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The Garden of My MindLife comes in waves some days you are in the trough and some days you are on the crest December 05 I am now publishedIn the Medicine Hat News ; November 19, 2008 National Day of Remebrance for Road Crash Victims.
On November 5th, my husband's parents needed to get from Kimberley BC to Cranbrook and as they are elderly, choosing not to drive any longer for the sake of safety, they took a taxi. They shared the costs with a third gentleman who made regular trips for dialysis.
A truck driver through distraction or poor choice, failed to stop at a the stop sign as he crossed Highway 95.
Roy has a cracked pelvis in 2 places, and a cracked hip. He is being moved from ICU today. Medications he needed for pain relief adversely affected a pre-existing condition. He is in great pain.
The other gentleman, Colin, has been moved to Trail BC to care for the need for dialysis and repair his leg broken in three places.
The driver of the taxi, has nothing broken but cannot work as yet due to other soft tissue injuries.
Pam was flown to the Foothills ICU with injuries of 3 cracked cervical vertebra, a broken sternum and multiple broken ribs both sides and a partially collapsed lung. There is also a gash to the liver. These are life threatening injuries and fog delayed her transfer to Calgary. She has had to make a difficult decision. She had to give the doctors permission to perform all life saving measures except CPR.
I am no longer angry at the driver as I have come to some acceptance of this situation. Here is what continues to make me angry as I drive in our own 'nice' city:
I am angry at people who don't have time to stop at a stop sign. If you have to drive on Ross Glen Drive make sure you are ready to avoid drivers coming at you from Rice Ave and Robinson.
I am angry at people who feel that out-of-towners cause our problem. These shoppers and visitors are guests here. Give them some time and space to safely arrive at their destination. Wouldn't you appreciate that in an unfamiliar area? You wouldn't have access to all the shops here if there wasn't the extended marketplace. I am angry at driver's who cannot behave in a construction zone, yet complain about the condition of the roads. I am angry at driver's who don't look both ways at intersections...some people still walk. I am angry at people who don't signal or shoulder check. How egotistical and rude not to let others know your intentions and cutting people off..
I am angry at people who tailgate trying to intimidate you to go faster. Push, push, push. I have learned to go even slower so that when the accident occurs, it will be at a lower speed, causing less harm to me and my family.
I am angry at those who speed. Your late. It feels good to hear the motor pull. It feels like you're doing something. You get angry at all the 'slow' people doing the speed limit blocking your personal path. Really? You can create time with speed? You need to do some math here because all you make is momentum and a bigger accident.
I am angry at those who rely on drugs and alcohol to get through life and then get in a vehicle. Plan how you are going to get home before you even go out. If you take your own car, you are going to want to bring it home. So don't do that. Take a cab or have a designated driver. If you kill or maim yourself that's your own concern and might even work out better for the rest of us.. But you drunken buggers, get on the road and you don't care who you kill or harm. It is the leading criminal cause of death in Canada. Proud of yourself?
I am angry at those who think they are 'kind' and let medicated or elderly drivers keep their license.
I am angry at parents who are tired of driving their teens around, buy them a car but don't include the lessons.
I am angry that people do not budget for winter tires and maintenance but feel entitled to use their vehicle anyway.
I am angry at people driving aggressive vehicles aggressively unaware that they come to a stop they same way others do. You need reaction time. You need braking time.and you slide on ice.
I am angry at people who intend to drive distracted with make-up, hair, cell phones, reading material, CD changes and food to go.
I am angry that people are so sorry when they have caused an accident. How come they couldn't think of that before?
I am angry at the people who cause so much damage to individuals and property yet complain about the wait in emergency and the costs of insurance.
I am angry that charges against a dangerous driver causing this much pain and damage are ridiculously inadequate and act as no deterrent to others. The RCMP on the scene wanted criminal charges laid and they got a Traffic Infraction.
I am angry in a small city of 60 000 we have 60 to 100 accidents a week and yet I am told this is a nice place to live. I am angry at idiots on the road. Keep your vehicle safely away from other vehicles. Why is that so hard? You'll drive properly after an accident.Won't you? and you'll be so sorry.
December 05, 2008
Have a very Merry Christmas...and make sure your driving doesn't cause this much damage and pain.
An update: Roy was able to walk around his hospital bed just the other day. Pam has the Traheotomy tube out
but still not allowed a cup of tea until she has healed a little more. The accident was exactly 1 month ago today. September 04 My Daughter's PoetryAll Grown Up
by Calli Hart Walton
Flourescent lights, Dull and blinding
Fall upon desks and chairs
The smell of chalkdust
And a freshly sharpened pencil
Scratching out equations.
I lift my head and gaze
Past the window
And let my mind escape
To play in golden leaves
And roll down grassy hills
As I once did When I was young
Skinned knees and blisters
From falling on the playground
The bell chimes
Its mocking, sing-song melody
Snapping my mind into place
Trigonometry
Broken hearts
Drugs and cigarettes
And to think...
I wanted to be a 'big kid' August 26 Been too longI almost forgot my password over here but a friend invited me to be a friend and so...
My mother died on June 20, 2008 from Cancer. Gratefully, it was a short illness and she died peacefully. There was so much beauty and so many signs that all was fine but now the signs have stopped and it is time for her, and I, to move on. She is with Dad now...she had been waiting for this time to be with her love again.
Friends and family have been visiting more. It makes me feel important and loved and part of something bigger.
There is an estate. Not life changing but more secure. Even in death, my Mother, still caring for us.
I will miss her so very much.
My role now is to ensure that the memory and values and traditions of my parents are passed on.
May 19 Never give up WineNever Give up Wine!!
March 05 Catherine won!Well, how exciting is this! Catherine's Paper towel project took First Place for Individual Project Physical Sciences and then she took first Place Overall for Physical Sciences. She has now received a Letter of Intent to attend the CWSF (national) Science Fair In Ottawa!! We are filling that out this evening. There were 10 letters handed out but only 4 or 5 kids will go. We are so excited it is stupid. Also: She was invited to display her project at GreenWeek here at the College beginning March 17. (Pictures to be uploaded when techie husband arrives home)
I was amazed overall at the choices the kids made to study and test from hovercrafts, and conterfeit money, environmental concerns, and how to wash fruit and veggies properly. One fellow received accolades for a project based on Phantom Draw. the amount of electricity an item uses if it is plugged in but not in use. He took his own home and calculated $75/year and then multiplied that by the number of houses in Medicine Hat, then Alberta and then Canada. These kids at our school are 13 and 14 years old. At the Regionals there was a younger division Grades 4-6 and an older division as well. The Best overall was a little robotic puppy made from recycled parts. The winner, Kate, lives in our cul de sac. When they interviewed her for the paper she said, " I just like going out to the garage with my Dad, and seeing how things work."
On not such a lite note, my Mom is 81 and has been persuaded that it is time to move into assisted living. She is so distraught they had to take herto the hospital because she couldn't breathe. Way too much stress. Everyone I talk to says this is what they went through with their parents and in a month they were wondering why they hadn't moved before. Mom, has a hard time seeing things in a positive light she suffers from depression and it is hard for her to remember to think about the good stuff. We shall see.
To top off this great stress of the move , she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. What bothers me is that the lump found is quite large and also is already under her arm, Where was her damn doctor then? This needed some time to grow or did Mom just decide not to go for her Mammograms? I had mine February 29 as part of an annual check-up. Don't forget those monthly self-exams. Early detection is the answer so don't be afraid. Better to have a small lump checked out than to go through a complete masectomy or face death. Take good care. February 24 God lives Under your BedI think this is perhaps one of the BEST email 'forwards' I have ever read. I hope you will enjoy it half as much as I have!!
Don't start reading this one until you've got more than 3 or 4 minutes to just 'scan' over it. It deserves some time for reflection. GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed... I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night s omething else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels c arry them. I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores. And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are di ligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up t he goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all! When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do.. There is nothing attached. This is powerful. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. FRIENDS ARE ANGELS WHO LIFT US TO OUR FEET WHEN OUR WINGS HAVE TROUBLE REMEMBERING HOW TO FLY February 16 Catty is a winner!Catty won her division Physical Science for the Science Fair!!! She will go to the regionals in March here
at the college. Also attending will be her Best Friend Jayden who lives in our Cul de sac (House #12)
worked with paint, glue & oil got a third,"The Boy" Jamie got a third adding alcohol to plants which they
liked for a while, so dumping your drink into a plant at a party is okay as long everyone else isn't doing
it, and a friend in the Cul de sac (House #8) got a first and is on the front page of our news with a big
5 X 7 photo and write up. She made a recycled puppy out of parts of older things that were going into
the garbage anyway...Christmas lights light up the eyes ..etc. (MedicinehatNews.ca) I think.
Catty's project; Battle of the Brands was a product comparison of Paper towels. She (we) tested 30 different brands. It got a little tedious so we all helped. Anyway, we learned that:
-Paper towels are an environmental nightmare but a bit of a necessity. They stop the spread of viruses and they take a lot of fats out of our cooking but...we believe they are a product that has been
Greenwashed, meaning they try to make them look environmentally friendly (recycled material, no
chlorine, less water used to manufacture etc...but they are usually used for messy jobs and then end
up in the landfills...
-New material has longer fibers than recycled material so that stronger and more absorbent usually means virgin material is used...Sponge Towels are okay as they use managed forests so as not to cut
down virgin tracks. Their Select-a-Size is all new material from their own forests, their regular size
towel is a 60% recycled/40% new material. Then they have White Swan (Viva) which is recycled. The
best towel then becomes the best towel for the job So that you are not using too much paper towel for
a small job or having to use sheets and sheets of a weaker brand to do the same job as a stronger
towel. So consumers need to look at their own usage and re-think the purchases they make. Are you
polishing windows or picking up a hairball? (Don't use paper towels to polish your glasses - it takes off
the coatings)
- Also the best paper towel is a personal choice based on a consumer's values...inexpensive, kosher, recycled, environmentally responsible (I didn't know there were Kosher paper towels either KSR
logo on the label)
- Buy large rolls: a single roll (45 sheets) and core is 9.25 cm across add another 35 sheets and
increase roll size by only .75 cm...this reduces using another core, reduces the plastic needed to
wrap the package and also reduces the costs of transportation and the emissions...925 double
rolls is 1850 rolls is about the same space as 1000 single rolls..then there are super, mega and
jumbo rolls.
- When Catty e-mailed companies she suggested they reduce the core size to 2.5 cm from 4 cm changing the industry standard and increasing the benefits that come from the smaller roll size
same as from the mega rolls (less material in the core, in ther wrapping and less effects of shipping)
OMG...they are looking into it! There is a big thing now about Carbon Credits and such and we are
aware of Government grants and Tax breaks for some of the capital expenses that this would
require to re-tool some of the machines but not too sure how they work. More study to be done.
- The top 5 brands were store brands and then Sponge Towels were the first National Brand tying for 5th place (Bounty was 8th)
- If you must use Paper towels then the one we ultimately loved for general use was London Drugs Super absorbent Jumbo Premium Recycled ranking 14/30 (2/30 lowest price) and tied with that was
Cascades Brown 14/30 is was stronger than their white one which were more expensive but were also
more environmentally gentle.
- The best picker upper really is a rag...Cut up your old T-shirts and worn out towels into nice squares and set them by the sink..If they have to go in the garbage then that's where they were headed anyway
but you got one more use...if they can be rinsed out and thrown in with a load of laundry and re-used
well...even better! Being Green is actually very economical.
And that's that.. Lots o' love Bonnie
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