Archive for family
03.18.08
Posted in family, health at 3:39 pm by Mrs C.
This time of year, many people suffer from depression. Too long indoors, not enough sun, too cold, you name it.
Rather than take medications that will eventually do more harm than good, there are some natural treatments you can do.
One of them is exercise. I find even if I clean a cupboard or move some furniture around it lifts my mood.
Another that I just read about is to experience new things. Not only pleasurable experiences, but new experiences and new stimuli trigger our brains to release good feelings.
So get out and learn something new today.
Technorati Tags: depression, exercise, learning
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03.16.08
Posted in family at 3:16 pm by Mrs C.
One day in Mexico, my family decided to go for a day trip to the Mayan Jungle. Since we knew it would be a strenuous day with lots of walking, and since I am not really a jungle loving person, I stayed back at the resort with my mother. My sisters traveling by ripcord across the jungle. Glad I was not there, since heights and I don’t like each other.
Technorati Tags: Mexico, jungle, rip cord
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03.14.08
Posted in family at 8:35 pm by Mrs C.
So how was Mexico? This is one of the views of the resort we stayed at. Hot and beautiful, the only sad thing is seeing the poverty around us as we drove the hour from the CanCun airport to the resort. Other than that, the trip was more than we expected.
We swam, read, ate, swam, and ate some more. The only problem with the resort was my stomach wasn’t used to three all-you-can-eat buffets a day, with plenty of food choices. By the end of the week, my system was forcing me to slow down with the stuffing my face.
So did we do anything else? How about jungle tours, kayaking, snorkeling, watching sea lions and dolphins swimming with the people. More about those things later.
Technorati Tags: resort, food, swimming
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03.12.08
Posted in family at 8:25 pm by Mrs C.
My mother is over 80. This winter is long and cold, not fun for an older person. My sisters and I would love to go with her on a trip. Then my oldest daughter and two nieces decide to go too. But where?
Our first thought is a cruise. We want something that is all-inclusive, no cooking or cleaning or extra money needed. But mom has been having problems with libido, which means she has extreme dizzy spells sometimes, so a boat might not be a great choice.
We want somewhere warm and snowless and all-inclusive. Before you know it, we’ve booked a week at a resort in Mexico, on the Mayan Riviera. So was the trip worth the time, effort and money?
Stay tuned for next time.
Technorati Tags: winter, trip, Mexico, Mayan Riviera
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12.10.07
Posted in life in Canada, family at 3:29 pm by Mrs C.
As I’ve mentioned before, I take care of my two year old grandson during the day. His very favourite toy (and TV show) is Thomas the Train. And today I got an email that Chapters is having a special sale on the Thomas the Train Roundhouse. Now all I need is another room for all the toys.
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10.31.07
Posted in life in Canada, family at 3:36 pm by Mrs C.
I take care of my grandson, Joe, from Monday to Friday and even though I’m ready for a nap when he goes home, I get to do all kinds of fun things. Like play games, do crafts, and sing “The Wheels On the Bus” over and over again.
But being the responsible old lady that I am, I also have housework to do. And this is where having a toddler’s help really gets you moving (Joe is two and a half - I think that’s still considered a toddler).
For instance, I had laundry to take out of the dryer. Before the words were out of my mouth, Joe was on his way down to the laundry room. By the time I got there, he had the whole load out and thrown into a basket. I folded quicker than I have in my whole life, so that he wouldn’t need to help too much more.
No matter what the task, Joe is always there, saying “I help.” I love watching him working alongside Poppa and I and seeing how it helps his self-esteem to be able to do things himself.
Now lest I get carried away with the wonder of this child, what are the odds he will be so willing to help ten years from now?
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10.24.07
Posted in family at 8:14 pm by Mrs C.
My oldest daughter now lives on a farm outside Nashville, Tennessee, after being born and raised in the middle of busy Toronto. True, we always had pets, but the most unusual were gerbils and lizards - not chickens and goats.
We went to visit them recently and had a great camera moment of my daughter, long skirt flowing, standing in the middle of the field, surrounded by quacking ducks, grunting pigs and bleating goats.
Now, I hear they have a lama. Meanwhile, I’m having trouble with a hamrat and a fish.
What’s your animal story?
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10.10.07
Posted in family, health at 3:45 pm by Mrs C.
A close friend of mine has four grown daughters. These days it seems that they are always after her about the things she says. One of them told her how negative she is, another said “Do you ever listen to yourself? Always saying be careful, or don’t do this, or watch out”.
The third daughter told my friend she was going to buy her a wooden spoon since she likes to stir things up with the family. Then to top it off, the fourth daughter said she didn’t say some things her mother was sure she said and accused the mom of saying some nasty things that my friend doesn’t remember saying.
Sorry if this sounds confusing, but I don’t know how I should respond. My friend has always been known for her cheerful disposition and all of these recent comments have her wondering if she is beginning to show signs of Alzeimers. She has become more forgetful lately and sometimes gets weepy for no reason. But that could be part of getting older.
I intend to do an Internet search for symptoms, but if my friend is in the early stages of that awful disease, I’m not sure how I should proceed. How would you handle it?
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09.27.07
Posted in life in Canada, family at 7:48 pm by Mrs C.
Today my grandson and I changed the hamster cage. Teddy the hamster was fast asleep, as is his daytime custom and did not enjoy being disturbed. He began to make a number of loud screeching noises to voice his displeasure, followed by what sounded like soft sobs when we continued to annoy him.
Now is this normal hamster behavior, or is Teddy indeed part rat? Then again, we could have the only talking hamrat on the planet.
He’s also getting bigger and fatter. And that pink, hairless tail continues to grow. I think I’m in the Twilight Zone.
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09.24.07
Posted in family at 11:54 pm by Mrs C.
I watch my two-year old grandson every day while my daughter is at work, and being the doting granny that I am, I decided he needed a pet. Or two. So we drove on down to the local pet store, admired all the animals, and took home a fish and a hamster.
The fish is a red beta named Garnet and the hamster goes by the name of Teddy. Unfortunately, Gramma didn’t take into account that Garnet is a bit boring for a two-year old and Teddy is nocturnal. Which means he wakes up and starts running long after grandson has gone home.
I have become fond of Teddy, although the sight of his sharp little teeth make me a bit nervous. My only concern now is that he seems to be growing a tail - a bare, ratty looking tail. I don’t like rats and spent part of my evening on the Internet trying to find out if Teddy could be a hamrat or a ratster, or if this ugly tail is nothing to worry about.
It’s kind of like eating a chicken sandwich and enjoying it, then finding out the meat wasn’t chicken at all - the thought makes my stomach turn. Maybe I could paint that bright pink tail white or something, just until I get the rat image out of my head.
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