Knowing what to look for in a retirement home, is a challenge. It takes an expert to know what questions to ask and what red flags to avoid. I’ve been fortunate to have a front seat in the process, when a person with over ten years of experience living in a retirement community, chose to… Continue reading A Retirement Home Checklist
Category: Family Life
The Benefits Of Mistakes
As a teacher, I often made mistakes. I realized when I started teaching the older grades that there were going to be times when the students would know more than me, or recognize that a word had been spelled incorrectly, or a math question had an error in it. It was inevitable. But, it was… Continue reading The Benefits Of Mistakes
Reducing Holiday Pressure
I honestly think that most people are trying to do the best that they can. We use our time and resources to create the best possible holiday for others, for our families. They deserve the best. It’s how we (often, but not exclusively, mothers) show our love for them. But what about the cost to… Continue reading Reducing Holiday Pressure
Retiring The Excuse
It’s a lot harder to say NO these days. I used to have a ready excuse for not wanting to do something: “Sorry, I’m so busy with work.” It was a legitimate reason. I was often extremely busy and had difficulty balancing any added commitments. But if I’m honest, it was also a handy excuse.… Continue reading Retiring The Excuse
Buy Nothing
Out of control spending seems to come to a peak around the holiday season. But I’ve realized that it isn’t even the need to purchase gifts that spurs this spree. It’s the sales. The opportunity to get a good deal on something drives hoards of people to the stores and to on-line shopping for Black… Continue reading Buy Nothing
Your Home Serves You
What if your home’s purpose is to be a space where you can function? If it’s a place that serves me and my family, and what we want to do in the space, then I’ve been thinking about my home the wrong way for years. Assumed The Room’s Function. When the real estate agent described… Continue reading Your Home Serves You
Rest Is A Right, Not A Reward
I was listening to therapist, KC Davis on a podcast this morning,* when she said something that was mind-blowing to me. When we were kids, we were raised to finish our chores first and then we’d get to play. Rest was seen as a reward for getting our work done. Davis pointed out that as… Continue reading Rest Is A Right, Not A Reward
We Bring The Meaning
The meaning we give to an experience is unique to us. A butterfly landing on a sunflower can be a beautiful collection of colours to one person, but to another person it represents a visit from a beloved ancestor. We often believe that we know how an experience that we shared with others, effected them.… Continue reading We Bring The Meaning
What can you do in one hour?
A lot. It’s amazing how setting a timer makes all the difference. Somehow knowing that you’ll only be stuck doing a chore for a limited time helps. It tricks the mind into making a large unpleasant task manageable. Racing Creates Focus. There is also something called the Urgency Effect. With a timer set, you tend… Continue reading What can you do in one hour?
Appreciation For The Dog
Our dog speaks human much better than we speak dog. We don’t give her credit for her ability. She uses our body language, our tone of voice and our words, to understand and respond to us. She’s worked hard to learn many phrases and commands. I don’t think I’ve put the same energy and concentration… Continue reading Appreciation For The Dog
Retired, And Now What? 