Being Unperceptive

(How inattentive...we can be!)

Coffee-on-the-Run

It was Saturday, January 5, 2013...out of bed early at 5 am!  The plan this morning was to meet my son at seven am to drive to New Jersey…arriving there prior to dusk so I could travel on to Connecticut.

With time to assemble my cosmetic bag, I reached for the Hamilton Spectator at the door; hurriedly I boiled water to make coffee and to toast a couple slices of raisin bread.  The kettle sang its song…I could hardly wait for my “coffee fix” while glancing at the newspaper headlines. I poured the hot water into a tall green ceramic mug (given to me by a students’ ceramic class), and added a small amount of 2% milk. STRANGE!  Whitish…very white coffee???

Dumb Blonde!…it was I who failed to add a heaping teaspoon of  Nestle’s hazelnut  flavoured coffee to the mug first!

Remotes...and Then, There are Remotes

Recently, I noticed in a friend's home, four or five various remotes...for TV's, CD's tape recorder, etc. plus cordless telephones…mostly black in colour.  Inadvertently, while watching a television program one evening, I picked up my black remote…dialed the number and mystified that this would not connect for conversation.  My Panasonic  phone was similar in size and colour to the TV remote!

Solution:  Do not lay the telephone and TV remotes side by side.

Lack of a Stove Timer

Prior to moving to my current apartment, I always had stoves equipped with “timers”.  How convenient that  was...when I boiled eggs, simmered a stew stove-top, baked a pie or lasagna…and the luxury of presetting the temperature and time for “dinner in the oven” to activate at prescribed times.

So easy, it is now, to forget that food is cooking on a couple burners!  Engaged in other activities, twice I’ve forgotten to check.   The result?  Soup boiled over, messing my stove; and a very blackened pot.

VERY DANGEROUS!

Solution: I remove a large black ladle from my “utensil jug” and place in front of where I am sitting.  This becomes a SIGNAL to remind me...an item out of its normal location.  Even an elastic placed on the wrist could be a “signal”.

Wrong Application

This may occur frequently because of items that look similar.  I've heard about the “man of the house” rising in the morning and picks up what he believes to be shaving cream, but it’s NOT! Cleaning products can be mistakenly used when the bottle shape and colour of the fluid is similar to another.  In the winter, my lips are often dry.  On the table, I have a tube of “lip balm” readily available to apply when needed.  Unfortunately, it sat upright near my glue stick. Being inattentive, I uncapped and used the latter.  YUK!

Solution:  Place the “lip balm” in a different location.

Stolen Car?

This is a common blunder that occurs at least once in a person’s lifetime.

Several years ago, I joined three friends to attend an ice-skating show at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.  Driving from Brantford, and not aware of the “rush-hour-traffic” , we barely arrived on time at the Gardens.  To find a parking spot was near to impossible…all lots were full, the streets fully lined with cars;  we drove several blocks to locate a place for our yellow Ford 500.  Hurriedly, we dashed to the entry doors and presented our tickets.

The performance…spectacular!  The crowd of people…excited!  Popcorn and sodas…delicious!

We hadn’t realized there were several entrances/exits to and from Maple Leaf Gardens!  Where was our car? What street?  Which entrance had we used?  ALL UNKNOWNS!  We walked and walked and walked to locate our yellow Ford!  After 45 minutes, possibly an hour of searching in vain, we were convinced it was stolen!  We flagged down a police car.  The officer was most helpful…inviting us into his “black and white”…we cruised around several blocks until BINGO! There is was, parked curbside alone…on a quiet residential street!

Solution:  ALWAYS take notice where you park! OBSERVE identifying signs, buildings, parks, streets and parking levels (if applicable)!

A Long Rainy Drive

Returning from Goderich one afternoon, several years ago, I was wearing one of my lambskin fleece shawls.  It was raining lightly when we left, then became a heavy-pelting-downpour partway into our three-hour-drive home along Hwy. 8, before reaching the 401 at Kitchener/Waterloo and south on Hwy 6.

Stepping from my car, I was shocked to realize that the left front of my shawl was SOAKED…a rusty red- looking mess, it was!  Fortunately, I was able to remove the slushy mire under running tap water. I rolled it in a towel and then hung to dry.

.

Solution:  Ensure  that all parts of your clothing are tucked inside the vehicle...before closing the door!

Farmers' Dinner

From previous blog writings, you are now knowledgeable that I was raised on a farm.  Daily meals were Breakfast, Dinner at noon and Supper in the evening.  A farmer’s day is usually from sunup to sunset…so understandably, this is why Dinner is the main repast of the day.

Neighbours helped Neighbours...was the norm at harvest times of hay, of grain and of corn…these men moved from farm t farm.  There could be as many as six or  eight men at this noon meal.  Naturally, my sister and I were required to help Mother with food preparation and arranging the table, chairs and settings.  The men came in ravenously hungry!  We placed the food in bowls on the table for the men to serve themselves.  My uncle, seeing what he believed to be cole slaw or cabbage salad, piled it generously beside his already full plate of home grown carrots, beets, scalloped potatoes and roast beef.  WOW!!! He was shocked at the first forkful!  It was Hot Horse Radish!

My Mother's desserts of the day were oven-warm apple crisp and pies of home-grown cherries.  One neighbour gorged himself with 2 and 3 pieces of this pie. Mother asked him, “Lloyd, what did you do with the cherry pits?”  “Cherry pits?” he asked.  My mother commented that in the morning, she’d not had time to remove them.

Solution:  Look (or ask) before you Leap!

Stelco Wives

In my early marriage days, I was busy teaching.  Eight women of us organized a social bridge club to which we referred as “Stelco Wives”  (Steel Company of Canada where our husbands worked).

We met monthly on a Tuesday evening at our individual homes on a rotating basis. Not arriving home until 6 pm, then serving a quick dinner, I had little time to prepare for their 8 pm arrival.  The dessert, I had made the night before.  Efficiently, I set out the tea plates and colorful serviettes, the cups and saucers, crystal sherry glasses, cutlery, floral arrangements for each table, prizes for not only the "winner", but also for the "loser" (some compensation for trying), the card decks and tallies. Lastly, I plugged in the 10-cup coffee pot.WHEW!  I made it before the other seven friends arrived.  They ooh-ed and aah-ed about the gourmet dessert. Time for coffee…it was BREWED WATER! I had forgotten  the main ingredient!  All laughed…including me!

Solution:  All is not always...as is appears!  Better check!

                 Even the best of us can be oblivious at times!

Rolling Along With Glee!

PHLEBITIS ~ You don’t want ever to have this!  One afternoon, stepping from my car, I turned slightly to close the door. WOW!  Such excruciating pain in my right leg (calf area)!  Could hardly walk!  Stumbling to the foyer of my building, I quickly sank into a chair before attempting the elevator to the third floor.  It was pure agony to then walk about 100 steps to my apartment.  There I flopped on my bed for relief.  What could this be?  Was it a sudden arthritic attack in my knee?  I was like the Arithmetic Dog who puts down 3 and carries 1…I could only put down 1 and carry 1.My doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory pills, application of heat 3 to 4 times a day and keeping my right leg elevated at all times to reduce the Phlebitis effects. (Within about three weeks, my condition improved.)

An American friend had left me a blue “walker” (a convenience for him when visiting here).  He asked, “Are you too proud to use that  blue walker in the trunk of your car?”  This became my life-saver in getting to the elevator and downstairs.  I discovered that if I sat on the seat, I could move backwards by propelling my feet along the smooth carpet, even quite swiftly. This was a great ride and a great solution!  At the elevator doors, there was a slight rise where the carpet met the ceramic tiles. Suddenly, I spilled…ending on the floor…the walker collapsed on top of me! With my weakened condition, I crawled to the wall railing to assist myself to stand…then  I laughed with amusement.  Fortunately, no one was around to see this humorous. embarrassing spill!

Pearl of Wisdom

The Eyes are Useless

when the Mind is Blind.

(author unknown)

Merle Baird-Kerr...written January 23, 2013

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Motivations & Smiles for March

(gleaned from my collection of “yearly calendar quotes”)

Vision:  Aim for the highest.  (Dale Carnegie)

Love:  To be loved, be lovable.  (Ovid)

Respect:  Listen to the lessons of life.  (Anonymous)

Patience and time do more than strength or passion. (Jean de la Fontaine)

The Tortoise only makes headway when he sticks out his neck. (Unknown)

No Bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. (William Blake)

Never forget that only dead  fish swim with the stream. (Malcolm Muggeridge)

Sometimes you have to sprout your wings after you jump off the cliff. (Anonymous)

I'd rather wear out than rust out.  (Unknown)

Flowers are words which even a babe may understand. (Arthur Cleveland Coxe)

Every seed is awakened and all animal life. (Sitting Bull)

From my 2013 Motivation Calendar with Invitation to Action:

Contemplate:  In order to improve the mind,

we ought less to learn, than to contemplate.

(Rene Descartes)

Picture ~ a young lady dressed in red shirt and shorts,

 clasping her knees and sitting totally relaxed in a Muskoka chair...

(positioned in the shallows of the placid blue waters)

her long auburn hair draped over its back;

 to her right, rises a series of treed-hillside-mountains

perfectly mirrored in lake.

Special Event Days

                                         March 10 ~ Daylight Saving Time

                                         March 17 ~ St. Patrick's Day (also my Birth Date)

                                                             (another year younger...another year wiser)

                                          March 20 ~ First day of Spring

                                          March 22 ~ World Water Day *

                                          March 24 ~ Palm Sunday

                                          March 25 ~ Passover begins (Jewish)

                                          March 27 ~ Full moon

                                          March 29 ~ Good Friday

                                          March 31 ~ Easter Sunday

               * International World Water Day is held annually on March 22
                  as a  means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water
                  and advocating for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. 
                  The United States General Assembly designated March 22, 1993
                  as the First World Water Day.

March Adages:

In like a lion…out like a lamb;

In like a lamb…out like a lion.

Have Hope!   Remember ~

March winds and April showers

bring forth May flowers.

March, being such a changeable month, in which we see warm spring-like temperatures or late season snow storms, you can understand how the above sayings might hold true in some instances.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation Calendar...

I use at my computer desk for date notations. It is one of my favourite calendars

and a charity to which I contribute. The Federation is dedicated to ensuring a

continued appreciation for our natural wild world and the conservation of

wild habitats in Canada. The 2013 issue features colourful and endearing

photos ~ these I'd love to share with you as I turn the monthly pages.

Albert Einstein commented:

Look deep into nature,

and then you will  understand everything better.”

January:  The snowy owl is a well-known species in Canada...
               with its distinctive white body and round face.  They hunt primarily
               during the day, in pursuit of lemmings, their preferred  food source. 
               During the winter months snowy owls can be found in many places across
               Canada and generally head north during the spring and summer to breed
                in the Arctic tundra.

February:  The bobcat is a wild cat, that has a broad Canadian range.  In fact,

                 they are the most widely distributed native cat in North America. 

                 They have short black ear tufts and stubby tails.  Bobcats primarily

                 hunt at night...with rabbits and hares making up a large part of

                 their diet.

March:      A small member of the weasel family, ermines are found across

                 Canada, in every province and territory.  They make use of a wide

                  range of habitats including riparian woodlands, marshes, meadows

                  and open pastures near forests.  Ermines are primarily nocturnal,

                  but are often seen during the daytime.

Merle Baird-Kerr … crafted February 28, 2013

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English Language (Part II)

 “As Rivers were to the tribal Indians,

English is our Road through Life.

Choose each word and tone of voice,

to clarify the intended meaning.

And...as always, my Mother advised,

Stop and Look before Crossing the Street!”

(MBK…teacher, advocate of positive thinking)

                                          Words can be loving, kind, inspiring or in jest;

                                          Words can be deceptive, sarcastic, of ridicule or anger.

                                           Sometimes, words are ambiguously misrepresented ~

                                           The results?  Total confusion and misunderstanding.

The world’s most widely used language is English which has 1.8 billion 1^st and 2^nd 
language users. We are fortunate to live in an English speaking country...  
therefore,  let us use Our Language with discretion!

Feminism...in Today's Vocabulary

In July, 2012, my son sent this essay

which  appropriately follows...English Language (Part I)

The English language used to have the

elegance of a feminine term for certain titles,

of which only a handful survive

in today's common vernacular.

Everyone understands “prince” and “princess. 

It is still common to say “actor” and “actress”.

Many people still understand “waiter” and “waitress”,

but this has been largely replaced by “server”.

Server is one who serves, whereas “waiter” or “waitress”

is one who waits upon ~ which I regard to be a more fitting title.

To serve conjures the feeling of service or gratitude,

I prefer delegating the word “server”

to a computer network server.

A “steward” is one who looks after or tends to the needs of people.

I miss the days when ladies who tended the needs 

of airline passengers were properly titled “stewardess”

and a man of course, was called a “steward”.

It is the curse of this equality having gone too far, which has scrubbed the beauty of womanhood from our culture.  The elegance  and delicacy of femininity has been largely replaced with the civil rights cover of “feminism”.

There is a line in the first book of Anne (with an 'e'), where Anne says to Rachel Lynde, “I shall always regard you as a benefactress.”  At another point in the story, Anne disregards herself as a “poetess”.

The old-fashioned 'ess' terms convey a feeling of feminine grace or elegance in the role and maintains a feminine distinction.

Professions that have been traditionally male, and typically ended with the title 'man' have been changed.  Fireman...is now called “fire fighter”...though I can hardly imagine a woman carrying my temple out of a burning building.

For a while, the term policewoman stuck, but for some strange reason, that was thought to be degenerate, so the term “police officer” emerged (even though “officer” ending in 'er' is a masculine term).  My dive buddy's wife referred to female police officers as “girl cops” ~ a term I much prefer.

A lady who checked parking meters used to be commonly known as a “meter maid”.  Wasn't there some pop song, “Lovely, Rita, “meter-maid”?

There's a little scene in H2O where Zane has reopened a favourite cafe to partner his girlfriend Rikki.  They were hiring some help to wait tables; Rikki wasn't back yet.  Will's very ambitious sister, Sophie, wedged her way in and convinced the other applicants that the position had already been taken.

“Who are you?” asked one of the applicants.

“Who do you think I am?” replied Sophie.

“Well, you're not the manageress!  I know what she looks like,”

angrily said the applicant.

Speaking of H2O, nobody panics over the term “mermaid”.  Is that one of  the few terms using “maid” to survive the duckspeak of the modern vernacular? The term “maid” simply means “girl” and is widely used in the Holy Scriptures, but its common usage in the context of a cleaning lady has caused it to take on a degenerative view.

Even such words as “dame” and “damsel” have been abused to a sad level.

Even as I may endorse the elegance of yesteryear's gender-sensitive terminology, I get confused with those terms that end in X.  My great aunt was involved  in executing somebody's will and she referred to her role as an “executrix”. I suppose the suffix 'ess' becometh 'ix' if there is an “X in the title.

The degeneracy of language is a mere reflection of the degeneracy of the culture.

The price for this abuse of over-equality is a much lower respect for women than we had before.

I've noticed that lady state governors, such as Sarah Palin or Jan Brewer continue to use the title “governor”.  Is there something wrong with “governess”?  Or do they think a governess is a nanny?  A nanny is a child-care giver or a goat.  A governess is a lady who governs.

Words of Wisdom

Problems cannot be solved

by the same level of thinking

that created them.

(Albert Einstein)

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 9, 2013

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English Language (Part I)

English seems soooo easy and simple, but that's because we've been raised with it .Languages like Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Arabic...or even easier languages like Spanish, can seem difficult, just because we're not used to them.

                One of my “blog readers” submitted to me this prime illustration:

You Think English is Easy???

               The bandage was wound around the wound.

               The farm was used to produce produce.

              

               The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

               We must polish the Polish furniture.

               The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

               Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time

               to present the present.

               A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

               When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

               I did not object to the object.

               The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

               There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

               They were too close to the door to close it.

               The buck does funny things when the does are present.

               A seamstress and a sewer  fell down the sewer line.

               To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

               The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

               Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.

               I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

               How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

               Do you shoot your arrow with a bow from the bow of your boat?

Is not all the foregoing confusing???

Let's face it ~ English is a crazy language.  There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger, neither apple nor pine in pineapple.  English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.  Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads (which aren't sweet), are meat.  We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don’t fing...grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese...so one moose, 2 meese? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?  Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?  You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down...in which you fill in a form by filling it out...in which an alarm goes off  by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers...and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS ~ Why doesn't “Buick” rhyme with “quick”?

Ten Reasons Why English is a Hard Language

The World's Craziest Spelling System:  English spelling is extremely counter-intuitive!  Why is it that words like “through”, “trough” and “though” sound so different?  The fact is, although it's possible to make rough guesses at  English spellings using phonetics, in order to really know English spelling, you have to memorize the spelling of every word.

Note that English is pronounced rather differently in the United States, in Britain, in Australia and in India.  Even in US, pronunciations vary from dialect to dialect.

Note:  There's good reason for the English spelling system.  It's one of the most successful spelling systems in the world, because of its flexibility and its strength across wildly differing dialects.  But that doesn’t mean it's easy to learn! For a foreigner learning to speak English, spelling is extremely difficult!

The Sound System is So Rich:  When you study a foreign language, you're liable to run into sounds which aren't present in your native tongue. Part of the challenge is learning, mechanically, how to produce these sounds.  Not only are there a million sounds to learn, but there's small indication from a word's spelling which sounds are involved.

Subtle Ordering: In English, there are subtle ordering requirements which even English speakers aren't consciously aware of. Compare, “a cute little puppy” to “a little cute puppy.”  The first is fine, while the second sounds wrong. How is a foreigner to know which order to use?

Which Synonym to Use:  Part of becoming a master English speaker, is knowing which words to use when. For example ~ You can watch a movie or see a movie, but you can only watch TV, never see it.  You can't view either of them, even though when you watch either of them, you become aviewer (and never a watcher, much less a seer!)  Try explaining that to someone who speaks Arabic!

Stress:  In English the entire meaning of a sentence can be changed by placing stress on a word.  For example: I entered my room. I entered my room. I entered my room. I entered my room.

Poetic, Older English is Everywhere:  To be fluent in English, you must also know a little bit of older, more poetic English. In downtown Columbus there’s a church which advertises with the message, “Which part of Thou shalt not” don't you understand?”  This must be extremely confusing to most ESL speakers. Older English shows up in literature, plays, poetry...even video games.

What's Up With These Questions?  In English, it's very strange how the whole grammar of a sentence changes  when the sentence is put in question form.  “It is warm” becomes, “Is it warm?”

Irregular Conjugations of Verbs and Similar Phenomena:  English is stuffed full of irregular verbs!  Why is “bought” the past tense of “buy”and the past tense of “sell” is “sold” and neither “buyed” nor “selled” are real words?

The Case of the Leftover Cases:  Cases are different forms for words to indicate what function they serve in a sentence. For example in the sentence, “The cat ate the fish”, the “fish” is the object (it's getting eaten), and the “cat” is the subject (he's doing the eating).  There are no cases here; in order to tell  who did the eating and who got eaten, we have to look at word order.  If the sentence were, “the fish ate the cat”, the meaning would be very different.

English is mostly case-free, but there are leftovers from the old case system. That's why we have, “I”, “me”, “mine”, and “my”...And why we have “you”,“yours” and “your”...And why we have, “he”, “him”, and “his”... And why we have, “we”, “us”, “ours” and “our.”.In each of these groups, it's really the same word, just in different forms ~ different cases.

What Kind of  Word is This, Anyway?:  In English, the same word can even fall into multiple categories.  “Trust” is a noun, but also a verb.  “Quiet” is both a noun and an adjective (even though its opposite, “loud” is only an adjective).  “Abstract” is all three!

Conclusion:  If you ever find yourself stressing out over learning a foreign language, just be glad you don't have to learn English as a “second language”!

Pearl of Wisdom

“Man who run behind car...get exhausted!

(Asian Proverb)

Be sure to read  English Language Part II...next publication

titled...Feminism in Today's English Language...which my son wrote.

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 9, 2013

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As The World Changes...So Do The Words

                 This reading is only for those whose level of maturity

                 qualifies them to relate to it:

             1960: Long hair

             2013: Longing for hair

                 

                 1960: KEG

                 2013: EKG

                 1960: Acid rock                  

                 2013: Acid reflex

                 1960: Moving to California because it's cool

                 2013: Moving to Arizona because it's warm

                 1960: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

                 2013: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

                 1960: Seeds and stems

                 2013: Roughage

                 1960: Hoping for a BMW

                 2013: Hoping for a BM

                

                 1960: Going to a new “hip joint”

                 2013: Receiving a new hip joint

                 1960: Rolling Stones

                 2013: Kidney stones

                 1960: Screw the system

                 2013: Upgrade the system

                 1960: Disco

                 2013: Costco

                 1960: Parents begging you to get your hair cut

                 2013: Children begging you get their heads shaved

                 1960: Passing the drivers' test

                 2013: Passing the vision test

                 1960: Whatever

                 2013: Depends

Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things.

Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to

give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen.

Here's this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born 1994.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

The CD was introduced 3 years before they were born.

They have always had an answering machine.

They have always had cable.

They cannot fathom not having a remote control.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the  microwave.

They never  took a swim and thought about Jaws.

They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard:  “Where's the Beef?”

                                        “I'd walk a mile for a Camel.”

                                        "Boss, de plane...”

They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is.

McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Do you feel old yet? 

Pass this on to the other old fogies on your list.

It is good to have friends who know about these things

and are still alive and kicking!!!

These Fit so Well … They Should be in a Dictionary:

                 ADULT:  A person who has stopped growing at both ends

                                    and is now growing in the middle

                 BEAUTY SALON: A place women curl up and dye.

                 CHICKENS:  The only animals you eat before they are born and

                                            after they are dead.

                 COMMITTEE:  A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

                 DUST:  Mud with the juice squeezed out.

                 EGOTIST:  Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

                 HANDKERCHIEF:  Cold storage

.

                 INFLATION:  Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

                 MOSQUITO:  An insect that makes you like flies better.

                 RAISIN:  A grape with a sunburn.

                 SECRET:  Something you tell to one person at a time.

                 SKELETON:  A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

                 TOOTHACHE:  The pain that drives you to extraction.

                 TOMORROW:  One of the greatest labour saving devices of today

                 YAWN:  An honest opinion openly expressed.

                 WRINKLES:  Something other people have,

                                             similar to my character lines.

The “Y” Chromosome

             People born before 1946 are called : The Greatest Generation.

                 People born between 1946 and 1964 are called: The Baby Boomers.

                 People born between 1965 and 1979 are called: Generation X.

                 People born between 1980 and 2010 are called:  Generation Y

                                         Why do we call the last group ~ Generation Y ? 

                                          Y should I get a job?

                                          Y should I leave home and find my own place?

                                          Y should I get a car when I can borrow yours?

                                          Y should I clean my room?

                                          Y should I wash and iron my clothes?

                                          Y should I buy any food?

(All of the foregoing was sent to me by a few of my ardent readers)

Words of Wisdom

“A cautious people learns from its past;

A sensible people can face the future;

Canadians, on the whole, are both!”

(Author unknown)

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 7, 2013

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Steps To A More Positive You

It seems safe to say that stress is a huge problem in our society and that most are not handling it very well. The easy route...is to permit the problem to continue! I believe and know there is an “escape method” for a road to improvement…if people would exercise it.

Aim to Take Control of the Things You CAN Control!

These include...the way you think...the way you behave...the life choices you make! If you manage these issues better, you'll have much more energy and resilience to deal with the larger external forces that affect everyone.

“Our attitude has a profound effect on the quality of our life.” writes Jonathan. “By taking a few simple steps to adopt a more positive attitude, you can enjoy both the immediate and long term benefits.”

“Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude to us”

(Earl Nightingale)

“Increased happiness is one of the immediate positive effects of a more optimistic attitude.  The fact is, optimistic people tend to experience much greater personal joy on a day-to-day basis than their pessimistic counterparts.

“The prospect of a longer healthier life is also a scientifically proven benefit of living with a positive attitude.In contrast, a negative, pessimistic mindset has been shown to contribute to scores of health challenges including immune disorders, cancer and heart problems.  All other factors being equal, a happier life...means a healthier life!

Think Gratitude:  A grateful mindset exerts a powerful influence on youroutlook.  Not only does it make you feel good in the moment, it also shifts your focus in a positive direction.  Turn your attention toward your blessings and keep it there.  As you focus more on what you are grateful for in your life (even the really small blessings), you will worry less about anything that may be lacking. As a result, you will experience a deeper sense of happiness.

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,

but the portent of all others. (Cicero)

Choose Happiness:  Being happy is not about circumstances or any other outside force.  Happiness is a decision we make.  Why not make up your mind to embrace happiness starting now?  Go ahead and make a decision.  Let  your personal identity get all wrapped up in the concept of happiness.  Fold it aroundyourself like a big comfortable blanket.

The greatest part of our happiness

depends on our dispositions, not circumstances.

(Martha Washington)

Substitute Challenges  for Problems:  Subconsciously, the word problem says, 'Life is not as it should be.'  This causes our energy to be funneled toward repairing something that's gone wrong.  On the other hand, the word challenge sends no such message.  Instead of trying to repair  a malfunction,our resources are recruited to search for a new opportunity.  Seeing an experience as a challenge will focus our attention on a positive outcome.

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.

The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

(Winston Churchill)

View Life as a Journey:  A journey is an adventure of discovery.  When we are on a journey we don't fear change, we welcome it.  We look forward to new and unfamiliar experiences.  On a journey we are full of optimism because we are filled with the expectations of a wonderful adventure.  This is the perfect attitude to carry with you every day.

Stop and Smell the Roses:  When you constantly feel rushed and scattered, it can be difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook.  Buying out regular opportunities to focus on simple pleasures can help restore a sense of balance to your life.  By pausing briefly to really taste your food or enjoy a beautiful piece of music, you remind yourself of the joy of simplicity.

It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough

to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering.

(Patricia Gifford)

Begin Your Day On a Positive Note:  Find a few minutes each morning to clear your mind and then think positive thoughts about the upcoming day. Focus on the people and events that bring you joy or a sense of satisfaction. What's  your favourite part of the day going to be?  Take some time to look forward toeverything that  you will enjoy.  Now carry that feeling with you all day long, even during the less enjoyable activities.  Let your optimism flow into your entire day.

Be Positively Aware:  Make it a habit to actively search for the positive side of everything.  Turn it into a private game.  With practice, you will be surprised how easy it becomes to see the not so obvious benefits and pleasures all around you.  Being alert to the reasons for optimism also helps move our attention away from the negative side of life.

When you change the way you look at things,

the things you look at change.  (Max Planck)

Act Out Happy:  You can use words and body language to program your nervous system.  When you make a conscious effort to 'walk the walk and talk the talk', your feelings will soon follow.  Our personal perspective  takes a lot of clues from how we act.  If you act like a happy optimistic person, your mind accepts that as your reality.  Try it and see for yourself.

Hang Out With Positive People:  Use the power of peer influence  to feed your sense of optimism.  The attitude of the people around us can be a powerful force for good or bad.  Seek out the company of those with a sunny disposition and let  yourself be influenced by their optimism.  Use the group dynamic to your benefit.

Do A Gratitude Review Nightly:  This is a great way to end  your day.  Before you go to bed, think of at least ten things that you are truly grateful for.  Let yourself feel the joy that those things bring to your life.  Fall asleep reflecting on your blessings.

Reflect each day on all you have to be grateful for

and you will receive more to be grateful for.

(Chuck Danes)

Minimize Exposure to Negative Influences:  Stop watching, reading  or listening to the news.  If you can free yourself from this negative influence, it will change your life.  Without that pervasive daily dose of despair, you will find it so much easier to focus on positive things in life.

30 Days to a More Positive You: 

Print out this list and read it daily. It will help you stay on track. 

If you catch yourself sliding into a pessimistic head space,

stop...and review your list. 

All you need  to do is stay on course for 30 days

and these things will become part of your nature.

Words of Wisdom

A man is but the product of his thoughts.

What he thinks...he becomes.

(Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948)

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 12, 2013

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