4th of July

Posted on July 4, 2008
Filed Under current affairs | 4 Comments

Happy Independence Day to all of my wonderful American friends. I hope you all have a great day.

What happened to respect?

Posted on July 3, 2008
Filed Under thoughts | 3 Comments

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed the change in society over the past ten years or so. It almost seems like morals and values have really gone out of the window. Here in the UK I can go shopping and will receive no more than a grunt from the cashier. There is no “hello, how are you?” no please or thank you and my change is literally thrown into my hand. I haven’t even got my belongings together before the next customers shopping is being thrown down the conveyor belt.

Walking down the road seems to be an “all eyes to the floor” job, because a lot of the time if eye contact is made with another person, particularly younger people, you receive a mouthful of obscenities. No one seems to have any patience or respect for the elderly. Far too many gun and knife crimes are happening.

I’m often amazed at the manners, or lack of, of children. No one seems to respect one another anymore. Everyone seems to be out for themselves. Society has changed so much from the close knit communities I remember as a child. It’s almost like society got to a cross roads and took a wrong turn.

I’ve just been wondering how we can impact people in a positive way to find the right path again. Is it just through loving them and showing people respect and courtesy and thus hoping this will rub off on them and have a ripple effect within the community. Or is there much more than that?  What is missing? Or has society come to far to be able to go back now?

I don’t know what your experiences are where you live, but I really feel the UK is on a dangerous downhill spiral at the moment.

So near yet so far

Posted on July 1, 2008
Filed Under family news | 1 Comment

The picture above is of the Canadian High Commission in London. We spent a lot of today outside it in Trafalgar square, joining in the Canada Day celebrations in London. The High Commission, of course, was closed for the day. It was strange being so close to the building that holds our paperwork for our visa and wondering if a yes or no has already been given.

We had a great day, it was whopping 80 degrees today, which is very hot for this fair land. We enjoyed Tim Hortons coffee, a bison burger for lunch - which, incidentally, was really nice, watched hockey and just enjoyed being together. Trafalgar Square is also home to the National Gallery, so we also went and looked at some art by Da Vinci, Monet, Michelangelo, Botecelli and Van Gogh’s classic - Sunflowers.

After this we hooked up with our dear friend, and one of Ben and Grace’s Godparents, Jonathan, and went for a summer stroll through St James’s Park. Below is a picture of me and the kids with Buckingham Palace in the background - oh, and if you’re interested, the Queen was home!

Happy Canada Day to all of my Canadian friends. God bless you all.

Potatoes

Posted on June 26, 2008
Filed Under family news | 2 Comments

Here is a link for Cindy, and indeed anyone else, who is interested in seeing my potato plants.

Thank you for your comments over the past few days. I will write more another day, but I will continue to do what others have encouraged me to do, and that is share my life with you.

Edited: the link didn’t work, hopefully it does now!

Why blog?

Posted on June 24, 2008
Filed Under blog | 12 Comments

I’ve been wondering why I blog lately. I’m pondering about just closing my blog down. I’m not sure about where the “conversation” is going these days. When I began blogging a few years ago I got a lot out of the great discussion that took place in blogosphere. I have made some good friends whom I really value. I have learned a lot and have felt stretched in my thinking. However these days, and please forgive me if I’m wrong, but the “conversation” has gotten a little dry and same old same old. I feel like an “in club” has been formed. If you are not part of that inner circle then you are basically out.

Maybe it’s just me. Apologies if I’ve offended anyone. Maybe it’s just time for me to escape cyberworld and return to the real world. Maybe I just have PMS! Maybe, maybe …