, go to www.zibadel.com
Snapping back to reality, I open the Saturday paper and see another cookbook worth checking out. This one is an e-cookbook and is available as a download. MINDfull co-authored by Carol Greenwood and Daphna Rabinovitch interweaves scientific facts about brain health with recipes that supposedly lower the likelihood of developing dementia.
If you would like to order the e-cookbook it's a $9.99 download from iTunes, Amazon, etc. Some of the proceeds go to support programs and services that promote excellence and innovations in aging and brain health. You will see more about Baycrest Health Sciences where research is ongoing at this link
www.baycrest.org
And now if you'll excuse me I must get back to my own research. I am looking into the benefits of eating dessert BEFORE dinner.
John Robbins is a best selling author of a number of books including Healthy at 100, and he wrote the foreword in a friend of a friend's cookbook "Health By Chocolate". He speaks of the wonderful mood-enhancing phytochemicals in chocolate that benefit both body and mind.
As I grab for a piece of 70% fair trade dark chocolate, I remember that little gem. "Mmmm chocolate, this is going to make me happy today." My voice sounds oddly like Homer Simpson, when he says "doughnuts"!
The fantasizing begins as I flip through "Health By Chocolate" by Victoria Laine. Wonderful pictures of chocolate creations (ALL GOOD FOR ME!) and recipes which the author promotes as "health benefits with guilt-free pleasure". The "Double Double" Chocolate Fudge Brownie recipe has me roped in and I begin sounding like Liz Lemon from 30 Rock as I stare at the chocolate creation on the page, "I want to go to there...."
www.healthbychocolatebook.com
I grab for another piece of chocolate. This time it's a piece off the Licorice Manuka Honey Chocolate Truffle bar I have recently purchased. It was a toss up between the licorice or the mint chocolate. Both are excellent from ZibaDel Natural. The outer wrapper says "Happiness Guaranteed" ! For a supplier near you, go to www.zibadel.com
Snapping back to reality, I open the Saturday paper and see another cookbook worth checking out. This one is an e-cookbook and is available as a download. MINDfull co-authored by Carol Greenwood and Daphna Rabinovitch interweaves scientific facts about brain health with recipes that supposedly lower the likelihood of developing dementia.
If you would like to order the e-cookbook it's a $9.99 download from iTunes, Amazon, etc. Some of the proceeds go to support programs and services that promote excellence and innovations in aging and brain health. You will see more about Baycrest Health Sciences where research is ongoing at this link
www.baycrest.org
And now if you'll excuse me I must get back to my own research. I am looking into the benefits of eating dessert BEFORE dinner.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Looking For Ways to Make Life Easier
I am always looking for ways to make my father's care home living easier. Dad is having trouble getting his shoes on and off, so today I went and got him some shoes that have Velcro instead of laces. Recently my mother bought him some bigger socks made for diabetics and they slip on and off his feet, easier. Dad doesn't have diabetes but the socks are better fitting.
Last week when I was having lunch with him I noticed that he wasn't drinking his fluids. I observed that his hand wasn't tipping the juice into his mouth. I promptly went and got him a straw and he finished the entire glass of juice in a very short time. I asked the staff to start giving him a straw when they serve him his cold beverages.
The dry erase board I purchased for him is handy for writing reminders and every time someone visits they change the date and write down events of the day. A guest book is useful as well but the memo board he can easily look at and see that today I brought him pumpkin pie and we went for a walk and tomorrow Mom will visit.
If your loved one has a cordless phone and has mobility issues, you can purchase a pouch that can go over the bars of their walker or wheel chair and the phone will always be handy for them and so will their television remote.
One of my clients had terrible eyesight and so I bought him one of those huge universal remotes from Staples so he could always find it and could use it on his own! As well, I got him one of those EASY buttons from Staples. It was a lot of fun for him (and for his visitors) to push the red button and hear "THAT WAS EASY!" and really, isn't that the name of the game these days?
Last week when I was having lunch with him I noticed that he wasn't drinking his fluids. I observed that his hand wasn't tipping the juice into his mouth. I promptly went and got him a straw and he finished the entire glass of juice in a very short time. I asked the staff to start giving him a straw when they serve him his cold beverages.
The dry erase board I purchased for him is handy for writing reminders and every time someone visits they change the date and write down events of the day. A guest book is useful as well but the memo board he can easily look at and see that today I brought him pumpkin pie and we went for a walk and tomorrow Mom will visit.
If your loved one has a cordless phone and has mobility issues, you can purchase a pouch that can go over the bars of their walker or wheel chair and the phone will always be handy for them and so will their television remote.
One of my clients had terrible eyesight and so I bought him one of those huge universal remotes from Staples so he could always find it and could use it on his own! As well, I got him one of those EASY buttons from Staples. It was a lot of fun for him (and for his visitors) to push the red button and hear "THAT WAS EASY!" and really, isn't that the name of the game these days?
Health Care Worker Appreciation Day
It's pouring rain today, but that didn't stop me from driving 45 minutes to visit my father in the care home. I made a stop first to pick up the Rogers Chocolates for the contest I had. You winners will be getting your prizes soon.
BTW, this is a fact: people drive faster in the rain! I heard a driving instructor say that on the radio the other day and as I was driving the highway and the danger of hydro-planing was real and present, sure enough I noticed that everyone was going a bit higher than the posted speed limit! I took my speed down a notch or two and drove in the slow lane with classical music playing on the radio. It was quite relaxing.
Anyway, back to the visit with my dad. He's pretty tired and it was easier to put him in a loaner wheelchair and push him around the garden than to have him accompany me with his walker. We did go for a bit of a drive in my car as well, but he fell asleep!
The workers at the care home were in good spirits. Actually, they are always in great moods. There's a good atmosphere there even though they have tough jobs! They all were given colorful pens from the management today and I got to take one too.
I stopped in at my mother's place and her junk mail was piling up and it gave me a great idea. After shredding any important personal info that I come across, and after making a few calls to the charities to see if they can stop their barrage of unwanted mail, I am going to give the rest to my father. I think he may actually enjoy opening something addressed to him. He can write on the free memo pads and he can stick the labels they give him on envelopes and he can even write on the Christmas cards.
I know there are charities out there that need donations but this unsolicited stuff that arrives in seniors' mailboxes is just too much! My father in law is going through the same thing, dealing with all the stuff arriving at his place now that my mother in law is in a care facility.
Anyway, that's it for my ramblings today! To summarize, don't drive fast in the rain, tell a health care worker you appreciate them, and get rid of unwanted charitable solicitations.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
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