I keep forgetting how much I like Ted Talks. You can check them out on Ted.com and you'll find wonderful motivational, inspirational and just plain fascinating subjects. In fact, you can lose whole days going through their list.
This clip came to my notice in a very roundabout way. On the way to the recycling centre yesterday, I listened to "The Age Of Persuasion," with Terry O'Reilly on CBC radio, one of my favourite shows about advertising and marketing. Terry mentioned a "must have" book by Simon Sinek called Start With Why. When I looked up the book on Amazon, one of the reviews said that the book was good but a person should start with Simon Sinek's clip on Ted. So I did.
This clip should be watched by anyone who sells. Sells anything - goods, services or even themself, as in politics.
Now I have to buy the book and bookmark Ted.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Monday, 21 May 2012
HUMANE SOCIETY U.S. EYE-OPENER
Funny, isn't it, when you hear the words "Humane Society U.S." you automatically think of a respected organization with shelters all across the country, saving countless thousands of dogs and cats. "PETA," on the other hand, conjures up visions of slightly flaky people who want us all to be vegans and would eradicate the world of cows and rodeos.
The only time I even questioned my perception of the Humane Society U.S. was when they sent a representative to Canada to protest the seal hunt. I have no opinions about the seal hunt either way; it has been the only means of support for generations of sealers and seems a necessary cull, but I'm not well informed. It just seemed strange that a respected humane society of one country would interfere in the rights of another. You expect groups like PETA and GreenPeace to think globally but not the humane society. It just raised a niggly little question mark in my head, mostly about who was funding them.
UNTIL...this is one of those weird things that happen and mess with your head, especially since it started by hearing part of a song I like on a show that I despise.
The song was Toto's Africa and I just had to hear it again on YouTube. When it started to play, it started with a commercial, as many of them do now, and as my finger hovered over the "skip" button, my jaw was dropping at what I was watching. Just because it was so damned weird. So I got hooked, kept watching and learned a very disturbing side of the U.S. Humane Society.
Watch the video and if you want to learn more, go to: http://www.HumaneWatch.org
Or adopt a lawyer.
The only time I even questioned my perception of the Humane Society U.S. was when they sent a representative to Canada to protest the seal hunt. I have no opinions about the seal hunt either way; it has been the only means of support for generations of sealers and seems a necessary cull, but I'm not well informed. It just seemed strange that a respected humane society of one country would interfere in the rights of another. You expect groups like PETA and GreenPeace to think globally but not the humane society. It just raised a niggly little question mark in my head, mostly about who was funding them.
UNTIL...this is one of those weird things that happen and mess with your head, especially since it started by hearing part of a song I like on a show that I despise.
The song was Toto's Africa and I just had to hear it again on YouTube. When it started to play, it started with a commercial, as many of them do now, and as my finger hovered over the "skip" button, my jaw was dropping at what I was watching. Just because it was so damned weird. So I got hooked, kept watching and learned a very disturbing side of the U.S. Humane Society.
Watch the video and if you want to learn more, go to: http://www.HumaneWatch.org
Or adopt a lawyer.
Friday, 11 May 2012
Seattle Children's Hospital Video
This video has probably made its way around the world by now but I don't want to take a chance on anybody missing it.
Produced by a young former Barrie resident who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, his video and the kids and nurses who participated are awesome.
Be strong, guys!
Produced by a young former Barrie resident who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, his video and the kids and nurses who participated are awesome.
Be strong, guys!
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Road Trip
Dewey and Corky, my little white truck and I took a road trip in late April, 3534 kilometres round trip, and an estimated driving time of 19 hours and 30 minutes one way, according to Google Maps. It was an exciting venture, because although I've driven from Ontario to PEI and back, never by myself and never with two dogs.
Because I'm exceptionally directionally challenged, I printed off the Google directions according to my estimated stops: from PEI to Edmunstun, NB, from there to the home of my dear friend Rose in Lanoraie, QC, and the third day to my father's house north of Toronto. And for insurance, I programmed my GPS for the same route.
The first day was a mix of feelings; I was excited to get on the road, excited to go over the Confederation Bridge (13 kilometres long and being in a truck, I could see over the guardrails!) and then pleased to find a 110 km/hr speed limit on the divided Trans Canada but bored with several hundred km. of trees. Once we got closer to Edmunstun, the St John River peeked in and out to keep me happy.
This picture is courtesy of the Friends of the St John River; St John River Society.
Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures and drive at the same time, so there aren't any scenic pictures except this borrowed one.
The Days Inn in Edmunstun was our first stop after 6 hours driving and it wasn't a great choice. It was convenient to the highway but out in the middle of nowhere, so there were no food places nearby. I had packed a cooler with cheese, grapes, sweet potato nachos and a dip tray, so that was supper.
The second day took us into Quebec and the highway immediately went from the beautifully surfaced divided highway to a 90 km/hr one-lane bumpy mess, for 45 long kilometres. The end of that stretch made it worthwhile, because coming into Riviere Du Loup, you get into the edge of the Appalachians and the St. Lawrence River, absolutely stunning scenery. Then it was a divided highway through hundreds of miles of trees again. It was going past Riviere Du Loup that my GPS kept nattering at me and I was yelling at it, saying, "What? What? I can't HEAR you!" Then it shut up and it was several hundred km down the road that I realized I was on Highway 20, south of the St Lawrence, and Rose lived off of Highway 40, north of the St Lawrence. Luckily for me, the only bridge across the river was in Trois Rivieres and I hadn't got that far. Rose told me afterwards that had I listened to the GPS, it would have involved a ferry to cross the river, so I changed my preferences for the trip home to eliminate ferries from the mix. (Actually, I had to get Jamie to show me how to change the preferences.) The bridge at Trois Rivieres was a little scary; really high and old, so I stared resolutely at the road.
Highway 40 is the oldest highway in North America and Lanoraie has to be one of the oldest towns. I thought a great roofing salesman had blitzed the town and sold just about everyone a new steel roof but found out that these were the originals and were all hundreds of years old. Apparently the town is famous for them. Amazingly enough, they look just like the new lifetime steel roofs. Pretty little town and Rose's 175-year-old house is lovely, full of orchids and light. Luckily, Rose loves to walk because the dogs and I really needed to stretch our legs.
The next day was the longest drive. Montreal wasn't too bad because it was Saturday but it seemed to be all construction to the border of Ontario. Highway 401 got interesting once we got into the Canadian Shield and the road dove through miles of blasted rock. Naturally, traffic slowed down as we approached Toronto. It doesn't matter what day it is around Toronto - traffic is either slow, slower or stopped.
This is going to be a book if I don't cut it a little! A little pictorial relief, here:
My father was thrilled to see me and the dogs. He doesn't look bad for an octogenarian!
All dogs love my parent's back yard. It's fenced but the attraction seems to be all the separate areas - behind the house, pond, arbor, veggie garden, apple trees behind the garden - whatever it is, dogs love it. Corky made friends with Dad's dog Rosie and they played long enough to wear themselves out.
Dog beds don't get a lot of use in this house.
Dad babysat the dogs while I made a trip to my son's house for a long-awaited visit with my grandchildren.
This picture of Cian makes me laugh, because he was waiting for his father to look at him so he could cross his eyes. This makes Jamie crazy and of course, his reaction makes Cian do it even more.
Jamie made us a lovely chicken supper.
I wish I had more time to visit with them.
The trip home came all too soon and we did it in two days this time, instead of three. Montreal was not fun on a Thursday afternoon and it was a two hour ordeal getting through the city. I've never seen anything like it: six lanes of traffic with two lanes coming in from the left and two lanes coming in from the right and the road splitting in three directions in front. Of course, everybody on the left has to get right and vice versa. So it's like a mad dance of zig-zag, very slowly. All this with my stupid GPS giving me instructions that I couldn't hear. Good thing I had memorized the Google instructions this time.
One thing that was interesting to me and probably only a rockhound was the difference in the hills the roads cut through. In Ontario, the cuts were through monstrous rock. In Quebec, through the tail-end of the Appalachians, the rock was really old looking and smaller. On the outside of the mountains in New Brunswick, the rock was almost pebbly, and really, really old looking, the dregs of the glaciers. Quebec is beautiful, I'm sure, if you're off the highway, but one of the really interesting highway features is the occasional lump of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere. All flat farmland, and in the middle of that flatness is a...well, a tall lump, for lack of the imagination to come up with any other word. They're quite unique.
And I did manage to get lost. Stupid GPS told me to take an exit past Moncton but somehow I missed it. I was so anxious to get home and within 20 miles of the bridge, I managed to add an extra 15 minutes onto my trip. And that was when I got behind the car full of old people who were going just under the speed limit and slowing even further when they got to a turn. I thought about passing them and then decided I didn't want to get killed for the sake of 10 minutes. Sure was frustrating though.
My doggies were absolutely wonderful throughout the whole trip and now that I've done it, I might just do it again. This time I'll know where to stop to get the good pictures.
Back to reality!
Because I'm exceptionally directionally challenged, I printed off the Google directions according to my estimated stops: from PEI to Edmunstun, NB, from there to the home of my dear friend Rose in Lanoraie, QC, and the third day to my father's house north of Toronto. And for insurance, I programmed my GPS for the same route.
The first day was a mix of feelings; I was excited to get on the road, excited to go over the Confederation Bridge (13 kilometres long and being in a truck, I could see over the guardrails!) and then pleased to find a 110 km/hr speed limit on the divided Trans Canada but bored with several hundred km. of trees. Once we got closer to Edmunstun, the St John River peeked in and out to keep me happy.
Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures and drive at the same time, so there aren't any scenic pictures except this borrowed one.
The Days Inn in Edmunstun was our first stop after 6 hours driving and it wasn't a great choice. It was convenient to the highway but out in the middle of nowhere, so there were no food places nearby. I had packed a cooler with cheese, grapes, sweet potato nachos and a dip tray, so that was supper.
The second day took us into Quebec and the highway immediately went from the beautifully surfaced divided highway to a 90 km/hr one-lane bumpy mess, for 45 long kilometres. The end of that stretch made it worthwhile, because coming into Riviere Du Loup, you get into the edge of the Appalachians and the St. Lawrence River, absolutely stunning scenery. Then it was a divided highway through hundreds of miles of trees again. It was going past Riviere Du Loup that my GPS kept nattering at me and I was yelling at it, saying, "What? What? I can't HEAR you!" Then it shut up and it was several hundred km down the road that I realized I was on Highway 20, south of the St Lawrence, and Rose lived off of Highway 40, north of the St Lawrence. Luckily for me, the only bridge across the river was in Trois Rivieres and I hadn't got that far. Rose told me afterwards that had I listened to the GPS, it would have involved a ferry to cross the river, so I changed my preferences for the trip home to eliminate ferries from the mix. (Actually, I had to get Jamie to show me how to change the preferences.) The bridge at Trois Rivieres was a little scary; really high and old, so I stared resolutely at the road.
Highway 40 is the oldest highway in North America and Lanoraie has to be one of the oldest towns. I thought a great roofing salesman had blitzed the town and sold just about everyone a new steel roof but found out that these were the originals and were all hundreds of years old. Apparently the town is famous for them. Amazingly enough, they look just like the new lifetime steel roofs. Pretty little town and Rose's 175-year-old house is lovely, full of orchids and light. Luckily, Rose loves to walk because the dogs and I really needed to stretch our legs.
The next day was the longest drive. Montreal wasn't too bad because it was Saturday but it seemed to be all construction to the border of Ontario. Highway 401 got interesting once we got into the Canadian Shield and the road dove through miles of blasted rock. Naturally, traffic slowed down as we approached Toronto. It doesn't matter what day it is around Toronto - traffic is either slow, slower or stopped.
This is going to be a book if I don't cut it a little! A little pictorial relief, here:
My father was thrilled to see me and the dogs. He doesn't look bad for an octogenarian!
Dog beds don't get a lot of use in this house.
Dad babysat the dogs while I made a trip to my son's house for a long-awaited visit with my grandchildren.
This picture of Cian makes me laugh, because he was waiting for his father to look at him so he could cross his eyes. This makes Jamie crazy and of course, his reaction makes Cian do it even more.
Jamie made us a lovely chicken supper.
I wish I had more time to visit with them.
One thing that was interesting to me and probably only a rockhound was the difference in the hills the roads cut through. In Ontario, the cuts were through monstrous rock. In Quebec, through the tail-end of the Appalachians, the rock was really old looking and smaller. On the outside of the mountains in New Brunswick, the rock was almost pebbly, and really, really old looking, the dregs of the glaciers. Quebec is beautiful, I'm sure, if you're off the highway, but one of the really interesting highway features is the occasional lump of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere. All flat farmland, and in the middle of that flatness is a...well, a tall lump, for lack of the imagination to come up with any other word. They're quite unique.
And I did manage to get lost. Stupid GPS told me to take an exit past Moncton but somehow I missed it. I was so anxious to get home and within 20 miles of the bridge, I managed to add an extra 15 minutes onto my trip. And that was when I got behind the car full of old people who were going just under the speed limit and slowing even further when they got to a turn. I thought about passing them and then decided I didn't want to get killed for the sake of 10 minutes. Sure was frustrating though.
My doggies were absolutely wonderful throughout the whole trip and now that I've done it, I might just do it again. This time I'll know where to stop to get the good pictures.
Back to reality!
For The Beauty Of The Earth Rosary
I'm not sure if it's okay to name a rosary or not, but the African Opals used in this rosary are so beautiful and look so much like our planet, it kind of named itself. And that hymn ran through my head the entire time I was making it.
Sterling silver rosary cross and connector and fine silver loops on each bead.
Sterling silver rosary cross and connector and fine silver loops on each bead.
Friday, 13 April 2012
Gluten Free Mexican Lasagna
As someone diagnosed with celiac disease, I don't find it a difficult diet to follow, since I'm pretty used to quickie meals with meat and salad or veggies. I enjoyed a Dagwood-type sandwich once-in-awhile but it's not something I really miss. I don't miss pasta at all. Chicken wings and beer - that's another matter.
But every now and then you get a craving for carbs and quinoa just doesn't cut it.
I used to be crazy about a frozen Presidents Choice Mexican lasagna that was available from Loblaws but I haven't seen one for years. The other day while I was trying to decide what boring thing to have for dinner when all I wanted was somebody to make it for me, I had a brainstorm. I had a bag of Masa Harina corn flour and made up a batch of small tortillas - took maybe 15 minutes. Put a layer of medium spicy salsa on the bottom of my square 9" pan, a layer of tortillas, had no hamburger so shredded up a leftover chicken breast as the next layer, sprinkled taco seasoning over the chicken, more salsa, shredded cheese, another layer of tortillas, salsa and lots of cheese. 20 minutes in the oven and it was to die for.
I don't often cook anymore because a) I don't need to b) no counter space which is annoying when you try to do creative cooking and c) I hate to do dishes. This dish was typical of what I will cook now - something experimental, creative, easy and quick. I don't like cooking the same thing twice because then you're following a recipe and that makes it work instead of play, but this was so good I had to try it again. This one was a real quickie, with store-bought brown rice tortillas, Frito-Lay salsa, lean ground beef and a mix of shredded blend and mozzarella cheese. A definite success, slightly second-best but still pretty darned good. The chicken is better than the hamburg which surprised me.
If anybody reading this blog needs gluten free cooking and likes the taste of Mexi-Cana, this is really a tasty dish. Probably not low in calories with all that cheese but frankly, my dear...
Oh yeah, the only prep dish is a frying pan for either the tortillas or the hamburg - bonus!
But every now and then you get a craving for carbs and quinoa just doesn't cut it.
I used to be crazy about a frozen Presidents Choice Mexican lasagna that was available from Loblaws but I haven't seen one for years. The other day while I was trying to decide what boring thing to have for dinner when all I wanted was somebody to make it for me, I had a brainstorm. I had a bag of Masa Harina corn flour and made up a batch of small tortillas - took maybe 15 minutes. Put a layer of medium spicy salsa on the bottom of my square 9" pan, a layer of tortillas, had no hamburger so shredded up a leftover chicken breast as the next layer, sprinkled taco seasoning over the chicken, more salsa, shredded cheese, another layer of tortillas, salsa and lots of cheese. 20 minutes in the oven and it was to die for.
I don't often cook anymore because a) I don't need to b) no counter space which is annoying when you try to do creative cooking and c) I hate to do dishes. This dish was typical of what I will cook now - something experimental, creative, easy and quick. I don't like cooking the same thing twice because then you're following a recipe and that makes it work instead of play, but this was so good I had to try it again. This one was a real quickie, with store-bought brown rice tortillas, Frito-Lay salsa, lean ground beef and a mix of shredded blend and mozzarella cheese. A definite success, slightly second-best but still pretty darned good. The chicken is better than the hamburg which surprised me.
If anybody reading this blog needs gluten free cooking and likes the taste of Mexi-Cana, this is really a tasty dish. Probably not low in calories with all that cheese but frankly, my dear...
Oh yeah, the only prep dish is a frying pan for either the tortillas or the hamburg - bonus!
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Beautiful Morning (Not!)
The plan: Sleep in and have a lovely, relaxing Easter Sunday morning. The store wasn't opening until noon so it was the perfect opportunity to snooze.
The reality: The wind was howling so hard and loud that it actually woke me up. That was amazing in itself, because it takes a lot to wake me up.
Plan B: Dewey was restless and upset because of the wind and he wouldn't be able to sleep until he peed. So I put sweat pants on and a coat over the nightgown and thought they could have a quick pee and go back to bed.
The reality: The door to my apartment was snowed shut! No snow for weeks, spring weather and all of a sudden we wake up to a couple of feet blowing sideways and blocking my door with drifts. The dogs and I ran through the store and I punched in the alarm code before it woke the neighbourhood and we went out the store door. Dewey did what we went out for so I put him back in and grabbed the snowshovel and went to clear my apartment door with Corky. And since the shovel was out, I did the front stoop of the store. By the time I was finished shovelling and dried off the two dogs, I was desperate for coffee. Of course sleep was out of the question now.
Plan C: The store is closing at 5. Nap!
Right now it's 4:30, the sun is coming out and so are all the customers. If I can close at 5 it'll be a miracle. Go home and have Easter dinner, all you people! The exception would be the man in the green pick-up with the plow on the front who did a drive-by plowing of all the crap the snowplough left, and just left. He can come back as late as he wants. I have no idea who he was, just a Good Samaritan on Easter Sunday.
By the time I close the store, walk the dogs and dry them off, it'll come down to a choice between nap and supper. Sigh.
The reality: The wind was howling so hard and loud that it actually woke me up. That was amazing in itself, because it takes a lot to wake me up.
Plan B: Dewey was restless and upset because of the wind and he wouldn't be able to sleep until he peed. So I put sweat pants on and a coat over the nightgown and thought they could have a quick pee and go back to bed.
The reality: The door to my apartment was snowed shut! No snow for weeks, spring weather and all of a sudden we wake up to a couple of feet blowing sideways and blocking my door with drifts. The dogs and I ran through the store and I punched in the alarm code before it woke the neighbourhood and we went out the store door. Dewey did what we went out for so I put him back in and grabbed the snowshovel and went to clear my apartment door with Corky. And since the shovel was out, I did the front stoop of the store. By the time I was finished shovelling and dried off the two dogs, I was desperate for coffee. Of course sleep was out of the question now.
Plan C: The store is closing at 5. Nap!
Right now it's 4:30, the sun is coming out and so are all the customers. If I can close at 5 it'll be a miracle. Go home and have Easter dinner, all you people! The exception would be the man in the green pick-up with the plow on the front who did a drive-by plowing of all the crap the snowplough left, and just left. He can come back as late as he wants. I have no idea who he was, just a Good Samaritan on Easter Sunday.
By the time I close the store, walk the dogs and dry them off, it'll come down to a choice between nap and supper. Sigh.
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