1st World Problems

 My son is technically an adult. I mean he is 18 and in the Navy. So I guess he can be called a grown-up. He left for basic training in September and wound up halfway across the country. After graduation, he was sent even further away. I guess I wouldn't call him a Momma's boy in the traditional sense. He is far too independent for that. He makes his own decisions and while I may be consulted from time to time, I wouldn't say he needs me to make decisions.  I do miss him terribly though.  The good news is that he is back for Christmas. A whole month! The bad news is that I have to share him with his friends and other members of my family. Including his girlfriend. And I am having a bit of a hard time with it. Not with her, she is a lovely person and she loves him very much. She makes him happy, and I am glad that he has her to talk to about the things he can't talk to me about.  Here is the rub. I am having problems sharing him. He has been home for three days. And s...

 This time of year is always so busy.  Parties, shopping, kid performances, trying to stay warm and sane.  Everything is happening at the same time.  Which is somewhat contradictory. To me anyway.  It's cold, it's dark, and my basic instinct is telling me to stay home and hide from the people who don't live here.  This is a rough time of year for many people. Even if you remove the financial constraints to throw yourself into debt and make sure that all the people you love know how much you love them through the magic of material goods. That is if you have loved ones. If you don't everywhere you turn you are reminded that everyone has a happy family. Except you. Then your brain, the liar, starts to tell you all the things wrong with you and why you don't have a family. Or why you aren't good enough for your family, if you have one.  On top of all of the pressure we place on ourselves, there are social pressures. Invitations, expectations, work parties,...

 My word it has been a while.  Over the time I have not been here many things have changed, as they tend to do. And the other things that haven't changed are the ones that will bring you down.  Now, you know I can't resist talking at least a little about politics. So let's get that out of the way.  Alberta, we are on the cliff. As of July 1, 2022 (according to Google) our province's population was 4,543, 111. That is a lot of people. Through the magic of politics, 42000 people elected our current leader, on their sixth shot at it.  I am sure you know about our current leader. How can you go anywhere without hearing about her next try at speaking her truth into existence and then backtracking on what she said like a three year with red hands telling you that they aren't the one who got red paint all over your walls? I never thought I would be able to say anything positive about our last leader, but at least Kenbabe never seemed to be actively trying to tear our p...

 The universe has a funny way of doing things.  If you can't find humour in the way things happen, you are definitely making things harder on yourself.  I was born in a place that has never been economically prosperous. The land is hard and nearly impossible to farm, the province is even nicknamed "The Rock" because that is what it is. A rock tethered to the ocean floor in the north Atlantic. The ocean pounds against the cliffs and shores. The land is made up mostly of black rock with sharp edges and unforgiving faces.  Because the major industry of fishing has become mostly a thing of the past due to many countries' greed (including our own), the harvests from the ocean are not enough to support the residents of the province. Oil hasn't quite hit there yet. The infrastructure is in place to supply surrounding areas with hydropower, but no one can agree on how much or even how the province should be remunerated. Due to these reasons and more, most young people win...

 I'm Back! It's been a while. And there really is no reason other than every once in a while, you need a break from the routine.  I also spent last week in Newfoundland with my mom and daughter. We spent the week living within our own schedule (for the most part) and stopping whenever we felt like it to see whatever sparked our interest. One stop was a shipwreck, another for an ice cream cone.  Whenever I spend time somewhere other than where I live I wonder whether I could live there or not. I think we all do some form of this. New places are just that, new. We are on vacation and have the time to poke around instead of the seemingly endless race of routine when we are living our normal lives.  Vacation places don't have the same issues. Unless you do research or watch the news where you are staying, you don't really know what is going on there. The politics of home and the difficulties in the local area are lost to us.  So when we think about relocating, are w...

 Stampede is here and everyone is distracted.  Even those of us that don't go wind up taking it easy, or slacking if we can. Unless you're driving. Then it's as though we are all trying to recreate every racing movie you've ever seen. Speed, diving into other lanes, disregard for all laws, and safe following distance. And indicating? Never heard of it.  Some of you may be wondering how that is different from most days on the Deerfoot. It just is. It isn't just the BMWs that ignore the little stick on the steering column. It doesn't help that we are having a full moon this week and that it is stupid hot. We haven't even had any of the good stampede afternoon thunderstorms to cool everyone down. It's a risky combination.  But here comes the upswing. There is something new at the stampede. I am not talking about the Kraft dinner soft serve or the fried chicken in pop rocks.  There is a new booth in the marketplace.  This one isn't selling knives or some...

 Here comes another political post.  Gird your loins friends. As you are well aware the federal PC party is looking for a new leader. They said, "see you later loser" to Erin O'Toole months ago. According to the die-hards in his party, he was too liberal when he spoke on acceptance and how the party itself needs to move forward (and maybe a little scooch left) if it wanted to be a contender for becoming Canada's top party.  That was far too much and he was catapulted out. I bet he was hurt at the time but is now super relieved that he isn't the one that needs to herd all of the cats that are currently running to be the leader.  Let's start with Jean Charest. He seems to be the safe choice. He is the best choice to work on stopping the growing divide in our country. He acknowledges that the country can't continue this way if we ever want to work together. He comes with some issues though. He has been in the leader's seat before. In 1993 he was the leade...

 It is Canada Day eve.  Usually spent camping, fireside, with a good chance of someone nearby shooting off some fireworks.  Memories of burned marshmallows and sunburns, this weekend always felt like the start of summer to me.  I have been a proud Canadian since I was old enough to understand what that meant. Our contributions to the world range from medical breakthroughs ( Banting ), to sports ( Naismith ), and our role as peacekeepers ( berets ). We have a lot to celebrate.  We do need to acknowledge a lot of our failures as a nation as well though. Internment camps , starlight tours, and our treatment of Indigenous people in general (think drinking water ).  Then there is the waving of our flag. Since the convoy, I haven't seen anyone flying our flag in the same way. Instead of a feeling of pride and community, I now think of people who think that their rights triumph over everyone else. I think people who have moved so far from the truth and what I alwa...

 I am still hurting, I am still mad. But there are other things in the world to look at, and you can still be trying to figure out what you can do while doing something else.  Summer vacation is here for my daughter. She is now finished with junior high and is onto high school. It's also almost her 15th birthday. I think your kid's birthday by nature makes you reflect on what you were doing at their age. When I was 15, we could still go to Drive-In movies. The theatre (that would no longer be on the outskirts of the city) has long since blown up. The summer for us was spent bouncing from my house, to a friend's house, and then back again.  It was an extended sleepover. Days were spent outside, avoiding parents and younger siblings. But hoping that maybe some older siblings with a car would take pity on us and take us somewhere fun, or buy us treats. When the stampede came around, we would go as many times as possible. We didn't think about much when on the grounds, othe...

 I have talked about this before.  So if some of the things I say in this post sound familiar, it may be because it is something I have said before. Some points in this issue bear repeating, and sometimes to feel truly heard, you have to repeat yourself. So, it actually happened. Roe Vs. Wade was repealed. And almost half the states in America have either made abortion illegal already or are working on it. In some states, like Texas, people had appointments made and had traveled to appointments. Only to show up and find the clinics closed.  This wasn't a surprise really. That is what happens when the highest court in the land is stacked to one side. R V. W isn't just about access to safe abortion though. It is also about privacy in health care and accessing health care safely. Part of the explanation for the repeal is that things like abortion, contraception, gay marriage, and interracial marriage were not specifically mentioned in the constitution.  My question to t...

 Indigenous Musicians.  We have all heard of Robbie Robertson and his time in The Band (have you seen the Last Waltz? I don't think anyone there remembers it). And who doesn't enjoy "Somewhere Down the Crazy River"?  And then there is Redbone. This band is somewhat lesser-known, but I bet if you click the link you will recognize the song "Come and Get Your Love" . And let's not forget everyone's Mother-In-Law's favorite Tom Jackson and his "Huron Carol" . There are so many Indigenous artists right now that should be recognized and have a much larger audience. One of my favourite songs, and has been for a while is "Wasted" by William Prince. The first time I heard the song was while watching the New Year's Eve special on CBC. Prince was born in Selkirk, Manitoba, and later moved with his family to the Peguis First Nation as a child. Prince has won two Junos, a Canadian Folk music Award, and the 2020 SOCAN songwriting prize...

 So today, I thought I would introduce you to some Indigenous Canadian artists. Also, here is a reminder that art is subjective, some work will speak to you and others won't. And another thing, supporting an artist doesn't mean only buying their largest pieces. If you like a print, and can only afford the postcard size, treat yourself. You deserve nice things. Just be sure you are buying from a source where the artist gets their cut.  Norval Morrisseau Bird Family Morrisseau was born on March 14, 1932, on the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation.  He was often called the "Picasso of the North".  His work featured the beings in the legends of his people, the struggles of the Indigenous people, and his own beliefs and struggles. Also known as Copper Thunderbird, Morrisseau was a self-taught artist who founded the Woodslands School of Canadian art; and was a member of the Professional Native Artists Incorporation. A piece of Morrisseau's was chosen to be the cov...

 There are so many Canadian Indigenous authors that are producing some amazing work.   Continuing with our Indigenous History Month, I am going to give you a list. With a little summary. And some of their titles.  Richard Wagamese. Born on October 14, 1955, in Minaki, Ontario. Richard Wagamese was an author and journalist and member of the Ojibway Nation. Indian Horse is probably his best-known work. That book went on to be made into a movie of the same name after Wagemese's death in 2017. It also won the Burt Award for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Literature in 2013, as well as being a competing title in that same year's edition of Canada Reads. Indian Horse Eden Robinson  Born on January 19, 1968, in Kitimat, BC, Robinson is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. Robinson's first book was released in 1995. "Traplines" is a collection of four short stories. That anthology won the Holtby Memorial Prize for best regional work by a commonwealth author...

 It's Indigenous People's Day here in Canada.  Yesterday I featured world-renowned sniper Francis Pegahmagabow. You can go back and read it if you missed it.  And today I am going to feature one of my favourite actors.  I have said many times, and I will probably say again, that a Canadian movie isn't truly Canadian unless it features one of two actors. One is Gordon Pinsent (more on him another day), and the other is our person of the day. Graham Greene! Graham is an Oneida that was born on June 22, 1952, on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. His first brush with the stage was working in Newfoundland as an audio tech. In 1974 he graduated from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre's Native Theatre School Program and from there starred on stage, in movies, and in TV shows.  Nominated for an Oscar (one of only two Indigenous actors nominated, ever) for the 1990 movie "Dances With Wolves", Greene has starred in many great films (Wind River, The Green Mile, Winter...